Krispy Kreme
The memo - which was followed by an email "recall" - warned that the new doughnut was so tasty, in testing, some people "fainted due to the euphoria it created," whilst others "dribbled" and "squealed."
"Please note all of the information outlined in this memo is highly confidential and is not to be shared via any form of social media or to be discussed with guests in-store," the email read.
Of course, recipients went straight ahead and tweeted about it:
I think @krispykremeUK market'n dept has done a bo bo @NutellaGlobal #nutella #KrispyKreme if not great market'n pic.twitter.com/zTYZ9jdaBD
- Lee (@leebarfoot) May 5, 2016
Krispy Kreme 'accidentally' sent an internal memo to all their loyal customers revealing a Nutella Doughnut ???? pic.twitter.com/k4rBvc937h
- Superfly Marketing (@hiwearesuperfly) May 5, 2016
And that caused "Krispy Kreme" to trend on Twitter in the United Kingdom on Thursday afternoon:
No, Krispy Kreme didn't send you a 'confidential' email. It's something we call a marketing campaign. pic.twitter.com/r86x6E5k4E
- Victoria India Price (@vipxo) May 5, 2016
lol @ Krispy Kreme's marketing ;) that confidential email and recall was genius
- Jasmin (@jasminmarieb) May 5, 2016
Krispy Kreme's 'accidental' marketing email ???? well done to my clever sibling ??
- Michelle (@MichelleTinnion) May 5, 2016
A Krispy Kreme spokesperson sent Business Insider this statement:
Krispy Kreme would like to apologise for sharing the news of our new doughnut in this way. This email was meant to be sent out to all of the store managers to prepare them for the launch of our limited edition Nutty Chocolatta doughnut filled with NUTELLA® hazelnut spread with cocoa.
Krispy Kreme remains committed to serving our customers' needs and we strive to prepare our staff for any enquiries we may receive around any new campaigns. We are delighted with the reactions we have received so far.
The spokesperson also attached a detailed press release about the new product and a launch event, which takes place in London next Monday and will see the brand create an ATM-style hole-in-the-wall that dispenses doughnuts.
We asked the spokesperson, who works for Krispy Kreme's PR agency, whether the "leak" was deliberate, as everything appeared to fall into place pretty conveniently. They responded: "We understand that it's a leak."