Campbell Soup rues Pearl Harbor tweet

Campbell Soup apologized Saturday for a tweet by its SpaghettiOs brand that marked the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks with a picture of its smiling mascot jauntily holding an American flag.

The Twitter account for the canned pasta brand had sent the message Friday night asking its followers to “Take a moment to remember #PearlHarbor with us.” The cartoon mascot, drawn to look like an O-shaped noodle, sported orange sneakers and was licking his lip, with one hand on his hip.

The tweet spread rapidly, with thousands retweeting it and noting its jarring tone, given the gravity of the occasion. More than 2,400 Americans were killed in the Pearl Harbor attacks that prompted America’s entry into World War II.

A representative for Campbell Soup Co., which owns SpaghettiOs, said Saturday that the message had been deleted. SpaghettiOs, which has more than 11,000 followers, sent out a follow-up tweet stating, “We apologize for our recent tweet in remembrance of Pearl Harbor Day. We meant to pay respect, not to offend.”

Campbell said the Twitter account is managed internally, rather than by an agency.

The company, based in Camden, N.J., also owns Prego sauce, Pepperidge Farm cookies and V8 juices.