"3 Times More Expensive but Tasteless" Chaos in Australia... US Cookie Says "It's Not Our Product?"

'Crumble Cookie' Popup Appears at Sydney Bondi Beach
"Tastes Bad" Harsh Criticism... 'Fake' Cookies Only Stealing the Name

A pop-up store of a famous American cookie brand opened in Australia, drawing crowds despite prices being three times higher than in the US. However, it was later revealed that the pop-up was fake and had no actual connection to the real cookie brand, sparking controversy.

Recently, British BBC and the US Washington Post (WP) reported on the controversy surrounding the pop-up store of the famous American cookie brand 'Crumbl Cookies,' which appeared on Bondi Beach, a popular resort area on the outskirts of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on the 29th of last month.

Product image of Crumbl Cookies, a famous American cookie brand [Image source=Instagram capture of 'Crumbl Cookies']

Crumbl Cookies is a cookie brand started in 2017 in Utah, USA, by cousins Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley. It operates over 1,000 stores across the US and Canada. Known for its larger size and moist texture compared to regular cookies, Crumbl Cookies introduces 4 to 5 new cookies weekly, using a marketing strategy that encourages the spread of 'review videos' on social media, making it popular among the US MZ generation.

On that day, the pop-up store sold large-sized Crumbl Cookies for 17.50 Australian dollars (about 15,000 KRW) each, nearly three times the US price of $5.99. Despite this, people lined up to get boxes of cookies and were busy filming them on their smartphones. However, the expressions of those who tasted the cookies soon hardened. Contrary to expectations, the cookies were hard and tough in texture. Disappointed customers rushed to post negative review videos on social media. They criticized, saying things like "I could make this at home," and "I feel cheated." One woman angrily said, "I spent 150 Australian dollars (130,000 KRW) on 10 cookies."

As the controversy grew, Crumbl Cookies headquarters stepped in. The company stated, "The pop-up store held in Australia is not affiliated with our headquarters." Ultimately, it was revealed that the Australian pop-up store was a fake using Crumbl Cookies' name. The organizers of the pop-up explained, "We purchased hundreds of cookies from the Crumbl Cookies store in Hawaii and brought them to Australia by air. Following Crumbl Cookies' explanation that cookies can be stored in airtight containers for up to three days, we stored them accordingly. It seems the cookies became hard during the reheating process."

Experts point out that this false marketing exploited the MZ generation's 'FOMO phenomenon (fear of missing out).' FOMO refers to the fear of missing out or being excluded, or the social anxiety about others experiencing valuable things that one has not. Andrew Hughes, a marketing expert in Australia, told the BBC, "When information spreads quickly, people act impulsively rather than logically," adding, "This incident likely increased the brand awareness of the cookie company within Australia."