Advertising Oops: Ontario car dealership apologizes after seemingly obvious advertising mistake

Toronto, Ontario —  A car dealership in Ontario has apologized after using a photo of two people shaking hands while wearing face masks in a flyer for a sales event.

In a statement to CTV News Toronto, Nissan Canada said its dealership in Newmarket used the “publicly available stock advertising image” for a flyer but it has since been removed.

Shaking hands has been discouraged by health officials since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic because it can easily help spread the virus.

“We have contacted the dealership and they are removing it from their store immediately given the conflicting message and inappropriateness of the image,” Nissan Canada said. “This was not intentional and the dealer has apologized for their actions.”