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Sorry seems to be the most overused word

I’ve noticed a trend recently amongst marketing copywriters and I am – and I cannot stress this enough – NOT into it.

It goes like this: a brand posts a lengthy statement as an image on social media with an attention-grabbing title along the lines of “We’re sorry”, “An apology” or “Official apology statement”. The text underneath goes onto deliver a disingenuous apology for changing customers’ lives for the better. “We’re sorry”, they smarm, “for causing unforeseen levels of joy in your life”.

Sorry for being so delightful.

Sorry for being so good at our jobs.

The first one I saw, though I’m sure not the first time it was done, was from Bloom and Wild - a letterbox floristry service.

When I saw the post, titled “Official apology statement”, I began to read with intrigue. My experience of Bloom and Wild is that they are a thoughtful, human-centred brand. I wondered what they could have done wrong.

A false apology from Bloom and wild apologising for, among other things, causing unforeseen levels of delight.

“In recent months”, the statement reads, “our gifts have caused unforeseen levels of delight”.

I screenshotted the post, shared it in a designers’ WhatsApp community I’m part of, and we collectively rolled our eyes at this flagrant act of deception. A dirty tactic, we all agreed.

Shortly after, I spotted a second post using the same trick. This one came, concerningly, from the Department for Education’s social media team.

A false apology from DfE apologising for creating unexpected levels of free time in the morning, and an outrageous increase in household savings.

The DfE’s statement apologises for “alarming amounts of unexpected free time” as a result of their best start free breakfast clubs and “an outrageous increase in household savings” following 30 hours of government-funded childcare.

After this, the posts started coming thick and fast, with everyone from ADP List, By Rotation, and even a sex toy manufacturer who was sorry that they made my boyfriend climax. (As an aside, said climax purported to have come from a lemon-shaped device with a very small hole in it - something I’m still trying to get my head around, anatomically speaking).

A collection of false apologies from various brands including ADP list, By rotation and a bedding company, screenshotted from social media.

Frankly, I’ve had enough.

I’ve had enough of having my attention hijacked in bad faith.

I’ve had enough of this cheap misuse of the word sorry.

I’ve had enough of being shamelessly manipulated by organisations, many of whom do in fact have a lot to apologise for (inaccessible apps, poor user experience, grubby marketing tactics, to name a few).

An apology, when delivered genuinely, is an important moment in the brand-customer relationship. Companies inevitably mess up, and I’m left wondering what happens the next time one of the culprits I’ve mentioned here does so. Will a real apology be taken seriously, or even noticed, in a sea of false sorries designed to sell more products and services?

And mostly, I’ve had enough of the utter lack of originality from people whose job is supposed to be creative. Copycat cheap tricks and shameless bandwagon-hopping gives the whole discipline a bad name.

Shame on you. Do better.