Kit Kat

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Kit Kat
International KitKat logo
Type Confectionery
Owner Nestlé
Country Switzerland
Introduced 1935
Markets World
Website Kit Kat

A Kit Kat is a confection which was first created by Rowntree's of York, England, and now produced worldwide by Nestlé, which acquired Rowntree in 1988,[1] except in the United States where it is made under licence by The Hershey Company. Each bar consists of fingers composed of three layers of crème-filled wafer, covered in an outer layer of chocolate. Each finger can be snapped from the bar one at a time.

Contents

[edit] Global confection

Kit Kat bars are produced in 17 countries by Nestlé: UK, Egypt, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Algeria, South Africa, Germany, Japan, China, Malaysia, India, Turkey, Venezuela, Spain, Mexico and Bulgaria.

Kit Kat bars in the United States are produced under licence by The Hershey Company, a Nestlé competitor, due to a prior licensing agreement with Rowntree.

The year 2003 was a turning point for the Kit Kat bar as well as the confectionery industry in general. The popularity of low carb diets and the push to healthier eating stifled sales growth in many parts of the world. In addition, fierce competition from Cadbury's newly formed Dairy Milk superbrand also contributed to sales of the Kit Kat decreasing considerably in its home market of the UK, and threatened to depose it from its #1 position.[2][3] The solution adopted by Nestlé and others was to increase dramatically the number of new and unique variations of their confections and market them as limited or special editions, whereby they would usually only be available for a few months at a time so as not to impact the sales of their permanent edition counterparts.[4] The strategy initially reversed the decline of the Kit Kat[5] and has been adopted worldwide by Nestlé, Hershey, Mars and others with similar success.[6][7]

This has resulted in many new flavours and varieties of the Kit Kat and other confections appearing globally since then. While some flavours have been hits, many have flopped, alienating some consumers in the process, causing Nestlé to scale back on new releases.[citation needed]

In late 2005, Chris White, the managing director of Nestlé Rowntree abruptly left his job amid controversy that his marketing strategies may in fact have had a negative impact on Kit Kat and confection sales in the long term.[8] Also, in September 2006 Nestlé announced they were eliminating 25% of their workforce in York and moving production of Smarties to Germany. One of the reasons given for the cuts and moves was so the York factory could be modernised for Kit Kat production to continue.[9]

As dark chocolate has seen increased demand and favour worldwide because of its purported health benefits, September 2006 saw the launch of the four-finger Kit Kat Fine Dark in the UK as a permanent edition, as well as new packaging for the entire brand.[citation needed] Hershey had sold the four-finger Kit Kat Dark in the US several years previously as a limited edition, and has begun doing so again.[10]

Nestle now manufactures two finger Kit Kats with natural flavourings, and for the first time, Kit Kats in this format are suitable for vegetarians. It is not known at this date whether or not other varieties will follow suit.

[edit] Brand name and appearance

The traditional red wrapper of the original bar briefly became blue between 1945 - 1947. As a result of milk shortages after the end of World War II, the milk chocolate coating was suspended and a dark chocolate was used instead during that period.

In the UK, Nestlé has confirmed that the correct spelling of the brand name is KIT KAT.[citation needed]

The United States version of the logo.

The Hershey Company has a licence to produce Kit Kat bars in the United States which dates from 1969, when Hershey executed a licensing agreement for both the Kit Kat and the Rolo with Rowntree. Nestlé, which has a substantial presence in the US, had to honour the licensing agreement which allows Hershey to retain the Kit Kat / Rolo licence so long as Hershey is not sold. This was a factor in Hershey's failed attempt to attract a serious buyer in 2002.[11][12]

Hershey's Kit Kat packaging and advertising in the USA has differed from the branding used in every other country where it is sold, although in 2002 Hershey Kit Kats finally started to adopt the slanted ellipse logo used worldwide by Nestlé (though the ellipse is red and the text is white, rather than the other way around). It is possible to purchase the (imported) Nestle version of the Kit Kat Chunky in various specialty shops in the US.

