Germany’s KFC has apologized for an “unacceptable” message sent to customers on Wednesday that appeared to conflate a sales promotion with its annual Kristallnacht celebration.   

  Users of the KFC app in the country received a message encouraging them to mark the day with crispy chicken and cheese from KFC, according to Twitter users who shared images of the message in German.  The original message was apparently followed by another, saying the first was an error.   

  Kristallnacht, often translated as “Night of Broken Glass”, refers to a series of violent raids by the Nazi regime on Jewish businesses, homes and synagogues in 1938.   

  “Earlier today an automated push notification was in error [SIC] issued to KFC app users in Germany that contained an apparently unintended, insensitive and unacceptable message,” KFC Germany said in a statement emailed to CNN Business.  “We understand and respect the gravity and history of this day and remain committed to equality, inclusion and belonging for all.”   

  “We sincerely apologize,” the statement continued.   

  KFC Germany did not confirm the language used in the notice.   

  The company explained that it relies on a “semi-automated process to generate content linked to calendars that include national holidays,” adding that “in this case, our internal control process was not properly followed, resulting in an unauthorized notification being shared.  ”   

  KFC Germany announced yesterday that it had suspended app communications while it put its process under review to make sure this doesn’t happen again.   

  In this case, the company was able to blame an automated system for the error.  But brands often get their messaging wrong on holidays or memorial days, especially those that commemorate a painful occasion.   

  June, which marks the end of slavery in the United States, became a federal holiday last year.   

  Brands rushed to create messages and products for the holidays this year, and many missed the mark.  Some drew on racist tropes to mark the occasion, and others treated it like a festivity, leaving people disappointed and offended.   

  KFC’s message sparked similar outrage among some German customers and has been widely criticized on social media.