Public relations professionals have dubbed a PR gaffe, in which a fashion label launched a range of cosmetics named after the murder capital of the world, as totally inexcusable.
Fashion designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the sisters behind leading clothing brand Rodarte, decided to name one of the colours in their latest range of make-up after the Mexican city of Juarez in the northern state of Chihuahua.
However, Juarez, which lies on the border with the US state of Texas, has the dubious distinction of being the most dangerous place in the world, playing host to thousands of drug-related murders every year.
The company was then quickly forced to apologise after causing widespread offence for its unfortunate choice of name.
Meanwhile MAC Cosmetics, the upmarket label that manufactures the range, issued a statement apologising to consumers and fans of the brand and pledging to donate $100,000 to help support women affected by the violence in the city.
But many PR practitioners are branding the fiasco as totally inexcusable, especially given that the idea was inspired by a visit to Juarez by the Mulleavy sisters themselves, who should now be all-too aware of the serious problems that the city faces.
And if there were any doubt that they were unaware of the city's significance, a simple check on the Internet would have been all that was needed to realise that the choice of name would have landed the brand in PR trouble.
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