In Norway, a similar product is manufactured by Kraft Foods and sold as Kvikk Lunsj; Kvikk Lunsj XXL is similar to a Kit Kat Chunky.

[edit] Marketing and promotion

After launching in the 1930s, Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp was originally advertised as "the biggest little meal" and "the best companion to a cup of tea". During the Second World War, Kit Kat was depicted as a valuable wartime foodstuff, with the slogan "what active people need". 'Kitty the Kat' arrived in the late 1940s to emphasise the "rich full cream milk" qualities of the bar and, thanks to contemporary improvements in production methods, also highlighted the new and improved 'snap' by responding to a biscuit being broken off screen. The first Kit Kat poster appeared in 1951, and the first colour TV advertisement appeared in 1969.

Since 1957, the slogan for the Kit Kat in the UK and elsewhere has been "Have a break... have a Kit Kat". However, in 1995, Nestlé sought to trademark the "Have a break" portion. After a ten year legal battle, which was contested by rival Mars, the European Court of Justice ruled on July 7, 2005 to send the case back to the British Courts.[13]

In the meantime, Nestlé UK changed the slogan in 2004 to "Make the most of your break".[14] The new slogan was not embraced outside of the UK and recently Nestlé Rowntree has returned to using the original slogan.

The "classic" American version of the "Gimme a Break" Kit Kat jingle (in use in the US since 1986) was written by Ken Shuldman (lyrics) and Michael A. Levine (music) for the DDB Advertising Agency. Versions of the original have been covered by Carrie Underwood, Shawn Colvin, and many studio singers, as well as people who have appeared on-camera in the commercials. The jingle was cited in a study by University of Cincinnati researcher James A. Kellaris as one of the top ten "earworms" - bits of melody that become stuck in your head. Another version of the advertising jingle 'Gimme a break' created for Kit Kat "Factory" commercial in the USA was an original recording by Andrew W.K. W.K. was hired to write a new musical version for their "Gimme a break" slogan. Variations on the Andrew W.K. advertisement included executive dance routines in corporate offices, and a network news room. However, the "classic" song has also been used again since the newer version first aired in 2004.

A 1989 advertisement for Kit Kat, in which a giant panda in a zoo "takes a break", came in 30th in Channel 4's "100 Greatest Adverts" poll in 2000. Another memorable 1980s UK TV advert for Kit Kat featured a music mogul auditioning a new band, ending with the line "You can't sing, you can't play, you look awful" (Pause) "You'll go a long way."

KitKash is one of the most recent Kit Kat promotions by Nestlé. The original promotion was created by Euro RSCG Sydney creative director Wayne Hazell, art director James Gali Barrow and designer Brett Gosper. Premiering in Australia and New Zealand in 2004, each Kit Kat wrapper contained a unique code inside. A winning code was potentially worth $20, $50, $100 or even $10,000. In 2005, the UK's KitKash involved registering an account on the KitKash website and accumulating the codes which each had a point value; points are used to buy, bid or win products on the site. In 2006, KitKash has been expanded in the UK to include KitKash points in many of Nestlé's other confections, as well as spread to Germany (ChocoCash) and France (Kit Kat Kode). USA Kit Kats are also part of the action thanks to Hershey (WrapperCash). In 2008, KIT KASH debuted in Canada with a new twist—the opportunity to instantly win $1 Million if a user found the winning wrapper with unique code, and entered it online to verify. Consumers also received 100 KIT KA$H Dollars that they could use to buy entries in weekly cash draws for $100. The contest is back for 2010 in Canada with over 6 versions of KIT KAT participating and the same mechanics: Instantly win $1 Million or enter to win $100 cash prizes weekly.

