Nutella Tries to Silence Its Internet Fans

By Cynthia Herbert :: 1:44 PM

Italian company Ferrero, the parent behind the Nutella brand, that deliciously sweet hazelnut chocolate spread, has decided that it doesn’t want fans online to honor the chocolatey goodness of its product.

Ferrero sent a cease and desist letter last week to a woman who runs the website “World Nutella Day.”

The day, an event that the owner of the site has been running for about seven years, started out simply as Nutella fans sharing recipes and swapping tips for baking with the spread. Over the years, along with the spread of online social networks, the event has morphed into an online gathering with thousands of fans Tweeting about it, sharing recipes on Pinterest, and posting pictures to Facebook.

“On May 25, 2013, I’ll be darkening the World Nutella Day site, nutelladay.com, and all social media presence (Facebook, Twitter), in compliance with a cease-and-desist I received from lawyers representing Ferrero, SpA (makers of Nutella),” she posted on her website. “The cease-and-desist letter was a bit of a surprise and a disappointment, as over the years I’ve had contact and positive experiences with several employees of Ferrero, SpA., and with their public relations and brand strategy consultants.”

Although Nutella’s official Facebook page does not allow fans to post, it does allow fans to comment on posts made by the page, and right now, they’re getting an earful from customers who are upset with their plans to cancel future instances of World Nutella Day.