When Reese Witherspoon’s fashion label announced it would be giving away free dresses to hard working American teachers, it sounded like a lovely thing to do.
A beautiful gesture from the Hollywood actress and mum-of-three to the millions of teachers putting their health at risk, to continue providing children with a place to learn amid this global pandemic.
On April 2, the Big Little Lies star’s label Draper James announced the ‘giveaway’, which Witherspoon “loved” the idea of, The New York Times reports.
WATCH: Here’s what celebrities are up to in COVID-19 lockdown. Post continues after video.
“Dear Teachers: We want to say thank you,” the Instagram post read.
“During quarantine, we see you working harder than ever to educate our children. To show our gratitude, Draper James would like to give teachers a free dress.”
The post encouraged teachers to ‘apply’ for their free dress by completing a form, which involved submitting their work email address and a photo of their school ID.
“Know a teacher who deserves a pick-me-up? Forward this post or tag your favourite educator in comments! #DJLovesTeachers,” the caption read.
Top Comments
The wording “while stocks last” and “winners will be notified” makes it pretty clear that not everyone who applies will get a dress!
"The question remains: should we be outraged about this?"
Hmmm... let's see. Maybe because this was a marketing exercise to boost the profits of a company on the back of a tragedy, rather than a "beautiful gesture"? Companies are trying to raise their income by making "generous" (ie token) gestures towards essential workers during COVID. The fact that this company completely stuffed up its communication and planning in a hasty grab for good publicity is its own fault. But we absolutely should be seeing this for what it is: it's PR, not charity and goodwill.