In late 2004 through to the end of 2006, Nestlé Rowntree sponsored York City F.C.. As a result the club's home-ground, Bootham Crescent, was renamed to KitKat Crescent.[15]

[edit] Fairtrade

In December 2009, it was announced that the four finger variety of Kit Kat would use Fairtrade chocolate (at least in Britain and Ireland) from January 2010.[16] It has also been announced that the fair trade Kit Kat promotion will be extended to the finger edition as of January 2010.[17]

[edit] Varieties

Many varieties of Kit Kat have existed, either temporarily or permanently: There are often country-specific limited edition bars (not listed). (listed by primary market or origin)

The Kit Kat Orange was the first flavour variant. It was introduced in the UK in 1996, followed in 1997 by the Kit Kat Dark and Kit Kat Mint.[citation needed] As of 2008, all three are available as permanent editions in the UK in two finger multipacks, along with the Kit Kat Original and Kit Kat White.

A wide variety of promotional items exist, ranging from the obvious (such as mugs, pens, oven gloves and tea-towels) to the somewhat less obvious (such as Kit Kat coats for small dogs). Recently in Japan, Kit Kats have come packaged with CD singles and a special limited edition double pack of Kit Kat Crispy Monogatari came bundled with a mini book featuring six short stories, one of which is written by Koji Suzuki, author of the Ring cycle series of books. The brand is often declined into special edition products in different markets to commemorate festivals such as St. Valentine's Day.

Kit Kat Japan also has unique "Regional" variations such as a mango-flavoured Kit Kat available only in Kyushu and Okinawa.

Kit Kat is also available in jars that are dispensed from vending machines in Japan.

[edit] Standard finger bars

The standard finger bars include mini single fingers (petits or miniatures), two finger mini bars, four (or three) finger standard bars, and "king size" bars (five to eight fingers).

A UK standard 2 finger bar in 2008 packaging
Japanese matcha-flavoured Kit Kat.

[edit] Large single finger Chunky bars

Kit Kat Chunky
Kit Kat Chunky and Kit Kat Chunky Peanut Butter, as sold in the UK (September 2006)
Earl Grey tea Kit Kat from Japan

[edit] Other forms and shapes

[edit] Ingredients

Original Kit Kat ingredients unless otherwise stated, listed by decreasing weight:

[edit] UK

Milk chocolate (66%) (sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, dried skimmed milk, whey powder, butterfat, vegetable fat, lactose, emulsifier (soya lecithin), flavouring), wheat flour, sugar, vegetable fat, cocoa mass, yeast, raising agent (sodium bicarbonate), salt, calcium sulphate (a.k.a food-grade gypsum), flavouring. In 2006, the UK four-finger Kit Kat contained 233 dietary calories (kcal) (975 kilojoules). In 2009, the two-finger Kit Kat contained 107 calories[21] [22].

[edit] Golden ticket draw

During the first three weeks of Big Brother Series 7, Channel 4 conducted a promotion in conjunction with Nestle to distribute 100 "golden tickets" randomly throughout Kit Kat biscuits, in a style reminiscent of the story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Members of the public finding these tickets were permitted to use them to give themselves a chance to become a Big Brother housemate and bypass the standard auditions process.

Golden ticket holders were invited to a television show where one of them, Susie Verrico, was chosen to enter the House by Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace, picking a ball out of a machine at random.

This contest caused some controversy, with the Advertising Standards Authority saying that the terms and conditions of the draw should have been made clearer in related advertisements, and that an independent adjudicator should have been present before and during the draw.[23]

[edit] USA

Hershey's Kit Kat Crisp Wafers In Chocolate [1 oz] Sugar, Flour, Cocoa Butter, Milk Non-Fat, Chocolate, Palm Kernel Oil Refined, Lactose, Milk Fat, Contains 2% or less Soya Lecithin, PGPR, Emulsifiers, Yeast, Sodium Bicarbonate, Vanillin, Flavor(s) Artificial

