Blackout Tuesday was intended to be a day of mourning, solidarity and policy change following the brutal murder of George Floyd.
Major Australian fashion retailers supported the day on social media, posting messages featuring a black square tile, sometimes tagging the posts with #BlackLivesMatter.
While several activists have urged users not to post on several grounds, including clogging up critical information channels and distracting from the cause, some brands missed the mark entirely.
A number of fashion retailers had posts featuring a black square tile and promotional messages.
While likely unintentional and automated, with one served via paid channels, the messages stood out in a sea of posts intended to shine a light on Black Lives Matter.
In a post to LinkedIn, Arkade Digital founder Danny Phillips argued for greater responsibility.
“Tip for any brands paying for Instagram ads or with scheduled posts running now.
“Turn them off.
"What is normally a feed of random ‘look-at-me’, Instagram is for one day at least, focused and singular in its message.
"(Except for brands asleep behind the marketing automation wheel)."