Lily Robinson wrote a letter seeking an answer to a question that bothered her for ages, and for a 3-year-old, that was saying something. Whenever Lily spotted Sainsbury’s Supermarkets famous tiger bread, something just didn’t sit well with her, and she couldn’t let it go. The popular bread from the U.K. supermarket chain has a distinctive pattern, and as far as young Lily could tell, it didn’t resemble a tiger. Not one bit.
Nothing Like A Tiger
When one of her parents pulled out a loaf of tiger bread at mealtime, Lily’s sense of justice was triggered. How could Sainsbury’s think this loaf with its distinctive crackled top looked even remotely tiger-like?
Seeking Answers
So, after Lily’s repeated questions about the seemingly inaccurately named tiger bread, her parents suggested she write to the supermarket for answers. They helped set her up on the computer to oversee the process, but really, the content was all Lily.
The Important Questions
“Dear Sainsssssssssssssssssssbbbbbbbbbbbburyyys,” Lily began. “Why is tiger bread c/alled tiger bread? It should be c/alled giraffe bread. Love from Lily Robinson age 3 ½.” For good measure, she closed with two drawings: a tiger and her imaginary dog Beaky.
Small Expectations
Lily’s parents helped her mail the letter, fostering her curiosity in this simple-sweet way. Maybe the store would write back? Either way, they didn’t think much about what would happen as a result of their daughter’s charming correspondence.
Letter Arrives
Several days later, Lily’s envelope arrived at Sainsbury’s Supermarkets where it came across the desk of customer manager Chris King. Of all the mail that reached his desk, Lily’s letter really stood out.
Lily’s Good Point
King felt Lily’s inquiry, while adorable, also made a fair point. He quickly worked out his response. “It is called tiger bread because the first baker who made it a looong time ago thought it looked stripey like a tiger. Maybe they were a bit silly.”
A Worthy Response
He continued, “I think renaming tiger bread giraffe bread is a brilliant idea – it looks much more like the blotches on a giraffe than the stripes on a tiger, doesn’t it?” Then, he signed his return “Chris King (age 27 & 1/3).”
Smally Reward
Rather amused, King enclosed a small gift card for Lily to treat herself to something the next time she visited Sainsbury’s. In his eyes, any kid proactive enough to seek answers like that deserved a reply, and so, he sent his off.
Pint-Sized Results
Shortly after, Lily and her family received Chris King’s reply and were appropriately delighted. Not only did she have the agreement of an adult professional, but her curiosity paid off in the form of a £3 gift card.
Going Viral
Lily’s mom Lucy posted about her daughter’s good-natured exchange with the guy from Sainsbury’s on her personal blog. The family also shared it on Facebook where it was an instant hit. Subsequently, Lily’s tiger bread letter was posted on Twitter and went viral.
Sainsbury’s Takes Note
It garnered a lot of attention for Sainsbury’s Supermarkets, who appreciatively took Lily’s suggestion to heart. They commented on the viral letter, “We take all our customers’ feedback very seriously but our employees can have some fun occasionally.”
Big Announcement
In fact, Sainsbury’s rode the good press wave, following it up with a big announcement. They’d taken Lily’s suggestion to heart and decided to rename tiger bread as giraffe bread! In their statement, they thanked her “for helping us see the spots for what they are.”
Public Scrutiny
Some doubted the legitimacy of the whole Lily and Sainsbury dynamic, calling it an engineered PR stunt. Lucy squashed those theories on her blog. While it might be unusual to think of a three-year-old as so sharp and inquisitive, that’s just Lily’s nature.
Lily Makes Change
While her family remains cautious of becoming an exploitive feel-good story, it was fun for Lily to see the result of her action on store shelves. “She was so excited and couldn’t stop giggling in the car after that,” Lucy wrote in her blog.
Spreading The Good
Lily decided to let this jewel of a branding idea go for free. However, her parents encouraged appreciative fans to do some tangible good by donating to the Disasters Emergency Committee charities “to help feed starving children who do not have bread to eat.”
Message For Lily
Chris King told HuffPost UK, “I feel great for Lily, imagine being that age and learning to read then seeing how big an impact your letter has made. I’m sure her family is very proud.”
Unexpected Attention
In response to the praise he received, he said, “It’s great to know that it’s put a smile on so many people’s faces, it was just a daft wee thing I did as I wanted to make sure this wee girl, who’d done brilliantly typing up her letter, got a nice reply.”
New Beginnings
Since his charming correspondence with Lily, Chris King took his life in a new direction. Representatives from Sainsbury’s told the BBC that he’s no longer is with the company. He coincidentally left to pursue a career as a primary school teacher.
Lily’s Future
Whether Lily intends to continue down the path of becoming a budding Peggy Olson marketing genius, remains to be seen. Her parents decided they would hang up their letter-writing quills in their house to remain out of the limelight.
