SWITZERLAND -American multinational confectionery giant, Mondelez, has revamped its Toblerone chocolate brand, the chocolate bar known for its distinctive triangular peaks, after falling afoul of strict marketing rules in Switzerland.
Under the “Swissness” legislation, which came into force in Switzerland in 2017, businesses have to show their products are sufficiently “Swiss” to claim that label — which has long been associated with prestige products such as Swiss watches.
In addition, national symbols are not allowed to be used to promote milk-based products that are not made exclusively in Switzerland.
To qualify for Swiss-made labeling, food products must get at least 80 percent of their raw materials from Switzerland — or 100 percent in the case of milk and dairy products. Cocoa is an exception because it falls into the category of natural items that cannot be produced locally.
Studies have shown that certain products branded as “made in Switzerland” sell at a price 20% higher than comparable goods from other origins, with the sale price rising by up to 50% for luxury items.
The new chocolate bar wrappers will now feature a generic mountain design instead of the 4,478m (14,692 ft) Matterhorn Mountain from its logo.
“The packaging redesign introduces a modernized and streamlined mountain logo that aligns with the geometric and triangular aesthetic,” a Mondelez spokesperson told the Swiss newspaper Aargauer Zeitung.
Toblerone’s distinctively shaped boxes will also be changed to read: “Established in Switzerland,” rather than “of Switzerland.”
Toblerone, the mountain-shaped chocolate made from Swiss milk with honey and almond nougat, first went on sale in 1908 in Bern, the capital city of Switzerland.
It was not until 1970 that the Matterhorn’s jagged silhouette debuted on its packaging, with the Bernese bear and eagle featuring before then, according to the Toblerone website.
The chocolate bar owner has decided to shift some production to the Slovakian capital of Bratislava, where it also produces the Milka chocolate brand originally made in Switzerland, at the end of this year.
In a statement to the BBC, Mondelez said it was moving some production outside of the country to “respond to increased demand worldwide and to grow our Toblerone brand for the future.”
It is not the first time Toblerone’s iconic peaks have sparked a heated political debate. In 2016, the British government was asked to explain why Mondelez had widened the spacing between the chocolate and nougat peaks.
The reduction in the weight of the bars from 170g to 150g was long-planned and due to the rising price of some ingredients, the company said at the time. A year later, Mondelēz also reduced the weight of Toblerone bars sold in Germany, with the number of triangular peaks down to 11 from 15.
Such “controversies” guaranteed Toblerone a run of free marketing, with sales reportedly rising despite supposed outrage among customers. The bar reverted to its original shape in 2018.
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