The Brief: Chase Bank is facing significant backlash on Twitter after posting a #MondayMotivation tweet about the struggles of financial insecurity.

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On Monday, Chase’s social media team tweeted the following in an apparent attempt to illustrate a relatable scenario and create a #MondayMotivation meme.

 

Immediately after Chase posted this tweet, people harshly criticized the bank for appearing to make fun of people facing financial difficulty. In particular, they went after Chase for seeming to blame people’s financial insecurity on things like going out to eat and taking cabs, rather than larger issues of economic hardship.

Critics were also quick to point out how Chase is a powerful institution who took a $12 billion dollar bailout during the 2008 recession. Many argued that Chase shouldn’t make jokes about struggling to pay the bills when they profit off of people’s debt.

Brands have been known to use Twitter as a platform to share memes, comedic posts, and flex how relatable they are. Sometimes such tweets are well-received while other times they are mocked and ridiculed.

Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren responded to Chase’s tweet with her own argumentative meme:




A Baby Boomers vs. Millennials generation gap meme:

A solid of a self-drag:

The backlash to Chase’s tweet illustrates how corporations ‘ attempts to be relevant in the world of memes can backfire. Chase succeeded in creating a viral meme, but only at their own expense.