Nestle India is in the eye of the storm over its product, KitKat’s wrapper design. Netizens have expressed their displeasure over the KitKat wrapper depicting Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Mata Subhadra.
Please remove the Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Mata Subhadra Photos In Your @kitkat Chocolate Cover . When People Are Finished The Chocolate They Are Through The Cover On Road, Drain, Dustbin, Etc . So Please Remove The Photos . @Nestle @NestleIndiaCare #Odisha#JayJagannath pic.twitter.com/9vFy0trazw
— Biswadeep Pradhan (@Biswadeep_bcjd) January 17, 2022
WHY: Netizens say that the wrappers with religious depictions will be ultimately thrown in the dustbin or on the road or in the drainage, which will be disrespectful to the gods.
RESPONSE: Nestle India that owns KitKat products replied to the complaints saying that they are apologetic and didn’t mean to hurt any religious sentiments.
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. (1/3)
— We Care At Nestlé (@NestleIndiaCare) January 18, 2022
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. (2/3)
— We Care At Nestlé (@NestleIndiaCare) January 18, 2022
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. (3/3)
— We Care At Nestlé (@NestleIndiaCare) January 18, 2022
The FMCG major also said that the visual was inspired by the government tourism website of Odisha, and that they wanted to celebrate the culture of the state with the design of ‘Pattachitra’. Pattachitra is a term used for traditional cloth painting.
The company also said that sometimes their customers like to collect beautiful wrappers and that’s why they used the design.
Nonetheless, the company has now announced that they will withdraw the packages from the market immediately.
On the other hand, a Hindu religious outfit filed a complaint with the police in Cuttack demanding the immediate removal of the pictures and also action against the company.
Some Netizens even went on to say ‘boycott Kitkat’.
How can they promote their brand product by displaying our gods picture on their packet. Don't they realize that this outer pouch will be thrown to dustbin after use.#Boycott_Kitkat pic.twitter.com/9mYSEz4IDw
— Vicky Gill (@VickyGillDelhi) January 17, 2022
WHEN NESTLE MADE A FACTUAL ERROR: Nestle India has been in the dock once earlier, for its KitKat wrapper design. In April 2021, Nestle India made a ‘factual error’ on its wrapper while trying to depict Manipur's Keibul Lamjao National Park. This was promptly pointed out by the Forest Department.
In the wrapper, the national park was wrongly depicted to be located in Meghalaya instead of Manipur. The Forest Department also pointed out that the Red Panda shown on the wrapper with Keibul Lamjao National Park text was misleading, as the species is not found in the national park.
Hi @Nestle @NestleIndia @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! pic.twitter.com/cIObwUkSvv
— Licypriya Kangujam (@LicypriyaK) April 22, 2021
Nestle India reacted to the controversy saying that they were apologetic for making an unintentional error.
FOR PLAYING INTO ASIAN STEREOTYPES
KitKat packaging in Australia shows a Chinese rice picker. Photo: Nestle Australia
Not just India, but the Swiss multinational company was criticised for playing into the Asian stereotype when it launched exclusive Japanese KitKats in Australia too. The Japanese Kitkats had stereotypically wrong packaging.
Nestle had launched KitKat flavours that are exclusively available in Japan in Australia, with what it deemed as cute Japanese caricature packaging. But one of the caricatures was a farmer with a conical hat who, many claimed, represented a Chinese rice picker and not Japanese.