KitKat’s statement confirming the news of the theft of 12 tonnes of chocolate bars in transit to Europe has sent the Internet into a frenzy, with viral memes and puns flooding social media.
“We can confirm that 12T of KitKat products were stolen while in transit between our factory in Central Italy and their destination in Poland,” KitKat had said in a statement. However, the brand assured its customers that there would be no shortage of KitKat bars this Easter, dismissing the shortage concern during the festival.
It also said that if the missing candy bars enter unofficial sales channels across European markets, all products can be traced using the unique batch code assigned to individual bars, allowing wholesalers, retailers, and consumers to identify if a product is part of the stolen shipment.
If a match is found, the scanner will be given clear instructions on how to alert the company, which will then share the evidence appropriately, a Nestle spokesperson said.
Here’s how brands have responded:
Multiple brands, including KFC, Domino’s, and even Microsoft, jokingly claimed responsibility for the heist as they tried tapping into the social media humour effectively — capitalising on real-time events to boost engagement.
Every brand, however, added disclaimers to ensure legal clarity.
The viral fever also reached India, as Kerala Tourism playfully denies involvement in the viral #KitKatHeist. It confirmed that no shipment reached Kerala’s backwaters or beaches. The tourism department also cleverly promoted Kerala as the ideal “proper break” destination.
Blinkit also jumped on the trend with a hand-drawn sketch of KitKat, asking the brand to “rate my art”.
KFC jokingly said it was testing the chocolate bars as their “12th herb and spice” in a nod to their secret 11-ingredient recipe.
In a satirical “official statement”, Domino’s UK expressed mock condolences for KitKat’s recent theft and teased a fictional KitKat-topped pizza as an “unrelated” twist.
Microsoft Edge posted a clever joke about the KitKat theft and shared a mock internal email from “boss@outlook.com” questioning 14 unsolicited boxes in the office, implying team involvement.
DoorDash jokingly claimed that the stolen KitKat bars ended up in their DashMarts due to a “completely random packaging error”. The “good news”, it said, was that users just have to add 500-600 bars to their carts to “resolve” the surplus.
Diner chain Denny’s also posted a mock “official statement” denying involvement in the viral 12-ton KitKat theft in Europe, humorously claiming an alibi of being “very busy” from 1:30-4:00 AM during the heist window.
McAfee humorously issued an “(un)official statement” sympathising with the loss while punning on KitKat’s “Have a break” slogan to emphasise their unwavering cybersecurity commitment.
The Kentucky State Police also joined the viral trend and humorously tied it to a seatbelt safety reminder, saying the chocolate wasn’t “saved” despite safety measures. “Seatbelts save lives. Unfortunately… they don’t save KitKats,” they said.
FOXTV also humorously quoted KitKat’s viral statement and mimicked the format for an “unofficial statement” to express condolences. It pivoted on KitKat’s “Have a break” slogan, urging a “break and binge” of FOX shows on Hulu.
Charlotte FC humorously claimed possession of the 413,000 stolen KitKat bars and offered them as fan giveaways at their upcoming MLS match against Philadelphia.
7-Eleven Mexico promoted a limited-time Kit Kat-flavoured boba slushie, featuring a chocolate-brown drink topped with Kit Kat chunks, implying the stolen bars inspired the drink’s flavour in a viral marketing stunt.
Several other brands, such as the Canadian Premier League, Picsart, Figma, Crypto App Phantom, and many more, also leveraged the viral trend.
