The Chanukah Ham
Posted December 7, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was a work of marketing genius, and it certainly grabbed attention. What it likely didn’t get were any sales. A Manhattan grocery store has issued a public apology after one of its promotions went awry. Balducci’s, a chain with outlets in New York, Washington, Maryland and Virginia, put up signs advertising a special on hams earlier this month.
What’s wrong with that? Nothing, until you read the words. “Delicious for Chanukah,” they proclaimed in bold letters. Any kind of pig product is forbidden in the Jewish religion, which is celebrating the eight-day festival in December.
A woman passing by the product took note of the unusual pitch, snapped photos of them on her cell phone and then posted the hamfisted pics on her blog. The Internet being the creature it is, it didn’t take long for the word to spread and pretty soon the entire world knew about the bizarre faux pas. The embarrassed store immediately took down the offending signs and issued a mea culpa, with officials promising to upgrade employee training.
And what of the blogger who made all this so well known? She’s not missing an opportunity to cash in on the error. NancyKay Shapiro has taken her famous picture and put it on mugs, an apron and greeting cards, most of which you can buy for under $20.
Still there’s nothing like the real thing and you may want to visit the store where it all began if you’re ever in New York. We here at SBT can’t confirm it, but we’ve heard rumours that next week, they may be having a special on steak dinners – with an ad reading ‘perfect for those on a vegetarian diet.’
