"Australian fans of the viral American cookie chain, Crumbl, were disappointed after they were served stale cookies at a non-official Crumbl pop-up in North Bondi, Australia," -- Amara Deanes, 7th Grade
The cookies from Crumbl's collaboration with Olivia Rodrigo Australian fans of the viral American cookie chain, Crumbl, were disappointed after they were served stale cookies at a non-official Crumbl pop-up in North Bondi, Australia.
Crumbl is a cookie chain that has been growing very quickly over the past couple of years, known for their unique flavors, rotating menu, and ooey-gooey texture. Videos of people tasting the “flavors of the week” have gone viral on social media.
It’s clear that since Crumbl is so viral and trendy, people around the globe would want to try it. And yet, they have no locations outside of North America. That’s why the Australian fans were so excited when they saw the now deleted Tik Tok posts from an account called @CrumblSydney about the pop-up. “Given that the bakery frequently goes viral on social media, many Aussies have long expressed a desire to try a Crumbl cookie of their own – and [September 29], finally, seemed like their chance,” wrote new.com.au.
It didn’t take long for internet sleuths to figure out that the pop-up wasn’t official. One of the co-founders commented on one of the account’s posts saying, “Please note, this pop-up is in no way affiliated with @CrumblCookies.”
This didn’t stop fans from flocking to the pop-up. News.com.au writes, “The possibility of receiving a days-old, likely stale biscuit wasn’t enough to stop people from lining up for at least 45 minutes (nor was it enough to stop the pop-up from selling out).”
The prices were also inflated, at $17.50 AUD ($12 USD). In the US, a cookie usually goes for $4 to $5 USD. Many fans made TikToks showing their disappointing experience at the stand. One being @sofiaqistinee, who filmed two videos showing the pop-up. “The girl who was taking our orders like, showed us the menu and it was [$12 USD] per cookie,” she said in one video.
All of this raises the question, is this even legal?
Crumbl had no affiliation with the pop-up, but the cookies were still made by Crumbl. The cookies had been bought in the U.S, and then flown out to Australia, which explains why the cookies were stale. The creators said that they were doing something called “parallel imports” and were legally allowed to resell the purchased cookies. In a statement the creators released, they said, “Importing and reselling is called parallel imports. Parallel imports are legal.”
It’s clear that the creation of the pop-up was due to Crumbl’s huge popularity on social media. Crumbl was founded in 2017 after co-founders Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley created what they call “the perfect chocolate chip cookie.” They wanted to bring people together with cookies, even though neither of them had a cooking or baking background.
Since then, Crumbl has been growing rapidly in popularity. A big reason for Crumbl’s popularity is its social media presence. “Crumbl was able to amass its large social media reach in such a short period of time since its founders have backgrounds in tech and knew that they wanted to launch a company that was digitally advanced to keep up with national trends,” reported Mashed in an article covering Crumbl’s popularity.
They know how to cater to younger audiences and use pop culture to their advantage. They have collaborated with celebrities that are popular with Gen Z, such as Olivia Rodrigo and Kylie Jenner. And even have made pop culture references in their social media posts. Such as when they posted a sugar cookie with a lipstick stain on it, similar to Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet album cover.
There’s also a novelty to each flavor. Some flavors are limited edition and only show up once. And since there are so many flavors, even the permanent ones can sometimes only show up in the rotation once or twice a year. People film themselves eating the “flavors of the week” and rating them, which is part of the thrill of going to Crumbl in the first place. It always stays fresh and new.
Not everyone understands the hype though. Since the cookies are so soft, some complain that they taste underbaked. “I don’t really get the Crumbl cookie hype. They just look like underbaked cookies with a bunch of toppings to make them seem ‘different.’ Cookies are supposed to have a crispy edge and chewy center. Local bakeries are much better,” said Anissa Deanes, a 7th grade Visual Arts student.
