Cadbury faces backlash for new chocolate bar meant to promote diversity: 'Congratulations to Cadbury for solving racism'
Cadbury U.K., along with the advertising agency Ogilvy, launched a limited-edition chocolate bar called the Unity Bar on August 15 to celebrate India's Independence Day. The bar features four types of chocolate – dark, blended, milk and white – and was meant to symbolize India standing "united in its diversity." However, some social media users think the confection missed the mark.
In 1947, India gained independence from the United Kingdom, and Cadbury launched the new bar to help commemorate the 72nd anniversary.
"India is a diverse country, with people of different castes, creed, languages, regions, religions. Everyone living together, but not always with love," Ogilvy, the global advertising agency, shared on their website. "Cadbury Dairy Milk, which is loved by everyone, wanted to send a powerful message of unity. So we worked with the brand to create the Unity Bar: India’s first chocolate made of dark, blended, milk and white chocolate—all united in one bar."
Title: Unity Bar
Client: Cadbury
Team: @Ogilvy_India
To celebrate India's diverse population, Cadbury and our team in Mumbai created a chocolate made of dark, blended, milk and white chocolate - all united in one bar.
Check out more #ClientWork, here: https://t.co/B8ZgTqfyAh pic.twitter.com/DBE2SpAnb8— Ogilvy (@Ogilvy) August 20, 2019
The limited-edition chocolate bar was shared on Cadbury's social media and in one of India's major newspapers, The Economic Times.
The ad drew praise for its inclusivity; despite Hindi being the most common language typically used by brands in the country that has 22 official languages, the front-page ad used different languages in different areas for their headline, which read "Sweet things happen when we unite."
However, the ad uses a Kannada headline in the Mumbai edition, a Telugu headline in the Delhi edition, and a Marathi headline in the Bengaluru edition?—not the official languages of these areas ?—which lead some to believe that the chocolate bar missed its mark.
Whoa!! Well done, Cadbury's (and Ogilvy), using a Kannada headline in the Mumbai edition, Telugu headline in the Delhi edition and a Marathi headline in the Bengaluru edition. Point made beautifully! Lovely idea that turns our usual Hindi-centric advertising on its head :) pic.twitter.com/XXXCdlcskG
— Karthik (@beastoftraal) August 15, 2019
Still, many were less than convinced that a candy bar could end racism.
congratulations to cadbury for solving racism https://t.co/ndPsolKTKI
— Tejal Rao (@tejalrao) August 29, 2019
This is as absurd as Kendall Jenner fighting police brutality with a Pepsi https://t.co/AQ0Yq9VG4n
— Imani Gandy🔥 (@AngryBlackLady) August 29, 2019
— ZenDeathCult (@ZenDeathCult) August 29, 2019
Well that’s it folks!! Mark this day down in your calendars as the day racism has officially been ended!!! Thank you @CadburyWorld !!!
— awesomeSauce 🤙 (@UnkleMikey713) August 29, 2019
Others, however, have come to the defense of Cadbury, and acknowledge that the chocolate bar was not meant to end racism in the world entirely or erase the transgenerational trauma of India’s caste system.
People are going off on this and not even reading it the article and what it’s addressing https://t.co/U1o5ubrfyV
— ella (@EllaDecember) August 29, 2019
Obviously the caste system isn’t going to be dismantled through chocolate lol but it’s something operating in a social-political context that has zero to do with most of us, so everyone relax...
— Rubicon Guava 🏳??🌈 (@jasebyjason) August 29, 2019
I can't believe people are feeling some kinda way over a CANDY BAR that's trying to promote unity in India. Has humanity sunk that low to nitpick at something that should be minuscule on your list of things to be worrying about? #Cadbury #cadburyunitybar
— 🌙 (@itzdeanqelo) August 29, 2019
While the message may not have inspired some, it has united others on their distaste for white chocolate.
The unity comes from finding someone to eat the crappy chocolate you don't like (for me, that's the white chocolate, yech.)
— 1ps (@tweet1hz) August 29, 2019
Yea but white chocolate yuck.
— Steve Lubot (@fenwaysteve) August 29, 2019
This checks out because everyone knows white chocolate is the worst.
— Crash Test Meg (@MegNumbers) August 29, 2019
Representatives for Mondelez, which owns Cadbury U.K., did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s requests for comment.
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