TORONTO — The studio behind the hit TV series Sleepy Hollow apologized Tuesday for promoting “Headless Day” as news broke that another American journalist was beheaded by Islamic State militants.
“Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment recognizes and apologizes for today’s promotion for the Season One DVD release of Sleepy Hollow,” read a statement.
“We regret the unfortunate timing of our announcement and our deepest sympathies go out to the families of all involved.”
The campaign included e-cards with Sleepy Hollow characters and messages like “Does this axe make my head look small?” and “I knew you’d forget your head if it wasn’t attached.”
The e-cards were sent to media outlets with a press release that read: “On this National Beheading Day, viewers everywhere can share in the fun as fans prepare for the release of Sleepy Hollow: Season One.”
It urged fans to use the hashtag “#HeadlessDay.”
ThinkJam, the creative agency behind the marketing campaign, also expressed regret for the bad timing.
“We apologize for the unfortunate timing of our Sleepy Hollow Headless Day announcement,” read an email from ThinkJam, which was behind the campaign.
“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.”
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