“They have no flavor. If they’re not dense, then they crumble, literally. They’re nasty,” complained Cece Burger, a 7th grade Literary Arts student.
Either way, it’s clear that Crumbl played its marketing cards right. Is going to have to expand globally to meet its growing demand.
Crumbl is a cookie chain that has been growing very quickly over the past couple of years, known for their unique flavors, rotating menu, and ooey-gooey texture. Videos of people tasting the “flavors of the week” have gone viral on social media.
It’s clear that since Crumbl is so viral and trendy, people around the globe would want to try it. And yet, they have no locations outside of North America. That’s why the Australian fans were so excited when they saw the now deleted Tik Tok posts from an account called @CrumblSydney about the pop-up. “Given that the bakery frequently goes viral on social media, many Aussies have long expressed a desire to try a Crumbl cookie of their own – and [September 29], finally, seemed like their chance,” wrote new.com.au.
It didn’t take long for internet sleuths to figure out that the pop-up wasn’t official. One of the co-founders commented on one of the account’s posts saying, “Please note, this pop-up is in no way affiliated with @CrumblCookies.”
This didn’t stop fans from flocking to the pop-up. News.com.au writes, “The possibility of receiving a days-old, likely stale biscuit wasn’t enough to stop people from lining up for at least 45 minutes (nor was it enough to stop the pop-up from selling out).”
The prices were also inflated, at $17.50 AUD ($12 USD). In the US, a cookie usually goes for $4 to $5 USD. Many fans made TikToks showing their disappointing experience at the stand. One being @sofiaqistinee, who filmed two videos showing the pop-up. “The girl who was taking our orders like, showed us the menu and it was [$12 USD] per cookie,” she said in one video.
All of this raises the question, is this even legal?
Crumbl had no affiliation with the pop-up, but the cookies were still made by Crumbl. The cookies had been bought in the U.S, and then flown out to Australia, which explains why the cookies were stale. The creators said that they were doing something called “parallel imports” and were legally allowed to resell the purchased cookies. In a statement the creators released, they said, “Importing and reselling is called parallel imports. Parallel imports are legal.”
It’s clear that the creation of the pop-up was due to Crumbl’s huge popularity on social media. Crumbl was founded in 2017 after co-founders Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley created what they call “the perfect chocolate chip cookie.” They wanted to bring people together with cookies, even though neither of them had a cooking or baking background.
Since then, Crumbl has been growing rapidly in popularity. A big reason for Crumbl’s popularity is its social media presence. “Crumbl was able to amass its large social media reach in such a short period of time since its founders have backgrounds in tech and knew that they wanted to launch a company that was digitally advanced to keep up with national trends,” reported Mashed in an article covering Crumbl’s popularity.
They know how to cater to younger audiences and use pop culture to their advantage. They have collaborated with celebrities that are popular with Gen Z, such as Olivia Rodrigo and Kylie Jenner. And even have made pop culture references in their social media posts. Such as when they posted a sugar cookie with a lipstick stain on it, similar to Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet album cover.
There’s also a novelty to each flavor. Some flavors are limited edition and only show up once. And since there are so many flavors, even the permanent ones can sometimes only show up in the rotation once or twice a year. People film themselves eating the “flavors of the week” and rating them, which is part of the thrill of going to Crumbl in the first place. It always stays fresh and new.
Not everyone understands the hype though. Since the cookies are so soft, some complain that they taste underbaked. “I don’t really get the Crumbl cookie hype. They just look like underbaked cookies with a bunch of toppings to make them seem ‘different.’ Cookies are supposed to have a crispy edge and chewy center. Local bakeries are much better,” said Anissa Deanes, a 7th grade Visual Arts student.
“They have no flavor. If they’re not dense, then they crumble, literally. They’re nasty,” complained Cece Burger, a 7th grade Literary Arts student.
Either way, it’s clear that Crumbl played its marketing cards right. Is going to have to expand globally to meet its growing demand.