A Dunkin' Donuts Twitter campaign backfired after it was forced to apologise to Liverpool fans for replacing the Hillsborough eternal flames on the club's crest with coffee cups.
Dunkin' Donuts, one of Liverpool's official sponsors, asked its followers to tweet alternatives to the club's crest on Wednesday.
The American doughnut company came up with their own controversial version, replacing the Hillsborough flames with what looked like coffee cups.
The flames were added to the crest out of respect to the 96 fans who lost their lives in the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989.
The Shankly gates were replaced by the slogan, "America runs on Dunkin'" and the Liverbird figure at the heart of the crest made way for the company's "DD" logo.
The tweet, since taken down, read: "Love the LFC crest? Tweet us what you'd want on your personal crest and we might surprise you with your own!"
Many Liverpool fans were outraged by the post. Kop magazine, the club's unofficial fanzine, tweeted: "Do you wanna tell @DunkinDonuts how bad replacing the eternal flame with coffee is or should we? #LFC"
Dunkin' Donuts admitted it had made an error.
"We apologise for any insensitivity regarding our tweet supporting an LFC-themed promotion featuring the LFC Crest," a Dunkin' Donuts spokesperson said.
"As a proud partner of LFC, we did not intend any offence, particularly to the Club's supporters. We have removed the tweet and halted the campaign immediately."
Source: PA
