Kit Kat

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For other uses, see Kit Kat (disambiguation).

Kit Kat

International Kit Kat logo

United States Kit Kat logo

4-fingered Kit Kat split in half

Product type Confectionery

Owner Nestlé

Hershey (US licensee)

Country United Kingdom

Introduced 29 August 1935; 85 years ago

Markets Worldwide

Previous Rowntree (1935–1988)
 owners

Tagline "Have a break...Have a Kit Kat!"

(Worldwide)

"Gimme a break, Gimme a break, Break me off a

piece of that Kit Kat Bar!", "Break time, anytime"

(US only)

Website kitkat.com

Kit Kat is a chocolate-covered wafer bar confection produced globally by Nestlé, except

in the United States, where it is made under license by the H. B. Reese Candy
Company, a division of the Hershey Company. Kit Kat was created
by Rowntree's of York, United Kingdom, which was acquired by Nestlé in 1988. [1]
The standard bars consist of two or four pieces composed of three layers of wafer,
separated and covered by an outer layer of chocolate. Each finger can be snapped from
the bar separately. There are many flavours of Kit Kat, including milk, white, and dark
chocolate.
The original four-finger version of the bar was developed after a worker at Rowntree's
York factory put a suggestion in the recommendation box for 'a chocolate bar that a
man could take to work in his pack up'.[2] It was launched in September 1935 in the UK
as Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp, and the later two-finger version was launched in 1936.
It was renamed Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp in 1937, and just Kit Kat after World War II.
Since 1957, the slogan for the Kit Kat in the UK and elsewhere has been "Have a
break... have a Kit Kat".[3] Since 1986 in the U.S., the jingle used in television
advertisements has been "Gimme a break, gimme a break....break me off a piece of
that Kit Kat bar."[4]

Contents

 1History
 2Global confection
 3Design
 4Marketing and promotion
o 4.1Advertising
o 4.2Association with Android
o 4.3Fairtrade
o 4.4Golden ticket draw
 5Varieties
o 5.1Flavours
o 5.2Forms
 6Chocolatory
 7Criticism and controversy
 8Ingredients
o 8.1Europe
o 8.2United States
o 8.3Canada
o 8.4Asia
 9See also
 10References
 11External links

History[edit]
Use of the name Kit Kat or Kit Cat for a type of food goes back to the 18th century,
when mutton pies known as a Kit Kat were served at meetings of the political Kit-Cat
Club in London owned by pastry chef Christopher Catling. [5]
The origins of what is now known as the Kit Kat brand go back to 1911,
when Rowntree's, a confectionery company based in York, trademarked the terms Kit
Cat and Kit Kat. The names were not used immediately and Kit Kat first appeared in the
1920s, when Rowntree's launched a brand of boxed chocolates entitled Kit Cat. This
continued into the 1930s, when Rowntree's shifted focus and production onto its Black
Magic and Dairy Box brands. With the promotion of alternative products, the Kit Cat
brand decreased and was eventually discontinued. [6] The original four-finger bar was
developed after a worker at Rowntree's York Factory put a suggestion in a
recommendation box for a snack that "a man could take to work in his pack". [7] The bar
launched on 29 August 1935, under the title of Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp (priced at
2d), and was sold in London and throughout southern England. [8]
Exhibit of British foods in the 1940s during World War II. Pictured in wartime packaging, the Kit Kat adopted its
familiar red packaging after the war.

Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp was renamed Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp in 1937. [3][6] The
colour scheme and first flavour variation to the brand came in 1942, owing to World War
II, when food shortages prompted an alteration in the recipe. The flavour of Kit Kat was
changed to dark chocolate; the packaging abandoned its Chocolate Crisp title, and was
coloured blue.[9] After the war the name became Kit Kat, with the original milk chocolate
recipe and red packaging.
Following its success in the United Kingdom, in the 1940s Kit Kat was exported to
Canada, South Africa, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. In 1958, Donald Gilles, the
executive at JWT Orland, created the iconic advertising line "Have a Break, Have a Kit
Kat". The brand further expanded in the 1970s when Rowntree created a new
distribution factory in Germany to meet European demand, and established agreements
to distribute the brand in the US through the Hershey company, and in Japan
through Fujiya.[6]
In June 1988, Swiss company Nestlé acquired Kit Kat through the purchase of
Rowntree's, giving Nestlé global control over the brand, except in the US, [10] and
production and distribution increased with new facilities in Japan and additional
manufacturing operations set up in Malaysia, India and China. [6]

