AT&T held a phone up to the 9/11 memorial lights and tweeted 'Never Forget'

On September 11, 2013 — the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks — AT&T's official Twitter account posted an image showing a smartphone held up against the darkened New York skyline, appearing to photograph the Tribute in Light memorial (two columns of light representing the Twin Towers). The text read 'Never Forget.'

The backlash was immediate. Social media users accused AT&T of using a national memorial as product placement — the smartphone was prominently framed in the image, making it impossible to separate the tribute from the brand. Critics called it 'tacky,' 'gross,' and 'the worst kind of marketing.'

AT&T deleted the tweet and apologised, saying they removed it because it was in 'poor taste.' Other brands commemorated 9/11 the same day without similar controversy — the difference was the phone. American Express and others posted memorial messages without featuring their products.