When big corporations try to go all out on special days, things tend to go a little askew, especially when the communication tends to be a thinly veiled attempt to draw sales.

This Women’s Day, March 8th, e-retailer Flipkart drew flak for its regressive marketing text messages:

Promoting kitchen appliances alone is egregious enough in a country where millions of women are relegated to unpaid, unappreciated household labor, but Flipkart dialed up the tone-deafness by immediately asking viewers to buy products after claiming that they ‘celebrate YOU’.

The marketing gaffe drew attention right after Flipkart’s #EveryWoman campaign took off. It’s promotional video followed several old-school corporate inclusivity cues, highlighting its women workers and showcasing snippets from women who used the platform to run their businesses:

Despite the video’s good intentions, Flipkart received a barrage of criticism and insults from Twitter users for their text-based promotional message. Several shamed the company for approving such a text:

A few confused men also wondered why they were the target audience:

Meanwhile, Flipkart put out an apology.

It was still too little, too late, as the post was quickly swarmed by angry customers, looking for support on mishandled orders.

(Featured Image Credits: AP, Twitter)