Sephora Mistakenly Rolls Out Vulgar Hashtag How a simple misspelling threw an entire promotional campaign into complete disarray.

By Geoff Weiss

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Even the most beloved brands are prone to the occasional blunder.

While French beauty retailer Sephora landed squarely at the top of our list of the world's most trusted companies earlier this year, the cosmetic giant is currently in the throes of one of the most vulgar social-media mishaps ever.

On the heels of its foray Down Under -- with the first Australian Sephora store slated to open in Sydney today -- the company decided to roll out a hashtag, #CountdownToBeauty, to generate buzz on social media.

But in what should serve as a brutal lesson in the importance of proofreading, one missing letter threw the entire promotional campaign into complete disarray. In a Facebook post -- which has since been deleted -- the company's social-media handlers mistakenly left out the first "o' in the word "countdown,' resulting in the uproariously profane #C**tdownToBeauty.

Related: Introducing Entrepreneur's Top Brands of 2014: Learn Their Secrets

Sound like an understandable error that might have gone unnoticed by a forgiving public? Think again. The Twitterverse reeled with amusement and outrage, reports the Daily Mail. "I think the countdown to #Sephora opening might also be the countdown to someone being fired," wrote Australian radio host Rachel Corbett.

Others speculated that the error may have been intentional:

Either way, the botched post isn't likely to hamper Sephora's exponential proliferation across the globe. The company currently currently counts 1,900 stores in 29 countries, according to the Daily Mail, with additional locations expected to arrive in Australia in coming years. The company's Parisian location receives 6 million visitors each year, which is more than the Eiffel Tower.

Related: Top 10 Innovative Beauty Products That Will Change Your Morning Beauty Routine

Geoff Weiss

Former Staff Writer

Geoff Weiss is a former staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

'Nobody Ever Gave Me Anything': More Boomers Say They're Not Transferring Wealth to Family Until They're Dead

A new survey from Charles Schwab found boomers are more hesitant to distribute their wealth than other generations.

Business News

'When You Lock Up Products You Lock Out Customers': CVS Is Testing an App That Lets Shoppers Unlock Store Cases Themselves.

CVS is testing new functionality on their CVS Health app that allows users to unlock those annoying plexiglass cabinets.

Business News

Over 1,300 Google Employees Have Signed a New Petition Asking For Job Security

Google laid off thousands of employees in the past two years, which has left some employees feeling insecure about keeping their jobs.

Employee Experience & Recruiting

If You Want to Hire Good Entry-Level Talent, Offer These 3 Game-Changing Opportunities

Finding and hiring good entry-level talent can be a daunting enterprise for small businesses. What can they do to stand out in a time of talent scarcity?

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Leadership

How to Move Fast and Not Break Things — 5 Lessons in Innovation From an Industry With Zero Room for Error

Every company wants to innovate. The trick is to do it in a way that actually helps customers and doesn't put the business at risk