This Company's Social Media Campaign Backfired When It Started Tweeting Pictures Of Serial Killers

    This is why the internet can't have nice things.

    On Thursday Walkers Crisps launched a social media campaign. The idea was that people would send a tweet to the @walkers_crisps account with a selfie, and it would automatically appear in a prerecorded video featuring former England striker Gary Lineker.

    The only problem was that people could reply to that tweet, upload ANY photo, include the hashtag #WalkersWave and it would get featured in an automatic video reply.

    Walkers is in the process of deleting the dodgy ones, but this is what just one example, featuring serial killer Harold Shipman, looked like.

    Walkers are now deleting them all but, but briefly you could upload any picture in reply to a promotional tweet and… https://t.co/gpRRqcdynM

    And then there was this.

    And this.

    Rebecca Black made an appearance.

    As did Kerry Katona.

    Former England striker Emile Heskey.

    And Jeremy Corbyn.

    #WalkersWave please give my grandad a chance to win tickets.

    The pisstaking replies were themselves trending on Twitter, which is probably not what the social media team had in mind.

    #walkerswave is now trending in United Kingdom https://t.co/4ph0NCI859

    It didn't long for people to notice something wasn't quite right.

    Meanwhile at @walkers_crisps social media department #walkerswave

    Earlier in the day, Walkers was featured in the sports trade press for having such an innovative social marketing campaign.

    "We recognise people were offended by irresponsible and offensive posts by individuals, and we apologise," a Walkers spokesperson told BuzzFeed news. "We are equally upset and have shut down all activity.”