I flip it over and there is a sticker on it saying it is a product of England. I take it home and make my way to the UK version of Nestle's web site.
I read about Yorkie. The original concept was to market this as a man's chocolate bar, due to its size and volume. The tag line in the ad was "men don't have much to claim for themselves anymore" and the candy is "too big for a woman to handle."
Puleeze - I ate the original Chunky as a kid. That, my friend, was a hunk of chocolate. I can't speak for the modern version but back in the day there were actual raisins and peanuts surrounded by chocolate worthy of clamping down on full force. With real sugar too! I take off the U.S. nutrition label.
Oh my. Now I'm a bird. I hear the murmurs drifting in from talk radio; something like “Damn it is just a joke, can't you women lighten up?”
To be fair, the company has altered the advertising - or that what is implied on the web page. It is now being marketed as a way to satisfy hunger. Man size hunger, I'm figuring. A hunger that does not involve women. Not that is different from the usual marketing towards men folk.
What I want to know is what don't men have left to claim for themselves any more? The remote? I got my own, I don't need yours. Sports? Have at it fellas, I'm truly not interested unless there is a good story. I don't have cable and even if I did I will not be watching ESPN and dang sure not Fox Sports Network.
Hummers? either the automobile or the other kind? Which last I heard (unless you are in the 10% club) you still need a woman. Or some kind of suction device.
I put this out to the group mind because surely Nestle UK is not implying that equal access to employment, education, recreation and participation in society is something that was taken away from men. I could be wrong but let's keep an open mind.
Market Research.com - If you are interested in male specific branding (ouch!) for $295 you can buy a 14 page report on how the brand was revamped, tongue in check advertising (probably how far can you go without ticking the birds off) and gender branding in food and drinks.
Yorkie's Nestle's Web page:
http://www.nestle.co.uk/OurBrands/AboutOurBrands/ConfectioneryAndCakes/Yorkie.htm
yes please tell me what has been taken away from men that they need a candy bar that is 'not for women'. because i really can't think of anything that men no longer have because of women's rights... WTF Nestle. if it were not gender but race or religion there might be a greater call to arms. "Yorkie, not for wimpy Jews". There would be a problem with that. but dissing women, hey that's just plain funny!
ReplyDeleteThey actually make several kinds of Yorkie. I just saw one at the store yesterday that had raisins and something else in it...
ReplyDeletewow anonymous they still do a raisin and biscuit Yorkie, I haven't seen those for years, they used to be my favourite. However, this is what is called quirky Ironic British Humor Via Marketing, Judging by figures, nestle, the owners of the now defunked Rowntree's company and possibly no relation to the CHUNKY BAR mentioned, who invented this hunky chocolate bar in the late 1970's aiming it at the macho, truck driving end of the market. ITS NOT FOR GIRLS basically means women on the whole don't buy the chocolate bar, favouring other brands and manufacturers, its also like saying girl's don't drink pints, but some do but on the whole they don't. Reactionary is good, but only do this when and if you have all the facts.
ReplyDeletePS still love you dearly.
YORKIE IT'S NOT FOR GIRLS seems to have hit the east coast too. I am aware of the origins of the advertising campaigan and see no humor in discrimination as a means to sell a product. My sentiments are with Ryanne - no one uses religous or racial discrimination to sell a product - how did gender discrimination become ok? When I approached my local grocery store manager (the A&P) about yanking this product from the shelves, he did not even understand why I was offended by Yorkie until I pointed out to him that if it said "Not for Puerto Ricans", he would not carry it. After he stopped screaming at me for personally insulting him (he is of Puerto Rican heritage), he began to understand & pulled it off the shelves. I have asked everyone I know to speak to their local merchants if they see the product in the stores to get them to take it off the shelves. I have written to the A&P parent company asking them to explain their discrimination policy to me - no answer has arrived. I am not buying Nestle products. I would encourage everyone coast to coast to take action, small or large to get rid of this product and take a stand against discrimination.
ReplyDeleteOh grow up. It's a joke. If you don't like it, don't buy it.
DeleteWow Stephanie you have taken me back to the prior century. I used to shop at the A&P and Acme. I commend your actions. I had no idea Nestles was trying to move the product into the States. That is kinda scary.
ReplyDeleteThe beloved 99Cents Only store buys excess merchandise or test products from food producers. I just thought that they got a hold of an shipment that was destined for a foreign port but had to be off loaded in California. I haven't seen them in the 99Cents Only store since I first saw them.
I liked how you approached the manager, insert the ethnic group of your choice to raise consciousness. When I get some time I'll check out the Nestle US site. I can't believe somebody would try to move that ad campaign over here. I'm not saying don't sell the candy but not in that wrapper and certainly not with the message that men have been deprived of everything but a choice of candy bar.
Godness gracious me. Stand up for women by taking chocolate bars off the shelf...I meant it's not exactly the vote, or a right to eductaion. Sure its a bit childlike, but it's a joke! Y'know, one of those funny things that can end with a gurgling happy sound or just a small smile - your choice. I guess the problem is that many jokes offend someone, but once everyone has had their rights maintained, no-one has the right to do anything.
ReplyDeleteyou bints will always find something to moan about
ReplyDeleteget back in the kitchen and make my dinner
Nestle has made it clear in their television adverts that their point is not that "men have been deprived of everything but a choice of candy bar," as Gena has suggested, but that chocolate in general has been marketed almost completely to women. The 'not for girls' is merely being sarcastic about that by marketing some chocolate to men.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Colin. There is no advertising campaign that I know of for Yorkie in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that there will be a TV commercial as we are a little touchy at the moment. I do not mean politically correct touchy but gender language inclusion and exclusion touchy.
Still haven't eaten it yet. Maybe when the next quake hits or something traumatic that I need a dose of chocolate.
I have to say that the Yorkie "It's not for girls" ad is one hell of a funny commerical. Regardless of the premise of a chocolate bar for men only.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like I completely missed the outbreak of this as I am a few years late but it was linked somewhere and I checked it out.
ReplyDeleteI don't it's fair to say that chocolate is advertised exclusively to women. The Snickers Feast commercials? They're very man-heavy and send out a very similar message as far as "man-hunger" but do it subtlely.
Gosh, it's just a marketing gimmick; nothing more! I'm sure a candy bar marketed just toward wymyn, by a wymyn's collective, wouldn't bother you at all, would it, now?
ReplyDeleteSheesh!
i saw one last week for the first time. i am female, thought the "not for girls" slogan was silly, but i didnt care. i ate it! that's what you do with chocolate. simple as that. so what if it is targeted towards men? plenty of things are targeted towards just women and you don't hear men complaining!
ReplyDeleteOh, honey - I know some men who complain all of the time. Not about being gender exploited for profit but name a topic and they, the men folk, have been wounded.
ReplyDeleteSince writing this post a few years ago there have been chocolate bars targeted to women. Come to think of it there have always been chocolate bars targeted to women. They have come and gone cuz the chocolate wasn't any good.
Candy bars that have 3% chocolate is not good enough. I have moved on to the kind of chocolate that is measured in cacao content.
I'm spoiled. I can't eat the cheap stuff. Well, I do but I am not as happy as when I bit into a 70% cacao bit of chocolate. No fluff, no HFCs just pure rub my pleasure zone of cacao.
I do not hate men. I had bad, lazy advertising. I will always gripe about ads that suck.
I just bought one of these at the world market because thought it'd be funny....who cares if it's not for girls, I tried it anyways. And I tell ya what, you men can keep it, it was horrible haha.
ReplyDeleteBut to previous comments, yes it's too late for complaining, it's already made it to the states.