What was meant to be a clever beer promotion by Canada Coors Light went awry on Monday after a reported “suspicious package” brought a bomb squad and police to the scene, causing the closure of a major Toronto intersection.
It turned out the grey box was part of a “search and rescue” month-long marketing campaign by the beer company. Participants of the hunt were to find hidden treasures in a branded steel briefcase with the help of an online treasure map and Twitter.
Officials closed down the intersection of Spadina Ave. and Dundas St. West and diverted traffic as police looked into the matter, causing commuters major delays during rush hour.
Executives from Coors Light wrote on Twitter, “Sincerest apologies for any disruption this has caused. We are contacting appropriate people immediately to fix the situation.”
That apology didn’t cut it for many on Twitter who voiced their displeasure on the social media site about the delay. “Awesome. You’re the reason it took me an extra 20 minutes to get home from work. I’ll continue avoiding your beer,” wrote one user.
Although a recent company news release said some 880 similar boxes were to be hidden across the country during the month of July as part of the promotion, they later said the campaign is now complete and a new one will be introduced at bars across the U.S in the coming weeks.
There’s no word yet if the company will be fined for the stunt.
Sources:
Photo Credit:
LunaseeStudios / Shutterstock.com