Nestle India has found itself at the receiving end of social media ire over the latest wrapper design of its product KitKat. The latest KitKat wrapper features images of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra and this promotional gimmick by the FMGC company has not gone down well with a section of netizens. This has sparked controversy and people took to Twitter to share their grievances over the same. Users wrote that it hurts religious sentiments.
“Please remove the Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Mata Subhadra photos in your @kitkat chocolate cover. When people are finished eating the chocolate they will throw the cover on road, drain, dustbin, etc . So, please remove the photos” a Twitter user wrote sharing a picture of the latest KitKat wrapper.
“It is an honour to see our Odisha culture & Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra on #KitKat but please think once, when someone will eat chocolate bar & will throw the wrapper into dustbins, drains, gutters & many will walk on it. Jagannath family will be happy with it (sic),” another user wrote.
After the social media outrage, the FMCG major apologised and wrote that they did not mean to hurt religious beliefs or sentiments. Nestle responded to a user who questioned using images of Hindu deities and wrote, “Hi! Kitkat travel break packs are meant to celebrate beautiful local destinations. Last year we wanted to celebrate the culture of Odisha with designs on packs representing ‘Pattachitra’, an art form uniquely identifiable by its vivid imagery (sic).”
In response to the Twitter user, Nestle India further added, “The visual was inspired by the government tourism website. We wanted to encourage people to know about the art & its artisans. Our past campaigns have also shown that consumers like to collect & keep such beautiful designs. (sic).”
Nevertheless, the company has now decided to withdraw the packages from the market immediately.
