Cadbury has not renamed its chocolate Easter eggs to ‘Gesture eggs’

What's the claim?

A screenshot of an article headlined "Cadbury changes Easter eggs to 'gesture eggs' in latest woke move" is circulating online. The article was published by the Canadian news and commentary website The Western Standard and features a poster advertising the name change.

Social media users have used the post to suggest Cadbury has supposedly renamed the chocolate and removed its connection to Easter. Many users also urged that the company be boycotted.

A Facebook user shared the image with the caption, "Cadbury's - really? Gesture Egg? They are called Easter Eggs - Easter being a feast of Christianity. Would you do this with produce for other Religions Festivals? (sic)" 

Archive versions of such posts can be found here, here, and here.

The image also gained widespread traction on X (formerly Twitter), with one user tagging Cadbury U.K. in its caption. An archived version of the post can be found here.

While the promotional poster in the article is real, Cadbury has not officially endorsed this sales promotion, and the company did not implement an official renaming of its Easter eggs to "gesture eggs."

Screenshot of claims made online. (Source: Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

What we found

A report by the Telegraph stated that the signs offering customers a two-for-£10 deal on "gesture eggs" were displayed in Springfields Outlet in Spalding, Lincolnshire.  

According to a BBC report, Mondelez International, the owner of Cadbury, released a statement to journalists confirming that they had "no involvement" in the promotion after a store in Britain displayed the supposed poster. According to the BBC, Mondelez International stated that it had licensed the brand to Freshstores Limited, which runs the Cadbury discount store "completely independently." 

In their statement, Mondelez International further emphasized: "This promotion is not Cadbury led and we had no involvement in any way. All Cadbury Easter shell eggs sold in the UK reference Easter very clearly on the packaging - sometimes multiple times. Cadbury has used Easter in our marketing and communications for over 100 years and continues to do so with our new Easter product range. To claim anything otherwise is factually incorrect." 

Additionally, the BBC reported that the company had contacted Freshstore, the independent retailer responsible for the limited number of stores displaying the poster, and understood that the posters would be removed.

Cadbury has previously faced backlash for omitting references to Easter in its ads. In 2017, the National Trust's Easter egg hunt, sponsored by Cadbury, was renamed the Great British Egg Hunt, sparking criticism from the Church of England, according to the BBC.

Logically Facts has contacted Mondelez International for comment. This article will be updated once we receive a response.

Religious sentiments associated with Cadbury's Easter Eggs

Eggs are connected to Easter, a holiday that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as a symbol of new life and rebirth. Chocolate Easter eggs, including Cadbury Easter eggs, are often given as gifts and used in Easter-related activities.

The verdict

A store authorized to sell Cadbury products advertised Easter eggs as "gesture eggs," but Cadbury clarified it didn't endorse the promotion and is not officially changing the name. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.