The ads to promote the show's upcoming season one DVD and Blu-ray release arrived the same day terrorist group ISIS claimed they had decapitated American journalist Steven Sotloff.
- Sep 3, 2014
AceShowbiz - "Sleepy Hollow" campaign to promote the show's upcoming season one DVD and Blu-ray release has backfired. The show drew negative feedbacks after its PR firm sent email to media touting "National Beheading Day" on the same day news broke that American journalist Steven Sotloff had been beheaded by terrorist group ISIS.
The marketing team has apologized for the poor timing. "We apologize for the unfortunate timing of our 'Sleepy Hollow' Headless Day announcement. The tragic news of Steven Sotloff's death hit the web as the email was being sent. Our deepest sympathies are with him and his family, and we don't take the news lightly. Had we have known this information prior, we would have never released the alert and realize it's in poor taste," read an email from ThinkJam which released the campaign.
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment which handles the distribution of "Sleepy Hollow" digital, DVD and Blu-ray also issued their own apology. "Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment recognizes and apologizes for today's promotion for the Season One DVD release of 'Sleepy Hollow'. We regret the unfortunate timing of our announcement and our deepest sympathies go out to the families of all involved," they said in a statement.
Previously, the marketing team sent email to journalists to celebrate Headless Day on September 2. "Sleepyheads Celebrate Headless Day - eCards Available," the email read. "Heads will roll as sleepyheads celebrate Headless Day today, September 2. On this National Beheading Day, viewers everywhere can share in the fun as fans prepare for the release of Sleepy Hollow: Season One on Digital HD now and arriving on Blu-ray and DVD September 16. We hope you like them and are able to share them with your readers! If you share via your social media platforms, please tag them with #HeadlessDay!"
Prior to Steven Sotloff's gruesome death, the world was shocked by a video showing the beheading of American photojournalist James Foley two weeks ago. ISIS militants were behind the murder as well.
The "Sleepy Hollow" season one DVD and Blu-ray will be released September 16, while the new season 2 will kick off Monday, September 22 at 9 P.M. on FOX.
