Bath & Body Works, the smell-good retailer, known for its potent fall and Christmas candles, had to pull its “Snowed In” candle this week because of it’s packaging design.
The candle was supposed to be wrapped in a festive red covering with a picture of a snowflake, but it didn’t look like the angelic, crystalline white flakes that are normally associated with winter-inspired packaging. Instead, to some, the snowflakes looked like KKK hoods.
Users on X began criticizing the candle’s design Tuesday, dubbing the design a “klandle.” The company pulled the candle from its website and apologized in a statement to TMZ.
Critics said the pattern looked similar to the white hoods worn by members of the KKK, an American white supremacist terrorist group that emerged after the Civil War and when egal slavery had ended. The KKK is the oldest hate group in America, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, and was created to enforce violence and terror against newly freed people.
Social Backlash
Critics called for the product to be pulled from shelves and for those behind the packaging to be fired.
“This sort of thing can easily be prevented by hiring the so-called ‘DEI’ candidate,” one X user wrote.
“@bathbodyworks Your lack of diversity in the workplace shows exactly why the candle got approval. No one black, Hispanic works there? Smh,” one X, formerly Twitter, user wrote.
“How would you not know that the image and the design does not reflect that amongst the worst of hatred ‘Klu Klux Klan?’ Accountability,” another user tweeted.
“@bathbodyworks did an awful marketing strategy. It doesn’t look like a snowflake. Someone has some explaining to do. I don’t buy klandles, another user shared.
The candle is no longer available for purchase on Bath & Body Works’ website.
Amid backlash over the candle, Bath & Body Works issued an apology, saying they are in the process of removing the item from stores.
“We are committed to listening to our teams and customers and committed to fixing any mistakes we make—even those that are unintentional like this one. We apologize to anyone we’ve offended and are swiftly working to have this item removed and [are] evaluating our process [going] forward,” Bath & Body Works said in a statement, per TMZ.