KFC apologizes for advertisement referencing the Kristallnacht pogrom
The German daily Bild reports that the American fast food restaurant chain KFC invited its German-language customers to commemorate Kristallnacht - the events of 9-10 November 1938 which are broadly considered to be the beginning of the Holocaust - by having crispy chicken and cheese. The company then apologized for the advertisement, considered insensitive and tasteless by many people, calling it an "error in the system".
On Wednesday, 9 November, KFC sent out a German-language message to users of its smartphone application that read: “Kristallnacht Remembrance Day – treat yourself to soft cheese with crispy chicken. Now in KFCheese!”
Roughly one hour later, the company sent out an apology message. “We are very sorry, we are immediately auditing our internal processes so this will never recur. Please forgive this error,” the message reads.
Kristallnacht refers to the large-scale pogrom committed in Nazi Germany against Jewish people on the night of 9 November 1938 and into the morning of the 10th during which hundreds of synagogues were burned down and Jewish-owned shops were looted. Approximately 100 Jewish people were killed.
The anniversary of Kristallnacht is taken very seriously in Germany. Many commemorative events and discussions are usually planned for the anniversary, commemorating the murder of more than six million Jewish people, among others, by the Nazis.
