Major League Baseball's 2015 season is barely a day old, and Hostess has already struck out.
In an attempt to stuff itself in on the trending #OpeningDay conversation on Twitter, the well-known maker of creme-filled snack cakes shared a seemingly-enthusiastic baseball tweet Monday morning, along with a photo of a cupcake above the word "TOUCHDOWN."
"Umm, shouldn't that be 'HOME RUN'?" replied Twitter user @tom_misson.
It didn't take long for other users to chime in, poking fun at a brand that—unsuccessfully—played the real-time marketing game. Even Denny's, which is no stranger to Twitter virality, took a shot at Hostess' social media gaffe.
It's unclear whether Hostess drew up the post intentionally in hopes of stealing some of the #OpeningDay social media spotlight.
Some Twitter users opined that the team at Hostess intentionally threw the curveball.
"I have a feeling that this @Hostess_Snacks errored tweet is completely intentional," wrote @JohnColucci, an engagement editor at Engadget.com.
Hostess did take to Twitter a few hours later to laugh the tweet off. "WHAT?! We're just excited that Sportsball started again today," wrote the account's manager.
It's worth noting that it didn't take long for the photo to appear atop the search results for "#OpeningDay" on Twitter.
No word on whether Hostess has the Montreal Expos winning it all this season.
UPDATE: In an e-mailed statement to CNBC, Hostess claims its tweet was intentional.
"Since embarking on the 'Sweetest Comeback in the History of Ever' nearly two years ago, Hostess has employed a strategy aimed at contemporizing the brand," wrote Ellen Copaken, the company's senior director of marketing. "The bolder approach has been particularly visible in the brand's social media platforms. The "Touchdown" line was intentional; it's fun and aimed at young audiences who are in on the running joke—which, of course, is the goalllll."