Recently, Bath & Body Works was caught in an interesting dispute. One of the firm’s new winter themed candles sparked a reaction.
Released as part of the brand’s winter collection, “Snowed In” was the candle. The design looked innocent at first: a paper snowflake, which is a traditional seasonal symbol.
Somehow, however, once purchasers examined the design more closely, they started to have concerns. Social media users found the snowflake’s design — particularly the two holes in the center of its spindles — too much to bear.
Other people said the design was disturbingly similar to Ku Klux Klan hoods, a hate symbol associated with violence and terror against Black people.
Other Instagram users responded, including one who said: ‘I have never seen a snowflake that looks like that.’
Social media sites immediately began to react to the reaction, with people stunned that such a design could come into being.
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One user on X (former Twitter) asked: “What did they not see coming?” Or companies sometimes really need to double check their designs, before they drop them.”
But when the discourse continued, some referred to the device as a ‘klandle,’ a play on Klan hoods.
Such sensitive cultural icons can also become the subject of controversy if they are not closely examined before they hit the shop shelves, critics said.
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But not everyone found fault with the candle’s design. Some social media users felt the criticism was overdone and labeled the scenario an exaggerated reaction.
One said: ‘There’s nothing racist about this.’ ‘People want to race bait.’ “One person said that it’s a bad design, just poorly executed, and they shouldn’t have approved it.”
The discussion continued, though, with other participants citing deeper issues. Some critics thought that companies that did not reflect the diversity of the rest of the country might have made these type of errors in product design.
“The reason you’re getting the candle approved? Because you sure as hell ain’t got diversity.” There’s no Black, Hispanic person that works there? “I have smh,” another person wrote.
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The online discourse heated up and it started to look like Bath & Body Works might have to do something. How could it have been approved? Many people were perplexed.
It’s only in the end, and after months of being a divisive candle, that Bath & Body Works decided to remove the divisive candle from its shelves and website. In a statement sent to numerous media sites, the corporation admitted the error.
“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 business claimed. “We are swiftly working to have this item removed and apologize to anyone we’ve offended.”
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The candle was already pulled from sale, but the event has sparked debate about the role that cultural sensitivity should have in design.
Bath & Body Works’ response to the matter was prompt, and apology went a long way to easing the fury, but how would the company handle similar issues in the future is still unclear.
This debate is a reminder of the need for improved design awareness, and the importance of cultural symbols, as the organization analyzes its internal processes.
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