Retailer Bath & Body Works apologized for a candle promoted on its social media accounts displaying a snowflake, which some said appeared quite similar to a Ku Klux Klan hood.
Users on X began criticizing the candle’s design Tuesday, dubbing the design a “klandle.” The company, which is known for its fragranced candles and personal hygiene products, pulled the candle from its website and apologized in a statement to TMZ.
The snowflake in the image on the candle featured two holes on either side of its spindles. 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 legal slavery had ended, freeing millions of Black people held in bondage. 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.
The candle is no longer available for purchase on Bath & Body Works’ website.
“At Bath & Body Works, 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,” the company said in an emailed statement to NBC News and other outlets. “We apologize to anyone we’ve offended and are swiftly working to have this item removed and are evaluating our process going forward.”
Some social media users assumed the mistake was the result of a lack of diversity in Bath & Body Works’ marketing team.
“This sort of thing can easily be prevented by hiring the so-called ‘DEI’ candidate,” one X user wrote.
“Your lack of diversity in the workplace shows exactly why the candle got approval,” another X user wrote.
“How did that design even make it to shelves? This isn’t just a branding mistake; it’s a reminder of how sensitive cultural symbols can be,” another X user wrote.
Others were quick to defend Bath & Body Works. In the comments of an Instagram post by Hollywood Unlocked, some explained that they didn’t see the resemblance.
“Man that’s a snowflake,” one Instagram user wrote. Another wrote, “I don’t think black people cared but carry on.”
Another Instagram user acknowledged the mistake: “This was an honest mistake it looks like a snowflake. But they still took accountability.”
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