A Krispy Kreme branch is backtracking after an ill-worded promotional campaign led to a social media outcry.
The Hull branch in Britain planned to launch a week's worth of activities to attract children during half-term from February 16-22, with the middle of the week being dubbed "KKK Wednesday", according to The Mirror.
The acronym was meant to stand for the "Krispy Kreme Klub," but is more closely associated with white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan.
The Klan raped, murdered, and persecuted African-Americans for over a century in the US, with bombings and lynchings continuing into the early 1980s. Today, the Klan consists of independent chapters in the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia, with smaller sects in other parts of the world.
After being informed on Facebook of the significance of the acronym, a Krispy Kreme spokeswoman apologised "unreservedly for the inappropriate name of a customer promotion at one of our stores," and insisted that "all material has been withdrawn and an internal investigation is currently underway."
Other half-term activities included "Funday Monday," "Colouring Tuesday," "Face Painting Thursday," and Balloon Madness and Board Games Galore on the weekend.
"Why not come and join us in our Hull store during the half term holiday with the children, for our fun activities," the donut company's UK office posted on Facebook to 200,000 followers, along with a flyer detailing the week's events.
