Angry Christians are accusing Cadbury Chocolate of attempting “Christian Erasure” after a store marketed Cadbury Easter Eggs as “gesture eggs.”
New Promotions
An independently run discount store in Spalding, Lincolnshire, created a new promotional campaign that has backfired and dragged Cadbury Chocolate into a controversy against angry Christians.
Gesture Eggs
The new promotional campaign took the Cadbury eggs regularly advertised as Easter Eggs and instead marketed them as “gesture eggs.”
Christian Eraser
Because the new campaign removed the relationship between eggs and Easter, many people quickly said this was a form of Christian eraser.
Stripping Away Religion
The critics argue that omitting the word “Easter” from the eggs strips away their religious significance for the holiday and that relationships should always be present with the celebrations and symbols related to the holiday.
The Original Family
The CEO of Christian Concern, Andrea Williams spoke to MailOnline and highlighted how the original Cadbury family was very devout in their faith and how upsetting it was to see the company turn their back on this history
Deeply Motivated
Williams, told MailOnline, “The original Cadbury family who founded the business were deeply motivated by their Christian faith and used profits from their business to serve charitable causes across the world.”
Forgetting Their Roots
Williams concludes her statement by saying, “It’s a shame they have forgotten those deep Christian roots.”
Mondelez Defense
However, Cadbury’s parent company, Mondelez International, was quick to defend itself from the situation by pointing out the marketing campaign was made by an independent store with no relationship to the company.
Not Led by Cadbury
Mondelez International said, “This promotion is not Cadbury-led, and we were not involved in any way. All Cadbury Easter shell eggs sold in the UK reference Easter very clearly on the packaging—sometimes multiple times.
10- 100 Years of Tradition
The statement continued, “Cadbury has used the word Easter in our marketing and communications for over 100 years and continues to do so with our new Easter product range. To claim anything otherwise is factually incorrect.”
Taking Down the Poster
They concluded the statement by saying, ”We have contacted Freshstore, the independent retailer who put up this poster in a very limited number of stores, and we understand they will be taking these posters down.”
The Wider Audience
Despite Mondelez’s defence of the situation, the “gesture eggs” quickly reached a wide audience and sparked a debate that spread from social media and onto television.
Larger Issues
While some people argued that it was small marketing campaign from a select group of stores, others felt the campaign was a representative of larger issues facing modern Christians.
Questioning Faith
People seem to be getting less and less religious and Christianity in particular has been placed under the microscope as the idea of “faith” continues to be questioned.
Holding Firm
Despite the wide-reaching public debate around the “gesture eggs,” Mondelez simply reiterated their initial statement that the marketing had nothing to do with the company and that their eggs all reference Easter on the packaging.
The Easter Pattern
However, this isn’t the first time that Mondelez, more specifically Cadbury, has been brought into an Easter controversy that brought out accusations of Christian Eraser.
Hunt for Eggs
In 2017 Cadbury changed the name of the National Trust Easter egg trail to the “Great British Egg Hunt,” and people were again quick to question the company’s motivations.
Airbrushing Faith
After the name was changed to the “Great British Egg Hunt,” the Church of England said, “This marketing campaign highlights the folly in airbrushing faith from Easter.”
Absolutely Ridiculous
2017’s Prime Minister Theresa May said “I think the stance they have taken is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t know what they are thinking about frankly. Easter’s very important… It’s a very important festival for the Christian faith for millions across the world.”
Defending Faith
Even though Cadbury had a far larger role in the 2017 controversy, the fact that a much smaller event dragged them back into a similar situation shows the tense relationship between the Christian faith and those looking to maintain it.
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The post Erasing Easter: Cadbury ‘Gesture Eggs’ Spark Fury Among Christians first appeared on Edge Media.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Electric Egg.
Keegan Leighty is a committed writer known for his impactful work in bringing attention to societal issues and injustices, using his platform to advocate for change and awareness. He also writes satire and stand up.