Arnott’s Shapes: Consumer backlash forces flavour promise

ARNOTT’S has been forced to reassure angry customers it will keep the original recipe for two of its Shapes varieties amid fierce backlash over its flavour meddling.

ARNOTT’S has been forced to reassure angry customers it will keep the original recipe for two of its Shapes varieties amid fierce backlash over its flavour meddling.

But outraged consumers are still demanding the biscuit brand axe the “new and improved” versions and simply restore the original Shapes range.

Arnott’s caused a furore earlier this month when the new Shapes flavours hit supermarket shelves.

It said the new blends were developed after extensive trials following customer demand for “bigger and bolder flavours” in the popular biscuit brand.

But hordes of Shapes lovers instead flooded the company’s Facebook page with complaints and pleas to revert to the classics immediately.

TASTE TEST: We compare the new and the old

The moment @AFL chief Gillon McLachlan tried the controversial new Shapes flavour... pic.twitter.com/9OoJFwiFrg

— 3AW Melbourne (@3AW693) April 29, 2016

Barbecue Shapes are an Australian institution. Picture: News Limited

ARNOTT’S SHAPES ‘NEW AND IMPROVED’ FLAVOURS COME UNDER FIRE

In an apparent response to the howls of protest over the flavour change, Arnott’s late last night reassured customers the original barbecue and chicken crimpy Shapes flavours were going nowhere.

“Hey everyone! We’ve been receiving loads of enquiries about our new Shapes flavours. Rest assured the original flavour BBQ and Chicken Crimpy will still be available in stores. Find them on shelf next to the new Shapes!”

A Change.org petition to reinstate the original flavours also has more than 10,000 signatures, with Ebony Beckwith dramatically describing the new flavours as “an international travesty”.

“They are like death in a packet. made me cry for hours. i’ll never recover from the emotional turmoil this product has put me through...”

Sorry @ArnottsBikkies - you done goofed up with the new flavours. Hopefully the old ones return soon #arnottsshapes pic.twitter.com/OWbmmji6Ex

— Adam M. Spencer (@AdamMSpencer93) April 27, 2016

I reckon the they got this wrong. They are almost inedible#arnotts #arnottsshapes #nogood pic.twitter.com/wwoG1eQYYb

— Milsyg78 (@Milsyg78) April 28, 2016

Have you tried the new and improved Shapes? Tell us what you think below

Outraged Shapes munchers were unrepentant despite the news, with many begging for their favourite flavour to be revived as well.

Facebooker Nick Findlay posted: “ Pizza needs to be saved as well. TBH you should just can the new flavours period. But if for some bizarre reason you feel the need to continue with these new sinful creations, at least save PIZZA TOO!”

Others, like Simon Green, complained that the original flavours just aren’t available at supermarkets.

“Funny because the new BBQ shapes was all that Coles had on the shelf. Why even bother? Don’t try and fix what isn’t broken,” he wrote.

Thanks @ArnottsBikkies for sending us a box of old and new #ArnottsShapes. Why oh why have you changed them? 😔 pic.twitter.com/U4UzVHrZQT

— Jane Gazzo (@JaneGazzo) April 15, 2016

just bought 5 boxes of old shapes because the new ones are terrible!!! #shapes #bringbacktheoldshapes

— ashley scarth. (@ashyanne31) April 27, 2016

Consumer complaints about the “new and improved” Shapes flavours have inundated the iconic brand’s Facebook page. Picture: News Limited

When the biscuit battle first erupted, Arnott’s defended the changes.

“We changed the flavours based on customer feedback that they wanted to see bigger and bolder flavours,” once response said.

“We’ll be listening to all the feedback fans have and making a decision on whether we keep the new flavours on.”

When customers asked why they didn’t just add more of the original flavouring, Arnott’s wrote: “We did explore simply adding more flavour to the biscuits but unfortunately it just wouldn’t stay on!

“This is why we decided to bake the flavour right inside the Shapes where it couldn’t escape, as well as adding a new flavour coating that stuck much better to the biscuit’s surface.”

The criticism comes after Arnott’s copped a $51,000 fine for allegedly misleading consumers about the saturated fat content in its Shapes Light & Crispy varieties.

Originally published as Arnott’s Shapes: Consumer backlash forces flavour promise