A teaser poster announcing the opening of its flagship outlet at a mall in New Delhi invited "International Travellers" for a preview, with a worm line, "Entry restricted only to holders of international passports."
An Indian turned away from the store on Dec. 15 (ostensibly because the store was overcrowded, according to the company) posted an image of the poster on the Web, sparking a viral online campaign, protesting "Indians not allowed" at the store.
The red faced company quickly melted. Anindo Mukherji, managing director of General Mills India, which markets the brand in the country, said, "An error was made in the creative execution. It was a wrong choice of words, and we regret the error."
The company claims the campaign intended to suggest that one could taste foreign things without travelling abroad. "The message was intended to suggest that you can enjoy, for instance, a taste of the French Riviera without travelling to France - at Häagen-Dazs," Mukherji said. "Unfortunately the reference to the international passport holder on the poster may have led to a significant miscommunication. This was completely unintended and we apologize for creating the misimpression that may have hurt our sentiments as Indians.... Häagen-Dazs products and our Häagen-Dazs shop in India are and will always be for our consumers in India."
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