Barely two days after Singapore Zoo’s beloved polar bear Inuka was put down, a local home and decor brand called IUIGA decided that it was time to release a line of porcelain tea series after the animal.
Costing S$34.90, the Inuka series was its so-called tribute to Singapore’s last polar bear — a vanilla-looking tea set described as “white, beautiful and commanding a strong presence” that would “cement Inuka’s legacy”.
Naturally, this did not go down well, and the tide of overwhelming backlash accused the brand of reaping profits off a celebrity animal’s death. Nineteen hours after it posted the insensitive marketing stunt, IUIGA has since apologized. Not for the blatant milking of a tragedy, but for the “sensitive time period” of launching its campaign. Er, okay.
IUIGA also declared that all proceeds from the Inuka line of products will be fully donated to Polar Bears International — something it should’ve mentioned earlier. That means each purchase of the porcelain products will help the non-profit organization’s efforts to conserve polar bears and their arctic environment.
If you’re not that turned off by the stunt, you can check out the Inuka line of products, which are now up for sale on the IUIGA website.
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