Crumpetcreations: Warburtons accidentally post a hashtag used by a fetish community

They found themselves in quite a furry situation

(Getty Images)

Warburtons has apologised after using a hashtag on social media which is linked to a "furry" community.

When the bakery firm launched a competition with Tom Fletcher that encouraged customers to share photos of themselves eating crumpets, they used the hashtag “#crumpetcreations” to spread the word.

All people had to do was upload a photo of themselves with the accompanying hashtag to be in with a chance of winning VIP tickets to The Christmasaurus Live Shows and prizes signed by Fletcher.

However, unbeknown to the person behind the Warburtons social post, that particular hashtag is used within the “furry” community.

When excited customers clicked the hashtag #crumpetcreations to take a look at competition entries, they probably weren’t expecting the visual results that appeared.

Ash, a 31-year-old woman from Phoenix, Arizona, is a furry and fursuit maker who goes by the handle @crumpetcreations on Instagram.

She explained what the furry community is all about and her reaction to the Warburtons mishap.

"I am in property management and the furry biz is my hobby," she told The Independent. "I along with many other people hand tailor custom costumes for people all over the world.

"We do this for a hobby. It just so happens that we all share one common interest: anthropomorphic animals. Unfortunately, we also share a stigma with that common interest."

She went on to explain how a minority of people within the community wear their fursuits while engaging in sexual activities, but that it is typically frowned upon.

"Simply, we as a community refuse to put up with it. We do not warrant the negative stigma as we already (obviously) get enough of it."

The origin of the hashtag #crumpetcreations came about while Ash was chatting with a British friend.

"The silliest part of the whole ordeal for me is that my personal costume is a goat... named Crumpet," she says. "The name came from a dear friend in the UK who I was skyping with when finishing her design.

"I know what negative PR does to companies and I felt horribly for Warburtons and Tom Fletcher."

Warburtons has since changed the hashtag for their competition, now opting to go with a more family-friendly hashtag instead.

A spokesperson for Warburtons has addressed the social media mishap that took place.

“The world of social media is a wonderful and varied place but this shows just how easy it is to get it wrong!” they told The Independent.

“We will be doing a bit more research next time! We’ve changed the the hashtag and the competition is still on #warburtonschristmascrumpets.”

Many people have found the situation really amusing, with others imploring companies to do more thorough research before launching campaigns.