Nestle chastised for using Lord Jagannath's image on the KitKat wrapper
Netizens were less than enthusiastic about the new KitKat ad campaign, claiming that the wrappers would end up in trashcans
Nestle, a Swiss FMCG company, is embroiled in a controversy over a recent ad campaign. The KitKat wrapper displays a picture of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Mata Subhadra as part of this marketing.
Netizens were less than enthusiastic about the new KitKat ad campaign, claiming that the wrappers would end up in trashcans, gutters, and that many people would walk over them once they had finished eating the chocolate.
Following backlash for their latest commercial, the FMCG behemoth explained that these "KitKat travel break packs are meant to celebrate beautiful local destinations." They went on to say that the graphic was inspired by the Odisha government's tourism website, and that previous campaigns had demonstrated that people enjoy collecting similar designs.
Nestle further added, "We do understand the sensitivity of the matter and regret if we have inadvertently hurt anyone's sentiment. With immediate action we had already initiated withdrawal of these packs from the market. We thank you for your understanding and support."
This isn't the first time Nestle has been in the news for controversial advertising efforts. The organisation made headlines in April of last year when it incorrectly said that Keibul Lamjao National Park is located in Meghalaya. Manipur is the location of the national park. In a tweet, environmental activist Licypriya Kangujam slammed Nestle. Kangujam wrote on Twitter, "Hi Nestle, Nestle India, KitKat! You are not just the leading plastics polluter in the world, you are also insulting the people of Manipur by putting misinformation in your cover saying our pride Keibul Lamjao National Park is in Meghalaya. This is unacceptable. Apologies asap!"
