One Direction inspire backlash after endorsing '1D3D' fan tattoos

One Direction arrive at the 2013 BRIT Awards.

Credit: Joel Ryan/Invision/AP

Ok, so maybe encouraging underage fans to rush out to the local tattoo parlor isn't the best way to promote your new movie.

And yet that's exactly the tactic that was employed by British boy-banders One Direction (and/or those who make these kinds of decisions for them) when they sent out the following tweet via their official account on Saturday:

"Have a real #1D tattoo? Show us! Submit a 90 sec YouTube video to 1d3dfan@gmail.com and show us why you should be in the @1D3Dmovie!"

To be fair, the tweet (which was no doubt written by one of the band's handlers and not the fresh-faced lads themselves) isn't explicitly urging the group's fans to go out and get tattoos they don't already have, but it could potentially inspire such behavior given the stakes involved. After all, what tween/teenaged One Direction die-hard doesn't want to be in their new movie?

Unsurprisingly the backlash was swift (no pun intended, Harry), and the tweet has since been removed from the band's official page - though not before netizens had time to respond with outraged comments including the very reasonable, "Why would you encourage people to get tattoos that they'll regret in 10 years[?]"

Proclaimed the band's PR reps in response: "This tweet was posted in error and has now been removed. One Direction do not want to encourage any of their fans to get 1D tattoos."

You hear that, OneDirectioners? For the love of god, think about your future.

(Thanks to SugarScape for the details.)

What do you think of One Direction's tattoo tweet? Let us know in the comments.

In case you were wondering, the movie in question is "1D3D," and it's currently slated for release on August 30.

Chris Eggertsen
Producer

• Follow

A former contributor to sites including Bloody-Disgusting and AfterElton, Eggertsen enjoys rock music, rainy days and smelling the pages of old books. You should read all of his articles and follow him on Twitter because it's the right thing to do.