Reese Witherspoon had good intentions when she offered teachers fighting through the coronavirus a chance to receive a free dress from her clothing brand, Draper James. She was not anticipating things to backfire. Now the "Big Little Lies" star is facing backlash after nearly one million teachers were left empty-handed.
Draper James announced the giveaway on April 2 via a post to Instagram. The initiative was designed to show teachers gratitude by offering them "a free dress." Educators were encouraged to complete a form by April 5. There also was a side note that mentioned the offer was only valid while supplies last and that winners would be notified the following week.
According to The New York Times, close to one million applications were submitted. Of that number, 250 teachers received dresses. Teachers across the globe expressed confusion and disappointment.
Many queried why they had not received a confirmation email.
"No email here either and I completed my form well in advance. I guess I didn’t realize it was a contest. All the same, congrats to everyone who made the cut," one educator wrote to the brand on Instagram.
"I didn’t receive an email either. I completed the application within the allotted time," another wrote.
"I didn’t get an email either! Was hoping to hear back from you either way!" replied another teacher.
"Can we just address the issue of not getting an email rather than say you’re sending everyone a dm?" another wrote.
Marissa Cooley, the senior vice president for the brand's marketing and creative departments, tried to provide clarity on the matter to the Times.
"We felt like we moved too quickly and didn't anticipate the volume of the response. We were really overwhelmed. It was way more volume than the company had ever seen. We expected the single-digit thousands," she said.
In an effort to smooth things over, the company has been offering 30 percent discounts to teachers who did not receive confirmation emails.
"We were so excited to reward 250 teachers across the United States with a free dress. We love educators all over the world for what they do everyday, but especially right now," the company said in an Instagram post.
Draper James then encouraged followers to look out for Instagram stories of how "teachers are navigating the world of remote learning."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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