South Africa, May 27 -- Insensitive advertising

According to data released this week by analytics firm IGAWorks, Starbucks Korea's weekly payment volume dropped by 26.3% after the company's "Tank Day" promotion sparked public outrage. The company recorded 23.69bn won in payment volume between 18 and 24 May, down from 32.16bn won the previous week - a decline of more than 8bn won (about $5.3m). New installations of the Starbucks app also reportedly fell by 23.6%.

The controversy erupted after Starbucks Korea launched a promotion on 18 May - the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju uprising, when South Korea's military government used troops and tanks to violently suppress pro-democracy protests. Critics accused the campaign of using imagery a...