Groupon revealed on Monday that a Presidents Day gaffe that raised eyebrows over the weekend was completely intentional.
In honor of Presidents Day, the Chicago-based e-coupon company offered $10 off any $40 deal for local businesses. “The $10 bill, as everyone knows, features President Alexander Hamilton — undeniably one of our greatest presidents and most widely recognized for establishing the country’s financial system,” reads a statement on the company’s website.
The only problem: Alexander Hamilton, who served as the Secretary of the Treasury under George Washington, was never President. A spokesperson for the company told the Chicago Tribune Monday evening that it was all a gag. “Most Presidents Day promotions make people fall asleep, so we wanted to do something different that was in line with our brand and sense of humor that got people talking and writing about Groupon,” the spokesman wrote in an email to the Tribune.
Whether you consider the stunt dubious or genius, according to the company spokesman the spoof was “an overwhelming success.”
- Here’s How Effective the Original Vaccines Are Against Omicron
- The Promise—And Possible Perils—of Editing What We Say Online
- How Trump Survived Decades of Legal Trouble: Deny, Deflect, Delay, and Don't Put Anything in Writing
- Flint Is Still Shaken by its Water Crisis—and Residents Are Experiencing Long-Term Mental-Health Issues
- A Beer Shortage Is Brewing. A Volcano Is Partly to Blame
- How Fasting Can—and Can't—Improve Gut Health
- Cities Keep Enforcing Curfews for Teens, Despite Evidence They Don't Stop Crime
- Joe Manchin’s Red Tape Reform Could Supercharge Renewable Energy in the U.S.
- Column: We Should Talk More About What a Brilliant Actor Marilyn Monroe Was
