When you think of Tiki torches, you might think of barbecues, summer, fire pits, or warding off mosquitoes. But Tiki Brand wants to make sure you don’t think of white nationalists.

This is the new normal for consumer brands in 2017.

After the violent rally in Charlottesville, Va., last weekend, where angry white nationalists marched and toted Tiki torches, Tiki issued a statement: “Tiki Brand is not associated in any way with the events that took place in Charlottesville and are deeply saddened and disappointed. We do not support their message or the use of our products in this way. Our products are designed to enhance backyard gatherings and to help family and friends connect with each other at home in their yard.”

The statement went viral on social media because, while it was serious, there’s also something darkly funny about the maker of Tiki torches having to announce that its torches aren’t meant for white nationalist rallies.

In the era of President Trump, consumer products like Tic Tac, Skittles, and Dippin’ Dots, brands that are usually innocuous and almost never need to get political in any way, are being forced to publicly take sides when they find their brand used in a political context.

“Putting themselves in the political crosshairs”

Back in September, during the presidential campaign, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted out a meme that compared a bowl of skittles to Syrian refugees. (He subsequently deleted the tweet; below is a screenshot.)

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The next day, Skittles responded in a public statement: “Skittles are candy. Refugees are people. We don’t feel it’s an appropriate analogy. We will respectfully refrain from further commentary as anything we say could be misinterpreted as marketing.”

And then in October, just before the election, a recording came out of Donald Trump making lewd remarks about women to television host Billy Bush. On that recording, at one point, Trump said, “I’ve got to use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her.”

The negative association was strong enough that Tic Tac felt compelled to issue a statement that not only clarified Tic Tac’s brand beliefs, but appeared to judge Trump himself as well: “Tic Tac respects all women. We find the recent statements and behavior completely inappropriate and unacceptable.”

Tic Tac respects all women. We find the recent statements and behavior completely inappropriate and unacceptable. — Tic Tac USA (@TicTacUSA) October 8, 2016





If you doubt that the internet has become more politically divided than ever before, look no further than these statements, which are, at the same time, both deadpan and dead serious.

Skittles had to remind the public that “Skittles are candy.” Tic Tac said it “respects women.” And Tiki instructed people that its torches are for “backyard gatherings.” (That is: not for neo-Nazi rallies.) It’s almost absurdist.

These statements get the brands a moment in the sun on social media, and they tend to reap a healthy dose of laughs, applause emojis, and amens. (Dippin’ Dots, for example, was aiming squarely for laughs when its CEO wrote an open letter to then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer responding to his tweets about the brand from years ago.)