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If your socials are anything like mine, you’ve probably come across the Crumbl Cookies Sydney saga (yep, it’s a thing).
As the resident Aussie at Likeable Lab, I’ve noticed this drama hasn’t quite crossed the ditch to my Kiwi colleague’s FYP yet, but trust me, it’s blowing up on social media!
Yep, you read that right.
This was the price at the one-day-only Crumbl pop-up in Sydney, where tons of people queued to get a taste of the famed American treat.
Here’s where things get murky… Crumbl had nothing to do with the event. And this isn’t just a small business they are ripping off, check out their following!
The event organisers claimed they’d travelled to the U.S., bought the cookies, and brought them back to Australia. But the more believable theory (and the one most people are buying into) is that they simply recreated the recipes and cashed in on the hype.
Sneaky? Absolutely. Genius? We’ll let you decide.
They have Instagram and TikTok accounts that very closely resemble that of the official Crumbl account. We’re talking identical fonts, similar colour schemes, the whole shebang.
The people behind the pop-up don’t claim to work for Crumbl, instead positioning themselves as big fans who wanted to bring the experience to fellow Aussies (naur, explain the $17.50 cookie!?)
This whole cookie situation highlights the power of socials, as it enables anyone with a passion (or a clever/stupid?? marketing strategy/idea) to create buzz and build a following, whether or not they have legitimate ties to the brand.
The drama around the pop-up shows how easily narratives can shift online, influencing perceptions and driving consumer behaviour, regardless of the facts.
This saga also shows how digital platforms can be a powerful tool for accountability. As the story unfolded, TikTokers and Instagrammers became amateur sleuths, piecing together clues and calling out discrepancies.
The virality of this story also speaks volumes about our culture of FOMO.
People were willing to queue for hours and shell out big bucks for a cookie, all because TikTok told them it was the thing to do. It’s a stark reminder of how influential these platforms can be in shaping our desires and decisions.
One thing’s for sure – this cookie drama is a deliciously perfect example of how digital platforms can turn a local event into a national talking point overnight. It’s a cautionary tale for businesses and a fascinating case study for marketers.
And for the rest of us? Well, it’s just another day in the wild world of social platforms, where today’s cookie scandal is tomorrow’s chip controversy.
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