Rolo, case study

Rolo (pronounced "Roh-loh", referring to the roll-styled candy) is a brand of truncated-cone-shaped or frustum-shaped chocolates with a caramel centre, the shape resembling that of a shallow inverted bucket or tub or a traditional lampshade. They are made by Nestlé, except in the United States where production has been under licence by The Hershey Company since 1969. Of note, the caramel in the American and UK version is thick and chewy, rather than runny, as it is elsewhere.

[edit]History

Rolos were developed in the UK by Mackintosh's,[1] (later Rowntree-Mackintosh), simply a combination of Mackintosh's Toffee and a chocolate coating - the acquisition of Caley's of Norwich had also led to the Quality Street line- they were first sold in 1937.[2]

They were also produced in Norwich until 1994, when all UK production moved to Fawdon in Tyneside, by Nestlé Rowntree. There have now been Rolo biscuits, ice-cream, muffins, birthday cake, desserts, cake bars, doughnuts, mini Rolos, big Rolos, (all of which use the same type of caramel) yogurts and Easter eggs made. In May 2011, McDonald's combined chocolate pieces and caramel sauce with their soft-serve McFlurry product to simulate the Rolo flavour profile in a cross-branded product.

[edit]Advertising

Rolo was advertised for many years with the slogan "Do you love anyone enough to give them your last Rolo?". In 1996 the Rolo ad "Elephant" won the Grand Prix in the section Film Lions at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. This ad was produced by Ammirati Puris Lintas, which now belongs to Lowe Worldwide. In this ad an elephant gets fooled by a young boy and decades later takes revenge, referring to the saying elephants never forget.[3]

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