It’s election season in Germany, and Italian candy brand Ferrero decided to celebrate with an election-themed TV ad that inadvertently made its candy and the citizens of Germany sound like white supremacists. In the ads, a talking chocolate box speaks at a political rally before supporters who carry signs that read, “Yes White Can!” Everyone shouts triumphantly when a poster unfurls on the stage reading, “Germany Votes White!” According to the Telegraph, Ferrero was trying to promote its white chocolate Küsschen, or little kisses, which had previously been a limited-edition candy. But somehow the advertising team at Ferrero and M&C Saatchi managed to create a cartoon version of the propaganda for Germany’s far-right NPD party. When the ads aired, they were met with shock and outrage.
“I hope the advertisers behind this dumb campaign get a chocolate kiss stuck in their throats, and there aren’t any Nazis around to dislodge it,” one commenter said on the brand’s Facebook page.
Ferrero has yanked the campaign and issued a statement clarifying that they really were just talking about the chocolate.
“It is important for us to clearly stress that we are strictly against any form of xenophobia, right-extremism or racism,” Ferrero said in a statement. “All of our assertions were purely about white chocolate — and without xenophobic intent. We regret that the commercial was misunderstood and the product messaging was otherwise construed.”
Full Article: Ferrero Yanks White Chocolate Ads | The Daily Meal.