The owner of mattress company in Texas has apologised for a “tasteless” advertisement promoting a 9/11 anniversary sale featuring a woman screaming as two towers of mattresses fall to the ground.
Miracle Mattress owner Mike Bonanno apologised on Thursday, saying the online ad was produced without his knowledge by employees in San Antonio.
US media subsequently reported that a number of employees received death threats over the 20-second ad.
On Friday, Mr Bonanno announced that the store “will be closed indefinitely.”
“We will be silent through the 9/11 Anniversary to avoid any further distractions from a day of recognition and remembrance for the victims and their families,” Mr Bonanno said in a press release.
“We take full responsibility for our actions and sincerely regret the hurt and pain caused by this disrespectful advertising campaign.”
The video shows two men asking a woman about a “Twin Towers” sale. She opens her arms, pushing both men backward into two stacks of mattresses, knocking them over. She says: “We’ll never forget.”
Mr Bonanno says the employees will be held accountable. He did not elaborate.
“There is very little we can do to take away the hurt we have caused, but we can begin with silence through the Anniversary and then do our best to follow up with actions that reflect the seriousness of our mistake,” he said in the statement posted on the shop’s facebook page.
Wal-Mart this week said a display of Coke cans stacked to look like the World Trade Centre was not meant to be disrespectful and has been removed from a store in Florida.
AP