Bakery apologises over ‘pro life’ themed cupcake in honour of ‘National Pro-Life Cupcake Day’
Critics had much to say after Kopp’s Frozen Custard featured a cupcake in honour of “National Pro-Life Cupcake Day” on their flavor forecast for October
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Your support makes all the difference.A Wisconsin custard shop sparked outrage when it linked one of the cupcakes on its menu to a pro-life theme.
Kopp’s Frozen Custard in Milwaukee came under fire over the weekend after customers shared the store’s website menu on social media. The point of discussion was Kopp’s cupcake for 9 October, their traditional “Hey Cupcake” flavour in honour of National Pro-Life Cupcake Day, CBS reported.
Responding to the backlash, the company removed references to the cupcake and said that it had been the result of an “oversight.”
“We understand that with our October 2022 flavour forecast brochure, we have severely missed [our] goal. Linking “National Pro-Life Cupcake Day” with our long-running flavour, “Hey Cupcake,” was an oversight on our part and an honest mistake,” the statement read. “It was never our intention to get political and appear as though we have taken a side in this ongoing debate.”
Kopp’s Frozen Custard added that “going forward, we strive to be more diligent in reviewing our flavour lists and any flavours we may link to a national holiday.”
The National Pro-Life Cupcake Day was created by the Cupcakes for Life organisation. According to its website, the day serves as an opportunity for pro-lifers to approach “the general public in a warm, non-confrontational way,” about abortion issues.
Social media users said the custard shop was likely aware of the criticism they would receive for the stunt, but perhaps carried on with it in an attempt to boost sales.
“I’ve adored Kopps — sometimes daily — since I began annually visiting WI ~25 years ago. After nailing down dates, my first step is to check the Kopps Flavor Forecast. (Okay, sometimes the Flavor Förecast determines our travel dates. It’s that good.),” Margot Bloomstein, author of Trustworthy: How the Smartest Brands Beat Cynicism and Bridge the Trust Gap, wrote on Twitter.
“Though I love @koppscustard, I love my values more and people who I respect to make their own healthcare decisions. In a time when WI spits on women and girls by going back to 19th century abortion restrictions, it’s beneath me to put brand loyalty over human rights.”
Meanwhile, other customers have chosen to continue buying at the store despite the controversy.
“They should just stick to custard. It’s what they do best. Leave the politicians with the politics,” Mark Zastrow told CBS. “I don’t mix politics with custard. I just don’t do it.”
In the aftermath of the overruling of Roe v Wade by the Supreme Court, Wisconsin clinics have halted elective abortions and medical staff has operated under a ban first established in the 1800s, forcing women seeking abortions to travel out of state, the Wisconsin Public Radio reported.
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