In an unexpected turn of events, Walmart found itself at the center of a social media storm after a seemingly innocent T shirt sparked widespread backlash for featuring a hidden vulgar word prompting the retail giant to swiftly pull the product from shelves.
The T shirt, sold exclusively at Walmart Canada for just $5, was meant to spread a message of environmental awareness. The green shirt boldly featured the prefix “RE” in large letters, followed by a stack of four words: “cycle,” “use,” “new,” and “think.”
At first glance, the design appeared to promote recycling and sustainability a well meaning nod to eco conscious living.
But as some eagle eyed customers noticed, the vertical alignment of the smaller words painted a far more inappropriate picture.
A TikTok user named Brianna, posting under the handle @wh0l3h3art3dly, was among the first to spot the design flaw.
In her now viral video, she questioned, “Where is the hidden word in this?” before spelling it out for viewers and expressing disbelief that such a shirt had made it to the children’s clothing section.
Another shopper shared an image on Twitter with the caption:
“I need this shirt before Walmart realizes what they have done. Find the hidden word.”
That tweet alone garnered over 2.5 million views and tens of thousands of reactions, ranging from laughter to outright criticism.
“It took me a second, and then I audibly gasped,” one user commented. “Yeah, someone needs to rethink the wording,” another added.
Some users speculated whether the crude acronym was intentional, with one person asking, “What’s the over under that whoever designed that shirt knew exactly what they were doing?”
While a portion of social media users were outraged, others found humor in the mishap. Several joked that the mistake made them want to purchase the shirt even more, calling it a “must have” for collectors of internet famous fashion fails.
The T shirt was manufactured by George, a Walmart owned clothing brand, and was never sold in U.S. stores. Nevertheless, the virality of the incident quickly crossed borders.
Walmart responded promptly once the controversy gained traction. In a statement to Newsweek, a spokesperson said,
‘This was not intentional, and the T shirt has been removed.”
The company further clarified to The Independent and FOX that the item was “only sold at Walmart Canada locations.”
When stacked beneath the oversized “RE,” the first letters of each word spelled out a not so subtle expletive: C**T.
Despite Walmart’s removal of the shirt, versions of the now infamous design continue to surface on various online platforms some priced well above the original $5.
While the product’s short lived presence in stores is over, its internet legacy is likely to linger for years, serving as a bizarre reminder of how even well intentioned designs can take an accidental and 0ffensive turn.
Featured Image Credit: (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)(Twitter/@whosurdaddienow)
