Annabel's View: European Confectionery Brands- My Sugary Inspiration

The 'Face of Kinder' campaign.

Recently, Kinder launched the new campaign, 'The new face of Kinder' and I've seen it everywhere. The ads use naive and whimsical pencil-drawn-style illustrations and type. It's a great way to get kids and parents actively involved in the brand.

Having had a couple of holidays in Germany, I know how important their confectionery is to them, how the aisles and aisles of chocolate and gummy bears running down the Galeria Kaufhof food hall (large German department store) are much-loved by residents and visitors too.

For inspiration for children's brands and confectionery brands, I often think to those long aisles of colourful packaging and soft sweet scents, and the light-hearted adverts that make us smile.

Haribo and Maoam

One of the most popular German brands is Haribo. I bet we all know their strapline by now. To get some childlike inspiration and a smile on your face, watch the Haribo and Maoam (sub-brand) ads here:



Maoam ads: www.maoam.de/lang/enGB/index.html

Ferrero and Kinder

And for more inspiration watch the Ferrero and Kinder ads here: www.ferrero.co.uk/?IDpagina=1776

To see the New Face of Kinder campaign, with its lovely typography and illustration style, and to enter your little'un: www.faceofkinder.com

Ferrero is currently running two competitions: to design and win your own bike helmet, and to win a family cycling holiday at Centreparks, with its other sub-brand Nutella. The brand is very much about family involvement, which is smart; it's the parents who buy the product.

Ever noticed that the Nutella and the Kinder logos use a similar style? That's brand continuity, the subtlety that lets you know the two brands are connected.

Milka

Another great European brand, founded in Switzerland, is Milka (now owned by Kraft, together with Cadbury's and Oreo), who took their purple cow from the packaging and made it into a purple chocolate icon:

Ritter Sport

And for the adults, who love their continental chocolate, take a look at the clean, fresh and colourful Ritter Sport packaging.

Ritter Sport, founded in 1912, was the first chocolate company to use yoghurt in 1970 – an innovative move, and brave for a small family-owned company; the packaging very much reflects the business.

It's also great of Ritter Sport to put their packaging evolution on the website so we can see how they have evolved over the years:

From my research I gather the museum and factory in Waldenbuch, Germany, or the museum in Berlin, Germany, are very much worth a visit:

Ritter Sport shop at the Waldenbuch factory, credit: www.joetheexplorer.com/

Ritter Sport Museum, Berlin

The chocolatiers can create your own bespoke Ritter Sport bar to take home …or consume on the spot.

Are you hungry yet?