Costa Coffee have issued an apology for after a customer noticed an NSFW advert posted on their social media feed.
In a Costa Coffee Facebook post by the Dunmail Park branch in Workington, Cumbria, the chain urged customers to take part in a competition to win prizes.
The only thing customers had to do to be in with a chance of winning was flick a coffee bean into a coffee cup.
The unintentionally risqué Facebook post used the phrase 'flick the bean', which has connotations with female masterbation.
Advert
The full Dunmail Park Facebook post read: "FRESHERS! Fuel your early morning lectures OR the start of your wild nights out with a discounted or even a FREE Costa treat!
"Get lucky when you flick the coffee bean into one of the Costa cups to reveal a surprise deal.
"Play 'FLICK THE BEAN' here!"
Customer Richard, from Surbiton, south west London, was sent the ad by a friend and he was left bewildered.
"At first I thought it was a hoax, there was a bit of me that thought 'that can't be real, someone's made that'.
Advert
"I did my due diligence, rather than just sharing it, and found the post on Facebook.
"When I saw the phrasing 'flick the bean' I thought 'someone needs to check the definition on Urban Dictionary'".
The 39-year-old added: "I don't know whether [the person responsible] was being a bit cheeky.
"There's a bit of me that hopes it is very tongue in cheek but I think whoever signed it off might not have necessarily got the underlying joke in there.
Advert
Richard was surprised a 'national brand' like Costa would promote such a cheeky ad.
The Facebook post was swiftly deleted from the Dunmail Park branch's page on Thursday, while similar posts on other branches' Facebook pages promoting the 'flick the bean' promotion were later deleted.
The offers section of Costa Coffee's website is still live for people to play the game and potentially scoop a prize.
Advert
Richard said: "I imagine they may have got a bit of flack - a family-friendly company posting things like that.
"It's a little bit on the nose, but I'm a little bit sad to see it come down."
A Costa Coffee spokesman said: "This competition was run by one of our franchise partners in a small number of stores and was not approved by Costa Coffee.
"We apologise for any offence caused and have requested the immediate removal of the competition."
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Food and Drink, News, Costa