Krispy Kreme, the iconic doughnut brand, has found itself in the midst of controversy and criticism due to an offensive racial slur included in its latest campaign.
The campaign, created by creative agency Abel in collaboration with Limehouse Production, was intended to promote the brand’s doughnuts as a centrepiece for various celebrations.
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In four short spots, the campaign showcased Krispy Kreme doughnuts taking the place of the letter “o” in words such as “footy”, “movie”, and “hooray”.
However, one spot featured the doughnuts replacing the “o” in “congrats,” briefly forming the offensive slur.
Although this particular clip has been removed from YouTube, the other three spots remain the same.
In response to the criticism, Krispy Kreme’s ANZ Marketing Director, Olivia Sutherland, issued an apology on behalf of the company.
“We are sorry for the oversight and have removed all congratulations-related ads from the campaign,” she said in a statement.
“We never intended to offend any person or group. We are sorry for the oversight and have removed all congratulations related ads from the campaign.”
Australia’s advertising watchdog, Ad Standards, told Mumbrella the organisation has not yet received any formal complaints about the campaign.
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