Report by Sarah Hickey.
McDonald’s Portugal recently made headlines after a Halloween campaign backfired. In an attempt to celebrate the spooky season, the fast-food giant’s Portuguese branch released a special Halloween edition of its ice cream Sundae.
To advertise their strawberry-flavored ice cream special, McDonald’s Portugal used the slogan “Sundae Bloody Sundae.” What, according to McDonald’s, was meant as a well-intended tribute to the song “Sunday Bloody Sunday” by Irish rock band U2, and a celebration of Halloween (incidentally a holiday of Celtic origin), was perceived as insensitive on the Emerald Isle.
The Sundae Bloody Sundae promotion of McDonald’s Portugal.
The term “Bloody Sunday” makes reference to three bloody events that took place throughout Irish history.