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A tea kettle that bears a potential resemblance to Adolf Hitler has landed J.C. Penney in hot water.



A California billboard advertising a Michael Graves-designed kettle for sale at the store has some wondering whether they are being saluted by the Nazi dictator instead of waiting for tea to heat up.

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The billboard, first noticed by Reddit users near the 405 freeway in Culver City, had readers questioning whether the similarity was just a coincidence.

The controversial kettle. Today

On Tuesday the company made it clear that any resemblance is completely "unintentional," repeatedly tweeting the clarification at those curious about a Hitler connection.

"If we had designed it to look like something, we would have gone with a snowman or something fun," the store tweeted at numerous followers.





But any resemblance to Hitler certainly hasn't hurt business, according to J.C. Penney.

The $40 teakettle, noted for its "cool-touch handle, space-saving design and a delightful whistle," has sold out online, the company tweeted in response to a tweet by comedian Patton Oswalt.

The teakettle is still available in stores, according to the store.



