Kenneth Cole slammed for Cairo protests PR tactic

Socially conscious fashion bigwig Kenneth Cole has taken a knock to his right-on reputation after a moment of madness on Twitter in which he used the pro-democracy protests in Egypt to flog his clothes.

Cole's epic marketing fail, posted yesterday, read: "Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online."

Whether or not Cole meant his post as a satirical comment on the Egyptian government's internet clampdown has been lost in the ensuing outcry.

A Twitter lynchmob quickly assembled, with the general opinion being that Cole had behaved foolishly and deserved to be boycotted. Some wags parodied Cole with one writing: "Millions Are in Uproar Over @KennethCole on #Twitter; Rumor Is, He's a D*ck."

A KennethColePr Twitter account was hastily created by another user who started tweeting gems like: "People from New Orleans are flooding into Kenneth Cole stores!"

Cole, who is well known for making stands on issues like HIV, fur and homelessness, was quick to delete his tweet when he realised the seriousness of his PR cock-up.

Choosing to use an alternative forum for his apology, Facebook, Cole
wrote:

"I apologise to everyone who was offended by my insensitive tweet about the situation in Egypt. I've dedicated my life to raising awareness about serious social issues, and in hindsight my attempt at humour regarding a nation liberating themselves against oppression was poorly timed and absolutely inappropriate."

The first comment below his statement reads: "You are an asshole!" ·