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Bath & Body Works pulls out holiday candle after KKK comparisons

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Bath & Body Works pulls out holiday candle after KKK comparisons

bath and body work

for Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 11, 2024

Bath & Body Works is apologizing for its holiday candle that resembles the KKK outfit.

Bath & Body Works had to pull its holiday-inspired candle because of its resemblance to a KKK uniform.

On October 8, an American specialty retailer went viral for all the wrong reasons after social media users reacted to its “Nevada” candle. The candle’s packaging, featuring a snowflake design on a red background, quickly sparked a wave of criticism online. As Oscar Wilde once said, “There is only one thing worse in the world that is talked about, and that is not talked about,” a sentiment that the retailer might not appreciate in this context. However, a look at the snowflake design revealed an unsettling resemblance to the infamous white hoods associated with the Ku Klux Klan. TMZ reports

“How did they not see this coming? Glad they took it down though. sometimes companies really need to review their designs before they release them,” one person tweeted in response.

“Bath & Body Works removing that candle was a necessary move. How did this design even make it to the shelves?” someone else added.

“This is not just a branding mistake; it’s a reminder of how sensitive cultural symbols can be. We hope they take it as a lesson in awareness and responsibility.”

Amid protests over the failure, Bath & Body Works issued a statement apologizing for its “unintentional” mistake.

“We are committed to listening to our teams and customers and are committed to correcting any mistakes we make, even unintentional ones like this one,” the statement said.

“We apologize to anyone we may have offended and are working quickly to remove this item and (are) evaluating our process (next).”

This holiday misstep comes just two years after Bath & Body Works faced backlash for using the African-American-inspired brand on its regular products for what appeared to be a Black History Month promotion.

“Why I think Bath and Body Works has a new fragrance, and it’s the same fragrance only in kente fabric colors 🥴😪,” one X user wrote at the time.

In response, a spokesperson issued a statement that shrugged off the criticism, choosing instead to highlight the retailer’s donation to the National Urban League.

“We are committed to improving our culture through our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and part of that work has been celebrating cultural milestones and moments, including Black History Month.

“We support organizations that fight racism and inequality, including the National Urban League and the Columbus Urban League. We’re donating $500,000 to support the organizations’ work.”

RELATED CONTENT: A Florida government official resigns after photos of him dressed in a Ku Klux Klan uniform are revealed

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