One would think Indian food is part of ‘Aussie culture‘, but according to some on the internet, it has no right to be consumed on Australian soil.
Woolworths doesn’t agree.
The grocery giant has long departed from an ‘Asian aisle’ in stores, offering an increasingly wide range of products from many cultures – such as a growing list of ingredients specific to Indian cooking.
To promote their offerings, Woolies has engaged Indian social media influencers in Australia. But while normal people have responded by claiming hunger pangs, and posting the ‘drool’ emoji, a minority have bizarrely been triggered and outraged.
But don’t worry, a TikTok user has called them out in a big way.
A man using the handle @speakwithme365 posted a clip asking, “Has anyone seen the Woolworths ad where there’s this Indian lady who obviously has an accent, and is recounting how Woolies is so great because it has all the favourite Indian snacks that they have back home?”
But he sadly adds, “It’s an ad that Woolies is pushing out the comments go as expected,” referring to the growing anti-Indian immigrant movement in Australia.
“People are saying they will never buy from Woolies again, and that Woolies needs to be ‘Australian’.”
@speakwithme365 Day 178 of public speaking. Imagine being pressed about this 💀 #publicspeaking ♬ original sound – speakwithme365
The creator reasonably tackles such obtuse comments, using two examples: “Will never buy from Woolies anymore” and “Not shopping at Woolies anymore.”
“I’m sorry to break your bubble but Woolies also sells halal foods,” he says. “And I hope that this completely fries your brain.
“Woolies has a cultural section, and international sections that have seasonings from different countries. It is what it is.
“One thing that I’ve noticed about people who hate on this is that they love to talk about their freedoms in general, and they love to live in a free society. But if other people want to practice their freedoms by buying things they want to eat, or if a company wants to cater to a certain group, all of a sudden they want to stop them.”
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PR guru Adam Ferrier says we should ‘thank them’
Founder of Thinkerbell agency Adam Ferrier told Mediaweek about the backlash, and Woolies’ move to stock Indian foods:
“The minority of can express themselves if they want. It won’t change anything.
“Marketing is getting more sophisticated about product lines and distribution. Woolies are simply servicing the needs for the community.
Ferrier added, “Maybe the good thing about the minority’s comments is that it elevates the conversation – we should thank them.”
Comment from a Woolworths spokesperson on the backlash
“We’ve seen the demand for popular international foods rapidly accelerate over recent years, and our Indian food range is a fantastic example of this.
“Our International Food team works hard to keep up with emerging food trends and continues to evolve and tailor the international range based on the needs of local communities and changing customer demand.”
Main image: A screenshot from @speakwithme365 on TikTok