Krispy Kreme announced this week that the joy of getting a COVID vaccine was increasing: show your vaccine card and you can get a donut with simple topping for free everyday until the rest of 2021.
That, objectively, rules. Krispy Kreme’s simple topping donut is really the best donut, a sweet treat with perfect yeast. The promotion seemed to be a marketing scam for the company, drawing the attention of the press and social networks. And who knows? Maybe there is a superfan Krispy Kreme somewhere who changes his mind about getting a vaccine.
But there is an asterisk in the release of Krispy Kreme. Here’s what your website says in a question on behalf of those who choose not to be vaccinated:
AND IF I DON’T WANT TO BE VACCINATED, CAN I GET THIS OFFER?
We understand that the choice to receive the COVID-19 vaccine is a highly personal decision. We advise all employees and guests to consult their physician about the possibility of obtaining a COVID-19 vaccination and which vaccine to receive after reviewing the available information. If you made a personal decision not to receive the COVID vaccine, visit us on Monday, 03/29/21 – 05/24/21, to receive a free Original Glazed® donut and a medium coffee to start your week of off to a good start.
Anti-vax Mondays! To be fair, Monday’s promotion is open to anyone – those who refuse the vaccine and those who desperately wait to be eligible for their first injection of Moderna. What is noteworthy here is that Krispy Kreme addressed this group of customers directly. As a public relations movement, it is a little complicated. Doesn’t this message weaken the point of this promotion? Not to mention that, unlike taking a wart examination or going to the dentist, vaccination is not just a “highly personal decision” – it is a public health measure that will protect the most vulnerable and help end a pandemic.
It seems that Krispy Kreme, in developing a pleasant corporate promotion, found a hard and cold truth about America: you can’t give a donut for free without getting into a cultural war. The speech about these free donuts has already involved a public debate about the health risks of weight gain. It is not clear whether the company already showed warning signs of a setback or if it wanted to prevent this storm in a preventive way. In any case, it is clear that the company remains concerned with appeasing the antivaxxer portion of its customer base.
Still, at least Krispy Kreme is not treating antivaxxers exactly as well. They receive nine Mondays in total. Their promotion doesn’t even go to Memorial Day. Assuming you already have your vaccination card in hand, you can get 283 free donuts this year, starting today. So if a vaccine skeptic in your life does not heed the pleas of public health experts, perhaps they will consider the trade-offs presented by the good people of Krispy Kreme: 0 percent protection against the virus, of course – but also only 3 percent of free donuts.