Ace Hardware has reversed its decision to stop advertising on Laura Ingraham’s show, exactly one week after it announced it would part ways with the Fox News host.
In an email to TheWrap, a spokeswoman for the company apologized for having “incomplete information” when it announced it would cease advertising on “The Ingraham Angle.”
“Advertising on any network or show, is in no way an endorsement from Ace of the content contained or spoken within that program,” the company said in a statement Thursday night. “We appreciate the different points of view from our customers, and believe people should be treated with respect and civility.”
“At this time, we have not altered our current media schedule; however, we regularly review our media strategy,” it concluded.
The announcement comes in contrast to the company’s previous statement on the matter. “I can confirm that we do not have any plans to nationally advertise on Ingraham’s show in the future,” the same spokeswoman told TheWrap on April 5.
Ads for the company did not appear on Ingraham’s show in recent days. But on Thursday they were back in rotation, much to the chagrin of some of Ingraham’s critics on Twitter.
@AceHardware , I’d like to know as well, since I started shopping there instead of Home Depot. I guess it will be Lowe’s now. https://t.co/wSc9RzLAxN
— Always_Windy (@AlwaysCadena) April 13, 2018
Hey @AceHardware why are still advertising with child-bully @IngrahamAngle ?? I guess I'm going to @HomeDepot for my home remodel…#LauraIngrahamIsABully
— ResistingTeacher☮️?❄️ (@LeslieLaFayette) April 13, 2018
The news comes hours after Red Lobster, one of Laura Ingraham’s remaining major advertisers, ended its sponsorship of her show.
The seafood restaurant chain was the 26th — now 25th — company to pull ads from “The Ingraham Angle” in recent days, according to a tally by TheWrap.
Ingraham was hit hard by an advertiser boycott campaign spearheaded by Parkland student David Hogg after she mocked him for “whining” about his rejection by several California colleges. Since the campaign began, most of her biggest sponsors, including Mitsubishi, Blue Apron, SlimFast and IBM have bailed, and ad time on “The Ingraham Angle” has been cut roughly in half.
Read the full statement below:
“The information we had at the time of the initial request was incomplete and we apologize for that.
We purchase time slots that target our audience on over 30 cable networks and news programs including Fox News, CNBC, CNN, and MSNBC. Advertising on any network or show, is in no way an endorsement from Ace of the content contained or spoken within that program. We appreciate the different points of view from our customers, and believe people should be treated with respect and civility. At this time, we have not altered our current media schedule; however, we regularly review our media strategy.”