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Museum goes viral for merchandise featuring bad Google review

A crewneck sweatshirt for sale at the New Bedford Whaling Museum store is emblazoned with the museum's viral one-star review, Thursday, July 23, 2026, in New Bedford, Mass. (Anna Albrecht/The New Bedford Light via AP)
A crewneck sweatshirt for sale at the New Bedford Whaling Museum store is emblazoned with the museum’s viral one-star review, Thursday, July 23, 2026, in New Bedford, Mass. (Anna Albrecht/The New Bedford Light via AP) (AP)
  • The New Bedford Whaling Museum has successfully turned a negative 2020 Google review, labelling it the “worst aquarium ever”, into a highly popular merchandise line.
  • The merchandise, which features the one-star review on the back and a whale skeleton on the front, has garnered global attention and significantly boosted sales.
  • Following a segment on CBS Evening News, the museum received 738 online orders for the “worst aquarium” items in under 24 hours, leading to a 250 per cent increase in weekly sales.
  • Emily Roznoy, the museum’s visitor experience manager, designed the merchandise after hearing staff jokes about the review and seeing a similar concept used by a restaurant.
  • The museum, which recently installed a small aquarium exhibit, sees the witty merchandise as a way to connect with a broader audience and showcase its engaging, community-focused approach.
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