On the day PR Daily asked whether brands apologize too much, Belvedere vodka apologized for a questionable ad that seems to be making light of sexual assault.

This ad appeared on its website on Friday afternoon:



When people started tweeting their shock, the company pulled the ad and tweeted:

"We apologize to any of our fans who were offended by our recent tweet. We continue to be an advocate of safe and responsible drinking."

Ah, yes, the ol’ half apology: Sorry if you’re offended. The Twitterati are having none of it, with many blasting the company and claiming they won’t drink it.

The defense of the ad is that the woman is choking and the intoxicated gentleman groping her is performing the Heimlich maneuver.

In a second apology, the company posted this statement to its Facebook page and via Twitter:

My name is Charles Gibb and I am the President of Belvedere Vodka. I would like to personally apologize for the offensive post that recently appeared on our Facebook page.

It should never have happened. I am currently investigating the matter to determine how this happened and to be sure it never does so again. The content is contrary to our values and we deeply regret this lapse.

As an expression of our regret over this matter we have made a donation to RAINN (America's largest anti-sexual violence organization. www.rainn.org

The apology didn't quiet the criticism against the vodka brand. On Monday morning, people continued slamming the company via Twitter.