Dive Brief:

• Lands’ End is scrambling to apologize to many customers who received free copies of the men’s lifestyle magazine GQ featuring a risqué cover.

• The copies went out to customers who had spent $100 or more during certain weeks in July. But many of those customers were back-to-school-spending moms who didn’t appreciate the photo of a topless model and salty headlines.

• Lands’ End has apologized and is replacing the GQ issues with copies of Condé Nast Traveler.

Dive Insight:

Content is becoming increasingly valuable to retailers hoping to connect with customers, but context is also important. Back-to-school shoppers are usually mothers with children —​ hardly the demographic for GQ magazine, which frequently writes about, among other things, who are the sexiest women alive.