Throwback Thursday: Urban Outfitters' Blood Splattered Kent State Shirt

In honor of #ThrowbackThursday, our Los Angeles marketing firm went down memory lane; we didn't go too far, just back a few months.

Back in September of this year (2014), the internet witnessed Urban Outfitters put a shirt for sale that may or may both have been trying to capitalize on the Kent State shooting that happened May 4, 1970.

Urban Outfitters evoked the emotion still tied to that tragedy with the bizarre sweatshirt, displaying the school's name on the front and covered with what appear to be blood splatter marks.

The item was first discovered by +BuzzFeed soon after the retailer put the faux-vintage sweatshirt up for sale on their site; they claimed to only have one for sale and that consumers should "get it or regret it!" Then they slapped a jaw-dropping $130 price tag.

The sale of the sweatshirt sparked intents backlash against the retailer on social media; this was not the first time the retailer has been caught possibly being insensitive towards a controversial/sensitive event or group of people. Urban has been caught with Navajo-Indian (coming in white charcoal, Obama/black) inspired clothing and shirts that seemingly glorified terrorism, and a t-shirt that is reminiscent of the shirts Jews had to wear during WW2/Nazi Germany.

It is possible that the shirt was an elaborate PR stunt, regardless, it was one bad marketing mistake.

Sometimes, a creative team does not realize a mistake is a mistake until after it is made; however, a great marketing firm can spot a mistake before the launch. If you want a creative agency that knows a bad idea before it is published, then hire Integraphix -- a Los Angeles creative agency.