Kit Kat
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| 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.
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[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 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
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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
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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).
- 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)
- Kit Kat Original — (different taste and texture in different countries)
- Kit Kat Pickled Plum — Japan
- Kit Kat Bubblegum — Japan (made with blue chocolate)
- Kit Kat Rose — Japan
- Kit Kat Lemon Vinegar — Japan
- Kit Kat Fine Dark — UK, Spain & Germany variant of Kit Kat Dark Chocolate
- Kit Kat Cacao 61% — Japan (newer version of Kit Kat Bitter with 61% cocoa content)
- Kit Kat Sakura (Cherry blossom) — Japan —
- Kit Kat Cacao 72% — Japan — dark chocolate petits with 72% cocoa content
- Kit Kat White Creme — US permanent edition (current version of US Kit Kat White made with vegetable oil based candy coating rather than pure white chocolate)
- Kit Kat White — Japan, Spain
- Kit Kat Iced Tea — Japan
- Kit Kat Wasabi — Japan
- Kit Kat Caramel and Salt — Japan
- Kit Kat Cucumber — Japan
- Kit Kat Kinako (soybean flour) — Japan
- Kit Kat Wa Guri (Chestnut flavour) — Japan
- Kit Kat Green Tea (Matcha) — Japan
- Kit Kat Milky White — Germany variant of Kit Kat White Chocolate
- Kit Kat Mint — UK permanent edition, US limited edition (mint flavoured milk chocolate coating)
- Kit Kat Mint Chocolate — Australia (mint green colour wafers)
- Kit Kat Apple — Japan
- Kit Kat Orange — UK permanent edition, US, Japan, Malaysia limited edition.
- Kit Kat International Recipe — Malaysia, Singapore and selected East Asian countries (the chocolate was made from Ghana cocoa beans and thus had the tendency to melt down very easily when compared to Kit Kat Original)
- Kit Kat Café Latte with Hokkaidō Milk — Japan
- Kit Kat Kiwifruit — Japan
- Kit Kat Strawberry — Japan
- Kit Kat Peach — Japan
- Kit Kat Caramac — UK
- Kit Kat Chocolate Overload — Australia (milk chocolate outside, chocolate creme filling and chocolate wafers)
- Kit Kat Gold — Japan — petits with fudge-like covering and dusted cocoa powder on outside
- Kit Kat Noisette (Hazelnut) — Germany
- Kit Kat Lite — India — two finger bar with 50% less sugar
- Kit Kat Carb Alternatives — US (low carbohydrate version with 50% less sugar)
- Kit Kat Low Carb — UK
- Kit Kat Cantaloupe — Japan
- Kit Kat Pineapple — South Africa
- Kit Kat Cappuccino — Poland and UK
- Kit Kat Triple Berry — Japan
- Kit Kat Mango — Japan (made with yellow chocolate)
- Kit Kat Azuki (red bean) — Japan
- Kit Kat Green Grape Muscat — Japan[18]
- Kit Kat Caramel Macchiato — Japan (September 2008)[19]
- Kit Kat Zunda — Japan (only in Yamagata, Miyagi and Fukushima prefecture,mashed edamame beans)
- Kit Kat Beet — Japan (only in Hokkaido prefecture)
- Kit Kat Hascapp (Hokkaido blueberry) — Japan (only in Hokkaido prefecture)
- Kit Kat Soy Sauce — Japan "Tokyo Limited Edition"
- Kit Kat Yakimorokoshi (grilled corn) — Japan (only in Hokkaido prefecture)
- Kit Kat Jyagaimo — Japan (only in Hokkaido prefecture, potato)
- Kit Kat Daigakuimo (candied sweet potato) — Japan
- Kit Kat Pepper: Japan
- Kit Kat Kobe pudding — Japan "Kobe Limited Edition"
- Kit Kat Houjicha (Japanese roasted tea) — Japan
- Kit Kat Kokuto (black sugar) — Japan
- Kit Kat Watermelon and Salt — Japan
- Kit Kat Pumpkin — Japan
- Kit Kat Edamame — Japan
- Kit Kat Banana — Canada
- Kit Kat Lemon Chocolate — Japan (Valentine's limited edition)
- Kit Kat Cookies & Chocolate — Japan
- Kit Kat Cookies PLUS — Japan
- Kit Kat Dark Chocolate — Italy
- Kit Kat White Chocolate — Italy
- Kit Kat Apple Vinegar — Japan
- Kit Kat Veggie — Japan [18]
- Kit Kat Ginger Ale — Japan
- Kit Kat Ramune — Japan
- Kit Kat Cheesecake — Japan
- Kit Kat Blueberry — Japan
- Kit Kat Mixed Juice — Japan
[edit] Large single finger Chunky bars
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- Kit Kat Chunky — UK, Canada, everywhere besides US, Japan, Hong Kong
- Kit Kat Big Kat — Japan and Hershey US version of Chunky
- Kit Kat Big Kat Bitter — Japan
- Kit Kat Black — Turkey (dark chocolate Chunky)
- Kit Kat Big Break — UK (extra large Chunky bar)
- Kit Kat Chunky M.A.X. (Maximum Appetite Xcitement) — Canada (another extra large Chunky bar)
- Kit Kat Chunky White — limited or permanent edition in many different countries
- Kit Kat Cookie Dough — Australia
- Kit Kat Chunky Hazelnut Cream — Germany
