Over 400,000 KitKats were stolen, but no one is taking it seriously

Earlier this week, thieves stole 413,793 KitKat chocolate bars, weighing 12 tonnes (12,000 kilograms), from a truck in Europe. The chocolates were taken along a route from a factory in central Italy to Poland.

In a statement, KitKat said it is working closely with local authorities and supply chain partners to investigate, adding that it believes the missing items could enter unofficial sales channels across European markets.

The theft comes shortly after a joint report from the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) and the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA EMEA), which outlined an alarming rise in cargo theft and freight fraud.

Don't miss: Can one purple mascot cause this much chaos? 

"We've always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat - but it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tonnes of our chocolate," said a KitKat spokesperson. 

"Whilst we appreciate the criminals' exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes. With more sophisticated schemes being deployed on a regular basis, we have chosen to go public with our own experience in the hope that it raises awareness of an increasingly common criminal trend," the spokesperson added. 

Following the incident, KitKat has launched a “Stolen KitKat tracker” in hopes that consumers can help locate the missing chocolate bars. Hosted on an official Nestlé corporate website, the tracker allows consumers to enter the eight-digit batch number on the back of a KitKat to check if it belongs to the stolen batch.

The tracker was created in collaboration with VML.

"Just to clarify, this is not a stunt, or an April Fool's joke. Someone really stole 12 tonnes of KitKats and we really want to know where they've gone," said KitKat when announcing the tracker. 

Despite the seriousness of the issue, KitKat US has started posting memes to make light of the matter. These include images of an evidence board with printouts of headlines, maps, and details of the heist. The board also featured a poster of Ocean’s Eleven, a blurry photo of Bigfoot, and McDonaldland character Hamburglar, who was crossed out as a potential suspect.

KitKat US also shared a photo titled “most important moments in history”, including the first break, the invention of the KitKat, and the “great KitKat heist.”

At the time of writing, it posted a faux movie poster called The KitKat Job, in collaboration with OTT streaming platform Tubi.

KitKat ANZ also jumped in on the fun, posting a job alert in search of a chief chocolate protection officer. The alert details requirements such as a deep love for chocolate, having good eyesight, being a fast runner and has the ability to sleep with one eye open. It stated that the job will include protecting the Aussie-made KitKats, watch the trucks very closely and be suspicious of large pockets. 

Brands around the world have since followed KitKat US' lead and posted their own memes. Below is a brief list of brands who have trendjacked the heist. 

Domino's UK

Domino's UK expressed its condolences following the news but highlighted that it is releasing a new KitKat pizza. 

Durex Singapore

Closer to home, Durex Singapore shared a new flavour of lube: Wafer slip chocolatey lube. The lube promises to last longer without any breaks, poking fun at the chocolate brand's 'Have a break, have a KitKat' tagline.

"We're sorry about the missing chocolates, but we're excited to launch our new limited-edition indulgence," Durex joked. 

McAfee

Cybersecurity company McAfee took the opportunity to highlight it services, saying that "we may not know where the chocolate went, but we do know this:  protecting consumers isn't something we ever 'take a break' from."

Pizza Hut South Africa

The pizza brand clarified in a post that it wasn't the thief that stole 12 tonnes of KitKat bars, but shared what it would do if it did have that many KitKats. 

Rode Mic 

Microphone brand Rode shared that chocolate doesn't just disappear quietly. "It snaps. It crunches. It makes a variety of mouthwatering sounds," said the brand. Rode then added that it will stream a special-edition ASMR live from Switzerland with 413,793 KitKat bards using its KitKat-Red wireless micro.  

Showcase your most innovative content and gain recognition from a panel of industry leaders by entering the inaugural Content360 Awards. Submit your work today and be part of the celebration that honours the campaigns defining the future of content marketing.

Related articles:   
April Fool's Day pranks that had us doing double takes this year   
Have you seen KitKat's life-sized F1 racecar?  
KitKat drops plushies to turn snack time into play time