On Easter Friday, dated 7th April 2023 the consumer product makers FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, promoters of their flagship Peak Milk made a ‘controversial’ post on social media, upsetting millions of Christians across the country and piquing the offended, enraged interest of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN.
The distributing company, in its Easter message on April 7, 2023, displayed an almost crushed and empty can of Peak Milk oozing it’s content with a nail placed directly beside it; with the caption ‘Bruised and Pierced for us. #Goodfriday.
The Christian body enraged, lashed out at the recent social medial advert of the company, which used the crucifixion of Jesus to promote their product on Good Friday clearly finding it offensive to their faith.
The association relayed it’s displeasure in a statement issued by its General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, on Monday, April 10, 2023 calling for a general boycott of all products from the famed brand over their “insensitive†post.
The association further claimed the advert mirrored a previous advert by Sterling Bank in 2022, which received same backlash from it and the advertising regulators, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) urging the company to tender an apology or risk being heavily boycotted.
“We find this advert to be insensitive, offensive, and unacceptable. Good Friday is a solemn day for Christians worldwide, commemorating the death of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who was crucified on the cross for our sins. It is not a day to be used for crass commercial purposes.
“FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC’s action is disrespectful to the Christian faith and an insult to the millions of Christians in Nigeria and beyond. We are deeply disappointed that a company of such repute would stoop so low to exploit the religious sentiments of its customers for profit.
The religious body has since asked companies to be sensitive to religious and cultural connotations before promoting their products, warning that it would not tolerate any attempt to “trivialize or disrespect†the Christian faith.
In a recent turn of events however, Punch revealed that the company has tendered an apology to the public and the christian body.
The apology, which was addressed to the CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, was written by Ore Famurewa, Executive Director (Corporate Affairs) on behalf of the company. The letter, titled ‘APOLOGY FOR THE GOOD FRIDAY SOCIAL MEDIA POST BY THE PEAK BRAND’, was dated 10th April, 2023 and read;
“We acknowledge the sensitivity of the social media post considering the sobriety of the season. It was neither intended to make light of the significance of the season nor to inordinately exploit the unmatched sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
We wish to inform the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that the social media post has since been withdrawn.â€
