Homebase criticised for RIP Prince tweet

In the period after the death of the pop superstar Prince, was confirmed on Thursday, a range of companies paid tributes online to the singer. Some brands changed their logos, some introduced purple to their websites and many tweeted with the #RIPPrince hashtag.

On Friday morning, Homebase decided to send the following tweet from their official customer service account.

'Good morning everyone, happy Friday. If you need our assistance we're here until 8pm today, get tweeting. Have a good day! #RIPPRINCE' 

They swiftly deleted the tweet, but not before it was slammed as inappropriate by Twitter users. Although some of the messages from the singers fans were comical, including one from Devil's Advocate who tweeted 'What does Prince use to paint his decking? Purple stain', many were simply outraged. 

But the criticism didn't stop there, as Homebase was accused of jumping on the bandwagon by the broader UK media, with features appearing in The Daily Mail, The Mirror, The Express and the The Sun.

It’s not really clear exactly what Homebase’s intentions were - it might have simply been a misjudged but well-intentioned tribute.

When asked about the indiscretion, they said "We sincerely apologise for any offence this has caused."

Source: Insight DIY Team