'Worst aquarium ever' review sends whaling museum's sales soaring 250%

A depository is cashing successful aft a one-star Google reappraisal calling it the "worst aquarium ever" became an unexpected viral hit.

The New Bedford Whaling Museum successful Massachusetts, which highlights the history, subject and creation of whaling alternatively than marine animals, embraced the one-star reappraisal by boldly printing the operation connected T-shirts, sweatshirts and tote bags.

The merchandise has since gone viral connected societal media — sending income soaring by 250% successful conscionable 1 week, The Associated Press (AP) reported.

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The now-famous reappraisal was posted connected Google successful 2020 aft a visitant mistakenly referred to the depository arsenic an aquarium, penning that it was "the worst aquarium ever."

Rather than disregard the criticism, unit turned it into a merchandise plan past fall, featuring the reappraisal connected the backmost and a whale skeleton connected the front.

The garment pictured supra is portion of the New Bedford Whaling Museum's merchandise inspired by the one-star Google review. (Anna Albrecht/The New Bedford Light via AP)

The shirts person precocious gained nationalist attraction aft they were featured successful aggregate quality outlets, helping to present the depository to an adjacent wider audience.

"They took a accidental connected something, and it evidently hit," Amanda McMullen, president and CEO of the museum, told the AP.

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Adding to the irony, the depository opened a 250-gallon saltwater vessel earlier this twelvemonth featuring section marine life, including bluish crabs, oversea stars and bluish puffer fish, arsenic portion of a concern with the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's School for Marine Science and Technology.

The unexpected occurrence reflects the institution's personality, said Annelise Conway, main engagement serviceman astatine the Whaling Museum. 

The New Bedford Whaling Museum successful Massachusetts, pictured above, showcases the history, science, creation and civilization of whaling done exhibits that see whale skeletons. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

"There isn't a strategy to beryllium authentic," Conway told the AP. "It conscionable benignant of happens."

"The idiosyncratic who sold you your summons is the idiosyncratic who is modeling the merchandise," Conway added.

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The museum's determination to clasp the gag has besides won implicit societal media users, who praised it for turning the reappraisal into a selling success.

"I emotion it. Kudos to the depository for leaning into the gag and embracing it," 1 Reddit idiosyncratic wrote.

The museum's determination to clasp the gag besides earned praise connected societal media, wherever users applauded its clever marketing. (Tim Graham/Getty Images; Anna Albrecht/The New Bedford Light via AP)

Another commenter joked, "I deliberation it takes courageousness to locomotion into a depository with the connection 'Whaling' successful the sanction and think, 'I stake there's a dolphin show.'"

Others said the depository deserves the newfound attention.

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"It's honestly a large museum," a idiosyncratic commented. "I emotion that it's gone viral due to the fact that it's conscionable a fantastic spot to support."

Fox News Digital reached retired to the Whaling Museum for comment.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.