Brand fails of 2024

The world of marketing has had its fair share of unmitigated failures. Last year alone, there were several surprising brand failures, ranging from a rare misstep from one of the world's largest companies to something as small as a candle.

In the fall of 2024, a company called Bath and Body Works, released a seasonal candle. The company called the candle "Snowed In." The label was decorated with a stylized, paper-cut out of a snowflake.

On the Bath and Body Works website, the candle was described as having "cozy notes of buttermilk, musk and vanilla." But to many, it had cozy notes of the KKK.

Even though it was clearly unintentional, the peaks of the snowflake on the label did look like Ku Klux Klan hoods, complete with eye holes, and it didn't take long for people to start posting about it. Social media started calling it a "klandle."

Once the controversy hit, Bath and Body Works quickly pulled the candle off their website and out of all its retail locations. The company issued an apology, saying: "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 apologise to anyone we have offended."

Candles are a staple at Bath and Body Works, and every year, the retailer rolls out its collection of holiday-scented candles. That meant it was extremely important to get ahead of the problem. This particular issue reveals the bigger problem at most corporations – namely, the lack of diversity among the people who are approving products and making marketing decisions. Especially in this divisive era we are living in, and dog-whistles seem to be everywhere.

For more Brand Fails of 2024, click or tap the play button above to hear the full episode of Under the Influence. Find more episodes on the CBC Listen app or subscribe to the podcast.