- Kit Kat Honeycomb — Australia
- Kit Kat caramel — US version of Kit Kat Chunky Caramel
- Kit Kat Chunky Caramel — Canada, Australia and UK
- Kit Kat Editions Golden Caramel — UK (same as Chunky Caramel)
- Kit Kat Editions Caramel Dream — Germany (another Chunky Caramel)
- Kit Kat Editions Seville Orange; UK
- Kit Kat Peanut butter — UK, Canada, Europe, Australia, (Chunky with peanut butter filling, now discontinued due to lack of demand)
- Kit Kat Editions Tiramisu — UK
- Kit Kat Extra Crispy — US (Chunky with a six layer wafer)
- Kit Kat Strawberry — Australia (raises funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation)
- Kit Kat Cookies n Cream — Australia (released in August 2008)
- Kit Kat Cinnamon — Canada
- Kit Kat Coffee — Canada
- Kit Kat Green Tea — Japan
- Kit Kat Banana — Japan
- Kit Kat Earl Grey tea — Japan
[edit] Other forms and shapes
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- Kit Kat Choc'n'Go — France (box of individually wrapped fingers)
- Kit Kat Choc'n'Go Dark Choco — France (limited edition, dark chocolate coating with caramelised cocoa pieces)
- Kit Kat Delight — Italy
- Kit Kat Family Block — Australia (twelve finger family size bar)
- Kit Kat Family Block Chocolate Overload — Australia
- Kit Kat I-Stick — Japan limited edition (creamy bitter chocolate between wafers and dark chocolate coating, two stick format sold in cooler or freezer section of stores)
- Kit Kat Stick — Japan (box of individually wrapped long Kit Kat fingers)
- Kit Kat Stick Almond — Japan
- Kit Kat Stick Half Bitter — Japan
- Kit Kat Tablet — France (same as Kit Kat Family Block)
- Kit Kat Ball — France (bag of round bite-size pieces)
- Kit Kat Bites — US, Malaysia (similar to Kit Kat ball)
- Kit Kat Little — Japan (newer version of Kit Kat Baby)
- Kit Kat Pop Choc — UK, Germany, Poland, The Netherlands, Sweden (also identical to Kit Kat Ball)
- Kit Kat Kubes — UK (square-shaped miniature pieces)
- Kit Kat Chunky — The Netherlands (bigger size Kit Kat Chunky)
- Kit Kat Senses; Canada, Poland, Saudi Arabia, UK and Ireland (hazelnut praline centered)[20]
- Kit Kat Senses Easter Egg — UK (chocolate egg with a Senses bar)
- Kit Kat Chunky Duo — UK (a little larger than a Kit Kat Chunky King size, and split into two separate bars)
- Kit Kat (Finger size) — Pakistan (almost half the size of a Kit Kat bar)
- Kit Kat Watermelon Minis — Japan[18]
- Kit Kat Black Sugar Minis — Japan[18]
- Kit Kat Cone — Japan, Denmark (ice-cream cone with vanilla ice-cream covered in chocolate with a single Kit Kat stick in the top)
- Kit Kat Caramel Pudding Minis — Japan
- Kit Kat Little with Chili Powder — Japan
[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
- ^ "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."
- ^ Fat profits: Choc tactics, BBC News, 24 March 2004
- ^ Consumers 'snub unhealthy brands', BBC News, 13 December 2003
- ^ Robert Uhlig, Cheesecake Kit Kat? Give us a break, Daily Telegraph, February 19, 2004
- ^ http://www.irn-talkingshop.co.uk/categorymanager/nestlerowntree/nestle%20temp/pressrelease/Lemon%20Yoghurt%20Boosts%20Kit Kat.pdf
- ^ Limited Editions Are Latest Candy Craze, ABC News, July 18, 2005
- ^ Jenn Abelson, Limited-edition candies sweeten the marketplace, Boston Globe, May 2, 2005
- ^ Nestle: Crisis follows crisis at Nestle, Brand Republic, November 16, 2005 (pay)
- ^ [1] Reuters, September 9, 2006 (link now dead)
- ^ Hersheys Product Locator
- ^ Nestlé quiet on Hershey sale, Confectionery News, August 05, 2002
- ^ Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, Possible buyers, seller far apart on Hershey sale, San Francisco Chronicle, August 27, 2002
- ^ Kit Kat slogan dispute sent back to U.K. courts, International Herald Tribune, July 8, 2005
- ^ Slaven Marinovich, Kit Kat barred, Brand Channel, June 6, 2005 issue
- ^ Kat.shtml Kit Kat Crescent, BBC North Yorkshire, January 19, 2005
- ^ Nestle's Kit Kat goes Fairtrade The Telegraph, December 7, 2009
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d http://rinkya.blogspot.com/2009/09/veggie-kit-kat-taste-review.html "Veggie Kit Kat Review.
- ^ 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)
- ^ http://http://www.canadaonly.ca/products/Kit-Kat-Senses.html "Canadian Kit Kat Senses"
- ^ http://kitkat.co.uk/textonly/now/
- ^ http://www.easier.com/view/Lifestyle/Health_and_Fitness/Diet/article-156784.html
- ^ "ITV News Website:Big Brother contest slammed again". http://www.itv.com/news/entertainment_3c26360018cbcc12d9c89259fbfc6132.html. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
[edit] External links
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