[edit] Canada

Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Modified Milk Ingredients, Cocoa Butter, Unsweetened Chocolate, Lactose, Soya Lecithin, Polyglycerol Polyricnoleate, Artificial Flavour), Wheat Flour, Sugar, Modified Palm Oil, Unsweetened Chocolate or Cocoa Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate, Soya Lecithin, Artificial Flavour. May contain Salt and Yeast, Kit Kat Creamier Chocolate* (Chocolat Plus Onctueux*), (Special limited time offer in Canada), (*Creamier compared to Original Kit Kat, *Onctueux par rapport a celui de la Kit Kat Originale)

[edit] Dark form

Dark Chocolate (Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milk Ingredients, Soya Lecithin, Salt, Artificial Flavour), Wheat Flour, Sugar, Modified Palm Oil, Unsweetened Chocolate or Cocoa Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate, Soya Lecithin, Artificial Flavour. May contain Salt and/or Yeast.

[edit] Asia

Nestlé have factories in various locations in mainland China, to supply to China and Hong Kong. The Chinese version of the Kit Kat is sold in a plastic bag due to the humid weather in the region.[citation needed] The flavour is slightly different from that of UK's foil-wrap version.[clarification needed] During the 2008 Chinese milk scandal, where melamine was found to have tainted some milk suppliers in China, importers in Hong Kong chose to import British versions of the chocolate bar.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Nestle UK Website- History of Rowntree". http://www.nestle.co.uk/OurBrands/AboutOurBrands/ConfectioneryAndCakes/History+of+Rowntree.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-04. "1988 - Nestlé SA buys Rowntree plc." 
  2. ^ Fat profits: Choc tactics, BBC News, 24 March 2004
  3. ^ Consumers 'snub unhealthy brands', BBC News, 13 December 2003
  4. ^ Robert Uhlig, Cheesecake Kit Kat? Give us a break, Daily Telegraph, February 19, 2004
  5. ^ http://www.irn-talkingshop.co.uk/categorymanager/nestlerowntree/nestle%20temp/pressrelease/Lemon%20Yoghurt%20Boosts%20Kit Kat.pdf
  6. ^ Limited Editions Are Latest Candy Craze, ABC News, July 18, 2005
  7. ^ Jenn Abelson, Limited-edition candies sweeten the marketplace, Boston Globe, May 2, 2005
  8. ^ Nestle: Crisis follows crisis at Nestle, Brand Republic, November 16, 2005 (pay)
  9. ^ [1] Reuters, September 9, 2006 (link now dead)
  10. ^ Hersheys Product Locator
  11. ^ Nestlé quiet on Hershey sale, Confectionery News, August 05, 2002
  12. ^ Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, Possible buyers, seller far apart on Hershey sale, San Francisco Chronicle, August 27, 2002
  13. ^ Kit Kat slogan dispute sent back to U.K. courts, International Herald Tribune, July 8, 2005
  14. ^ Slaven Marinovich, Kit Kat barred, Brand Channel, June 6, 2005 issue
  15. ^ Kat.shtml Kit Kat Crescent, BBC North Yorkshire, January 19, 2005
  16. ^ Nestle's Kit Kat goes Fairtrade The Telegraph, December 7, 2009
  17. ^ Chambers, Andrew (12 Dec 2009). "Not so fair trade". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/dec/12/fair-trade-fairtrade-kitkat-farmers. Retrieved 1 Jun 2010. 
  18. ^ a b c d http://rinkya.blogspot.com/2009/09/veggie-kit-kat-taste-review.html "Veggie Kit Kat Review.
  19. ^ Kat/limited/kk_caramel_mac.html "ネスレ キットカットキャラメルマキアート味". Retrieved 7 October 2008. (Japanese)
  20. ^ http://http://www.canadaonly.ca/products/Kit-Kat-Senses.html "Canadian Kit Kat Senses"
  21. ^ http://kitkat.co.uk/textonly/now/
  22. ^ http://www.easier.com/view/Lifestyle/Health_and_Fitness/Diet/article-156784.html
  23. ^ "ITV News Website:Big Brother contest slammed again". http://www.itv.com/news/entertainment_3c26360018cbcc12d9c89259fbfc6132.html. Retrieved 2006-10-11. 

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