So the Yorkie bar, a chunkier alternative to Cadbury's Dairy Milk, was created. In the 1980's toy lorries (toy trucks) with the Yorkie bar logo were manufactured by Corgi, and television advertisements for the Yorkie bar featured truck drivers. In 2001, the advertisement campaign made this more explicit with the slogan and wrapper tagline "It's not for girls", which caused controversy.
. The Yorkie ad sparked off tons of publicity as Nestle embarked on a campaign to ‘reclaim the sweets’ for men. The TV ads show women attempting to purchase the chunky chocolate bar - but the only way they can do this is by gluing on fake beards, dressing up as builders with hard hats, and swaggering into corner shops asking (in deep, gruff, fake-male voice) for a “Yorkie please.”
. In one ad, the large, bearded, male shopkeeper ‘tests’ the woman to prove she is a man, by quizzing her on stereotypically male questions, thrusting a fake spider in her face to see if she screams, and so on. He finally hands the bar over, but when he tells her the it really highlights the blue in her eyes, she gasps “really?” and he snatches the Yorkie out of her hands and bites off a huge, masculine chunk in one go! LOL!
Nestlé received complaints about this campaign from customers, who found it sexist and distasteful. Special versions for use in Ministry of Defence ration packs read, "It's Not For Civvies". In 2006 a special edition that was for girls was sold, wrapped in pink..
Well, I certainly didn't have any trouble eating it! :) And who doesn't love Cadbury Chocolate? It's the silky smoothness that's addictive to me. Mmm! And just because it was thicker just meant there was more to love as far as I was concerned!. .
So, now you know! Info from Wikipedia and thefword.org.uk. And thanks again, Mr. Toast!
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Fascinating! I was waiting for this one. (I could have looked it up myself, of course, but I wanted to see what you'd do with it.)
ReplyDeleteYUMMY!!!!!!
ReplyDeletethicker just sounds better :)
ReplyDeleteso it is us girls that buy most of the chocolate? I guess guys have something to learn, don't they?
Rhonda ~ exactly! more chocolate is always a good thing, right? :)
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this chocolate bar but I would buy it just because it says it's not for girls. As far as I'm concerned, ALL chocolate is for girls!!! lol
ReplyDeleteSprinkles ~ I agree! One look at that label and I would have taken it as a 'dare'! ha ha.
ReplyDeleteI think THAT was inherent in the ad campaign as well!
ReplyDeleteMy son-in-law came me one of these, with raisins oy, for Christmas and I wasn't quite sure why!!
ReplyDeleteI looooove chocolate...especially THICK chocolate - YOWZA! Thanks for sharing that interesting story.
ReplyDeleteWhat a hoot!
ReplyDeleteha. how cool is that...i have never heard of one...hope it has no nasty side affects on you ...being a woman and all...lol
ReplyDeleteBrian ~ lol...nothing that I noticed! haha.
ReplyDeleteMaybe your next sidebar photo will show you with a mustache and beard?
ReplyDeleteI think facial hair would be something that I would notice! lol. Yes, I'm quite sure of it.
ReplyDeleteWow, that looks like a serious bar.;)Those commercial sound interesting as well.;) Maybe I will try to look for them online.;)
ReplyDeletexoxo
Never been over-fond of Yorkie Bars as the Rowntree chocolate that makes them up (it was Rowntrees that introduced them in the 1980s and were later taken over by Nestle) I have always found inferior to Cadbury's. Just reading Julia Cadbury's fascinating book "The Chocolate Wars" at the moment and one interesting coincidence is that one of the original Cadbury brothers served his apprenticeship working in the Rowntree Grocers' store in York.
ReplyDeleteThat's great! I love creative marketing, & I would love to see one of these!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this one.
I think the ad campaign sounds funny. Too bad people get worked up over such silly things.
ReplyDeleteYea for chocolate in whatever wrapper and form it comes in!
Stevie ~ I agree...I think the ads sound hilarious!
ReplyDeleteGreat story! I rather enjoyed how they advertised the chocolate bar for men. Where is our sense of humor?
ReplyDeleteThat's hilarious!
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with sprinkles, I would have bought it just because it said not for girls. But then, I've always been a bit contrary :)
Birdiee ~ me, too! We DO think alike! ha.
ReplyDeletePLUS+ Yorkshire Tea Rocks!
ReplyDeleteTony ~ yes it does! Had never had it before that box and now it's a favorite! :)
ReplyDeleteYorkie bars are lush!! yummy but I like Cadbury's more. Could be because I live very close to the factory which has recently been shut down by new owners Kraft. All production has been moved to Poland. The factory in Keynsham was built in 1923 and started as Fry's. Such a shame it closed - a major employer in the area. The chair lady at Kraft received a $17 million reward for efficiently closing the business.
ReplyDeleteOh well! I'd better start eating York Bars instead. Cheers ~ Eddie Blue
Eddie ~ that is so interesting! Yes, too bad it closed...you were getting them as fresh as possible! :) I love Cadbury, too...yum.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I thought I knew about all the chocolates..I've not seen this!!! You can bet I'm going to try it out!
ReplyDeleteAs a chocoholic, I can't believe that I never heard of this candy bar before. Dang.
ReplyDeleteLooks good to me!! lol Would love to try it!
ReplyDeleteMmmmmmm, chocolate! ANYTIME! ANYWHERE!
ReplyDeleteThe bar doesn't seem to fit in this politically correct era, but the more 'mansized' the chocolate the better, for men AND women.
ReplyDeletePaul ~ so true...but I think the political correctness has been taken way too far!
ReplyDeleteI'd totally forgotten about the Yorkie Bar I seem to recall truck drivers in an ad. But it's so long since I lived in the UK that I didn't even know if it's still on the market.
ReplyDeleteThe history of English chocolate is fascinating. Birmingham = Cadbury, York = Terrys and Rowntree's - all now sadly taken over by Kraft and Nestle!
i love this .. no I never need any special reasons to indulge!!
ReplyDeleteI think it's silly anyone would take this tongue in cheek advert to heart adn get offended. For goodness sake, it IS funny. Adn fact is, i am quite sure more girls eat it than guys. I actualyl ahd one of those Yorkie trucks come to thin of it. totally forgot until you mentioned that.
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