Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) has had its share of controversy in offensive clothing over the years. Its latest “vintage” Kent State sweatshirt for $129 had red spots on it that resemble blood stains. Urban Outfitters has withdrawn the sweatshirt offering from its website.

With controversy having arisen before from this company, the question to ask is whether negative publicity is good publicity. Is it possible that Urban Outfitters wins from the controversy?

There is something sad but real to consider over tragedy that is from this long ago. Many people who shop at Urban Outfitters might not have even known the symbolic nature here without looking it up on Google, but this dates back to the Kent State massacre in 1970 when the National Guard opened fire on protesters against the Vietnam War. Four students died from the gunfire and nine others were injured.

Kent State issued a statement on its website on Monday. The statement said:

May 4, 1970, was a watershed moment for the country and especially the Kent State family. We lost four students that day while nine others were wounded and countless others were changed forever. … We take great offense to a company using our pain for their publicity and profit. This item is beyond poor taste and trivializes a loss of life that still hurts the Kent State community today.

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There is an issue to consider now about what Urban Outfitters may or may not have intended. We have seen reports saying that no distaste was intended by the company. Maybe this is true, and then again maybe not.

While this tragedy is now 44 years old, there is no statute of limitations on being tacky. Most Urban Outfitters shoppers only have grandparents who remember what the Kent State massacre was.

This is one of those instances where perhaps a gamble backfired. Still, Urban Outfitters has shown that is willing yet again to push the envelope. The problem with controversial clothing, banners and statements is that they are going to be offensive to someone somewhere along the line. That being said, consider other shirts that are out there:

• Che Guevara shirts are still worn to this day.
• Anti-religious shirts are very common.
• Creation vs. evolution shirts are still worn.
• Many shirts sold on Bourbon Street are not appropriate in most places.
• People still wear rebel flags.
• And on and on.

Urban Outfitters takes chances, and we are not going to make any statement as to whether this was intentional or if it was an oversight or stretch that went too far. Sometimes controversy wins, sometimes not. Using controversy for free media coverage is a form of guerilla advertising — as long as those making the controversy position their damage control properly. After 44 years, some consumers may find the biggest offense here being that the shirt was $129.

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