TV-show tragedy shakes Crock-Pot owner at bad time
This week’s scare over a fictional crockpot fire came at an unfortunate moment for the owner of the CrockPot line, Newell Brands.
A grim financial forecast and strategy shift sent Newell’s stock plunging 21 percent on Thursday — it rebounded 2 percent on Friday — as the company was forced to deal with a PR nightmare sparked by the latest episode of “This Is Us.”
A pivotal scene in the NBC drama suggested that a fire started by a faulty slow cooker killed a main character. Newell acquired Crock-Pot when it bought Jarden Corp. in 2016, and it’s now looking to tamp down safety concerns among the show’s viewers.
The consumer-products giant, which also owns Sharpie pens, Rubbermaid and Mr. Coffee, said the panic is nothing more than a tempest in a Crock-Pot.
“The safety and design of our product renders this type of event nearly impossible,” Newell said Thursday. “Our CrockPot slow cookers are low-current, low-wattage (typically no more than 200 or 300 watts) appliances with self-regulating heating elements.”
Even “This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman sought to allay concerns. The scene depicted a used appliance that wasn’t meant to reflect on current technology, he said.
“Taking a moment to remind everyone that it was a 20-year-old fictional crockpot with an already funky switch? Let’s not just lump all those lovely hardworking crockpots together,” Fogelman posted on Twitter.
As part of the shakeup announced Thursday, Newell is considering selling a suite of brands, including Rawlings and Rubbermaid Outdoors. Three board members also are leaving the Hoboken, New Jerseybased company. Crock-Pot isn’t one of the product lines that Newell said it wants to sell off.
In addition to the bad publicity, Crock-Pot faces other problems. Multipurpose cookers such as Instant Pot, which can pressure-cook and make rice and yogurt, are all the rage. In October, CrockPot announced its own entry into the multicooker category.
Meanwhile, Newell is taking pains not to alienate fans of “This Is Us.” TVshow enthusiasts can be fiercely loyal. “We, too, are heartbroken by the latest development in Jack’s storyline,” the company said.
“The safety and design of our product renders this type of event nearly impossible.”
—Newell Brands