Speech Academy apologises for 'clowning around' with marketing stunt reported to police

Educational institute Speech Academy has publicly apologised for its latest marketing stunt as it received a fair bit of backlash for clowning around with its latest marketing gimmick.

The apology came after multiple police reports were made by parents as individuals dressed as clowns were seen approaching children at numerous primary schools. While police told Channel NewsAsia that investigations are currently ongoing and that they are “verifying the facts with an education centre on their alleged involvement in the incidents”, Speech Academy has owned up to the stunt.

"Our team does not offer any form of monetary rewards for children to follow them. Additionally, our promoters strictly do not take any children out of the vicinity," read the Facebook post from Speech Academy. The company added that it would be putting an immediate stop to the stunt as unhappy parents swarmed to the comments section under its post.

“We truly understand your concern for the safety of your children; hence we will be putting an immediate stop to our roadshows. Once again, we truly apologise for any inconveniences caused, and we thank you for your kind understanding.”

Meanwhile, Speech Academy’s Woodlands branch also put out a statement distancing itself from the stunt.

It said, “It has come to our attention that news about a clown mascot luring students outside their schools has been reported in the news and also circulating on social media. We would like to clarify that Speech Academy Asia at Woodlands DOES NOT deploy mascots outside of schools or attempt to lure students to follow them, and we DO NOT condone such unnerving behaviour. As a precautionary measure, our trainers will be reminding students NOT to follow strangers if they are asked to do so for any reason.”

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