In what can only be described as a marketing blunder, the Charlotte Hornets have been under fire for an on-court promotional stunt that went south quickly, prompting apologies from the basketball organization. During a recent game against the Philadelphia 76ers, a fan and his young companion were led to believe they had won a PlayStation 5, only to have it taken away once cameras stopped rolling. According to an WCNC report, the Hornets later made amends by pledging to give the young fan the promised PlayStation 5 and offering a VIP experience to a future game.
The situation began to unravel when Adam Turner, using the handle @StanUsmnt on X posted a video of the incident that quickly attracted attention, amassing over 3.4 million views. Turner's post showcased the moment when, post-skit, the PlayStation 5 was taken back and replaced with a Hornets t-shirt — certainly not the bounty one would expect after such fanfare.
You guys want to see a cheap sports organization?
— USMNT_STAN (@StanUsmnt) December 17, 2024
In this video my best friend&his nephew get called onto court for a special segment where they gift the kid a PS5 publicly… w/cameras off they TOOK IT AWAY and gave him a jersey.
😂 Take a bow @hornets… crushed the kid pic.twitter.com/mcj5hhsuM5
FOX 8 News, following the thread, reached out to Turner, learned that Alexei Phillips had brought his 13-year-old nephew Jack to the game, and were given no substantial information regarding the rules of the pseudo-giveaway.
Phillips recounted the confusing sequence of events to FOX 8 via Zoom, explaining how they were solicited to participate with the mascot Hugo and not informed until the last minute that the gift wouldn't be kept. "They just said they’re not going to keep what they get, however, they’re going to get a jersey afterward," told FOX 8 News. Even as the audience and fellow team members celebrated with young Jack, back-of-house personnel were preparing to exchange the gaming console for a jersey, a switcheroo move that left many onlookers aghast.
Following the outpouring of online outrage, the Hornets issued a statement yesterday, expressing regret over a mishap that "included bad decision-making and poor communication." The Hornets admitted their mistake, "Simply put, we turned the ball over and we apologize." The organization's pledge to provide the PlayStation 5 alongside a VIP game experience aimed to demonstrate their commitment to fan satisfaction, a sentiment echoed in their apology reported by WSOCTV. Spanning multiple platforms, the Hornets' fumble was covered extensively, evidencing how quickly a festive moment can turn into a public relations nightmare if not executed with transparent communication.
With the Hornets slated to return to the Spectrum Center on Monday against the Houston Rockets, they will undoubtedly be hoping to leave this error in judgement behind, and perhaps, learn a valuable lesson about the execution of public giveaways.
