Cadbury Chocolate Advertisements
Cadbury’s Milk Tray brand of boxed chocolates was first developed in 1915. Cadbury’s Roses line began in the 1930s to compete with the market of 'twist wrap’ assortments. The Crunchie bar – a chocolate-covered honeycomb confectionery – was first introduced by Fry and Sons in 1929. Through a merger with Cadbury, 'Crunchie’ became part of Cadbury’s product range.
Advertisements are a great snapshot of the culture and time in which they were created. In a world already saturated with marketing, advertisers must be informed of, and are often inspired by, the latest cultural references – be they songs, films, fashions or catchphrases. What is of interest in watching these Milk Tray, Roses and Crunchie ads is that each product line is characterised in a slightly different way. Milk Tray and Roses are aligned with romance and relationships, with many of the advertisements centred on couples. The Crunchie ads target a younger audience and the ads are accordingly more vibrant, fun and physical.
The settings and locations for these ads have also changed over the years. In the earlier commercials (such as Cadbury’s Crunchie – 'Exciting Biting’ and Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate – 'Give her Roses’), sets and interiors feature heavily. By the 1960s and ’70s, outdoor locations (such as parks and beaches) are preferred. Another strong feature of the advertisements is their slogans, which associate the chocolate with a desired effect, such as 'when you get a box of Roses, you’ve got yourself a man’.
Titles in this collection
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate – ‘A Little Sign of Love’ c1969
The way that Cadbury advertised its chocolates has changed over the years, but a constant theme of their advertisements is romance.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate – ‘A Milk Tray Day Today’ c1955
These ads persuasively argue that Milk Tray chocolates can transform the everyday into a special occasion, satisfy desires and mend rocky relationships.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate – ‘For All the Different Women You Are’ c1970
The light-hearted, romantic style of earlier Cadbury’s chocolates advertisements stands in marked contrast to the sexy and seductive tone adopted here.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate – ‘Give Her Roses’ 1959
This charming 1950s ad for Cadbury’s chocolates relies on the audience’s familiarity with the style of love song made famous by 1930s French romantic singer Maurice Chevalier.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate – ‘Happiness for Two’ c1960
These three advertisements all use the same jingle and slogan, but take slightly different approaches to promoting Cadbury Milk Tray chocolates.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate – ‘Remember ... Cadbury’s Milk Tray’ c1955
Cadbury’s Milk Tray brand aligns itself with relationships. These two advertisements are about building romance between fledgling couples.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate – ‘You’ve Got Yourself a Man’ c1970
These ads from a Cadbury’s Roses campaign present three slightly different scenarios surrounding romantic relationships. In each, a box of Roses signifies the relationship is serious.
Cadbury’s Crunchie – ‘Exciting Biting’ 1959
From the start, Crunchie has attracted a younger market than Cadbury’s boxed chocolate line, so Crunchie ads like this target youth and appeal to a sense of fun.
Cadbury’s Crunchie – ‘Golden Groovy Beautiful Crunchie’ c1966
This TV commercial conjures up the 1960s par excellence, with a discotheque playing host to a young, groovy couple dancing under a glittering ball and eating Crunchie bars.
Cadbury’s Crunchie – ‘Snap Goes the Crunchie’ c1966
The Crunchie wrapper in this ad shows it to be a Fry’s product and has no reference to 'Cadbury’s Dairy Milk’ at all. As with earlier campaigns, youth and vibrancy are a key part of the message.
