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?

World Book Day

We love to read! And that's why we're very excited that it's World Book Day! We also love the printed page which is a fantastic excuse to write a post.  Some of us are bigger bookworms than others, but we thought that we'd share with you what we are all reading at the moment:

Owen is a bit of a busy body and is currently reading three books at the same time! The books Owen is reading give you a brilliant insight into his personality. First of all, he likes to learn about, (and drink), beer, so it makes sense that he would be reading Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery. Owen also likes quirky and unusual things so there is no doubt why A History of the World in 100 Objects is right up his street. And finally, as you probably all know, Owen is a graphic designer, therefore his interest in the biography of legend Herb Lubalin, an American designer, is pretty obvious.

Lucy is a big bookworm, she is reading two books at the moment. Because she got so many books for Christmas, (including the Game of Thrones boxset!), she has only just got around to reading Life of Pi, and is refusing to watch the film until she has completed the book! She is also reading The Power, a book about the power of positive thinking.

Annabel and Ross are, quite sensibly, only reading one book each at the moment. Annabel is currently reading The Great Gatsby and Ross is reading a book by Stefan Sagmeister.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Of course a story couldnt be a story without a great narrative, but sometimes you need something more, and that's where illustration takes over. We have worked with some very talented illustrators over the years, especially in the last few weeks on the Doodle Day posts. Below is a great video from the World Book Day website, featuring Chris Riddell and Paul Stewart, an illustrator and a writer, who work together to create fantasy worlds and creatures. They way they work is quite fascinating.


Storycraft, Chris Riddell, Paul Stewart from World Book Day on Vimeo.

Did you know World Book Day is celebrated in over 100 countries, and that the event is now in it's 16th year?! And although the World Book Day is specifically aimed at children, we think you're never too old, or too young to enjoy a good book.

Are you celebrating World Book Day? Or are you enjoying a really good book at the moment? Give us a tweet @ubd_studio.