Cadbury’s key rebrand aims to maintain its confectionery superstar status

The business of company branding is an exceptionally valuable asset that cannot be underestimated in terms of how consumers perceive a product.

So whenever such change comes to an enterprise, whether large or small, you can be sure plenty of thought has gone into its potential impact into markets around the world, which often have very differing tastes.

On that basis, a rebrand for Cadbury’s chocolate bars, which is the first time in five decades it has been done on a major level, is indeed a significant move amid a competitive landscape within the multi-billion dollar global confectionery sector.

Delivered by the Bulletproof agency, the work on the typography and iconography for Cadbury does indeed stand out from the classic designs that we have been used to for so long. However, it has remained true to the overall spirit of its former guise, which remains at the core of the brand’s identity. Had the creative team strayed too far from such an instantly recognisable formula, then it may have proved a risk not worth taking.

Getting a brand re-design wrong can prove a potentially expensive business indeed, with consumers avoiding a product series if they feel that it doesn’t match their lifestyles, taste or is just plain lacking in appeal. The new designs for Cadbury are certainly eye-catching, and will be hitting shelves first off in Australia next month.

As Bulletproof explained, there was a distinct desire to offer a contemporary feel for the packaging of Cadbury’s bars, including Dairy Milk, while retaining a connection with the British heritage of the brand, which has been one of the UK’s most distinctive exports, which is now under the stewardship of Kraft, which rebranded its confectionery under the banner of Mondelēz International.

The company inherited a product series that is still hugely popular with consumers around the world, with a recent survey highlighting Cadbury’s Dairy Milk as the globe’s most popular chocolate bar.

The brand started by the Birmingham-based Cadbury family, under John Cadbury has a special place in many confectionery fans’ hearts, so maintaining that identity, which has been seen in areas such as its distinctive purple wrapping on its chocolate bars has been of key importance.

It’s also encouraging to see that while the founding family has no direct commercial connection with the business in the 21st century, the great great great grandson of John Cadbury, James Cadbury, is seeing his own brand of chocolate confectionery, Love Cocoa, continue to grow notably well indeed (see our ISM video in which he features last, but by no means least), in which finding his own way with distinctive branding of his own devising has been critical to the company’s development.

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