4-finger US Kit Kat

The Hershey Company has a licence to produce Kit Kat bars in the United States which
dates from 1970, when Hershey executed a licensing agreement with Rowntree which
allowed Hershey to retain the Kit Kat licence so long as Hershey was not sold. Nestlé,
which has a substantial presence in the US, had to honour the licensing agreement
when it bought Rowntree in 1988. As Kit Kat is one of Hershey's top five brands in the
US market, the Kit Kat licence was a key factor in Hershey's failed attempt to attract a
serious buyer in 2002.[11] Even Nestlé rejected Hershey's asking price.[12]
Variants in the traditional chocolate bar first appeared in 1996 when Kit Kat Orange, the
first flavour variant, was introduced in the United Kingdom. Its success was followed by
several varieties including mint and caramel, and in 1999 Kit Kat Chunky was launched
and received favourably by international consumers. Variations on the traditional Kit Kat
have continued to be developed since then. In 2000, Nestlé acquired Fujiya's share of
the brand in Japan, and also expanded its marketplace in Japan, Russia, Turkey, and
Venezuela, in addition to markets in Eastern and Central Europe. [6] Throughout the
decade, Kit Kat introduced dozens of flavours and line extensions within specific
consumer markets. It celebrated its 75th anniversary on 10 October 2009. [citation needed]
The traditional bar has four fingers which each measure approximately 1 centimetre
(0.4 in) by 9 centimetres (3.5 in). A two-finger bar was launched in the 1930s, and has
remained the company's best-selling biscuit brand ever since. [8] The 1999 Kit Kat
Chunky (known as Big Kat and Kit Kat Extra Crispy in the US) has one large finger
approximately 2.5 centimetres (1 in) wide. Kit Kat bars contain varying numbers of
fingers depending on the market, ranging from the half-finger sized Kit Kat Petit in
Japan, to the three-fingered variants in Arabia, and the twelve-finger family-size bars in
Australia and France. Kit Kat bars are sold individually and in bags, boxes and multi-
packs. In Ireland, France, the UK and America Nestlé also produces a Kit Kat ice
cream, and in Australia and Malaysia, Kit Kat Drumsticks.[citation needed]
In 2010, a new £5 million manufacturing line was opened by Nestlé in York, to produce
more than a billion Kit Kat bars each year.[13]

Global confection[edit]
Map of countries where Kit Kat is marketed. Dark Red: UK (country of origin). Red: Countries with KitKat
products owned by Nestlé. Light Red: Countries with KitKat products manufactured by Hershey (US).

Kit Kat bars are produced in 16 countries by Nestlé: Brazil, Mexico, United Kingdom,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, Russia, Japan, China,
Malaysia, Thailand, India, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria and Algeria. Kit Kat
bars in the United States are produced under licence by The Hershey Company, a
Nestlé competitor, due to a prior licensing agreement with Rowntree. The year 2003
was a turning point for the Kit Kat bar as well as the confectionery industry in general.
The popularity of low carb diets, and the push to healthier eating stifled sales growth in
many parts of the world. In addition, fierce competition from Cadbury's newly
formed Dairy Milk superbrand also contributed to Kit Kat sales decreasing considerably
in its home market of the UK, and threatened to depose it from its No.1 position. [14][15] The
solution adopted by Nestlé and others was to increase dramatically the number of new
and unique variations of their confections and market them as limited or special
editions, usually only available for a few months at a time so as not lose sales of their
standard products.[16] The strategy initially reversed the decline of the Kit Kat [17] and has
been adopted worldwide by Nestlé, Hershey, Mars, and others with similar success.[18][19]

Kit Kat varieties on display in Osaka, Japan

This has resulted in many new flavours and varieties of the Kit Kat and other
confections appearing globally since then. While some flavours succeeded, many failed,
alienating some consumers in the process, causing Nestlé to scale back on new
releases.[citation needed]
In September 2006, Nestlé announced that they would be cutting 645 jobs in their York
factory and moving all Smarties production to their Hamburg factory, which had already
been producing two-thirds. They stated that this move would allow for a £20 million
investment to modernise the antiquated York factory and improve Kit Kat production. [20]
As dark chocolate has seen increased demand and favour worldwide because of its
purported health benefits, in September 2006 the four-finger Kit Kat Fine Dark was
launched in the United Kingdom as a permanent product, and packaging for the entire
brand was changed.[citation needed] Hershey had sold the four-finger Kit Kat Dark in the US
several years previously as a limited edition, and began doing so again. [21]
Nestlé now manufactures two-finger Kit Kats with natural flavourings, however Kit Kats
are still not suitable for vegans.[22] In 2014, Kit Kat was ranked the third best selling
chocolate bar in the United Kingdom, after Dairy Milk and Galaxy.[23]

Design[edit]

The US packaging

When first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1935, the original Rowntree's Chocolate
Crisp bar had a red wrapper, which briefly became blue between 1945 and 1947. [24] The
Kit Kat logo was added in 1937.[24] As a result of milk shortages after the end of World
War II – a period of rationing in the United Kingdom – dark chocolate was used instead
of milk chocolate during that period.[24]
Since its introduction into the US in the 1970s, the Hershey's Kit Kat packaging and
advertising has differed from the branding used in every other country where it was
sold. In 2002, Hershey Kit Kats adopted the slanted ellipse logo used worldwide by
Nestlé, though the ellipse was red and the text white. The US version of "Kit Kat
Chunky" is known as "Big Kat".
In the United Kingdom, the product was traditionally wrapped in silver foil and an outer
paper band. In 2001 this was changed to flow wrap plastic. [25] Foil and paper wrapping is
still used for Kit Kats sold as part of a multipack.

Marketing and promotion[edit]

Advertising[edit]
Kit Kat logo on a tram in Lisbon, Portugal

After launching in the 1930s, Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp was originally advertised as

"the biggest little meal" and "the best companion to a cup of tea". During World War II,
Kit Kat was depicted as a valuable wartime foodstuff, with the slogan "what active
people need". The first Kit Kat poster appeared in 1951, and the first colour TV
advertisement appeared in 1969.
Since 1957, the slogan for the Kit Kat in the UK and elsewhere has been "Have a
break... have a Kit Kat".[3] However, in 1995, Nestlé sought to trademark the "Have a
break" portion. After a ten-year legal battle, which was contested by rival Mars,
the European Court of Justice ruled on 7 July 2005 to send the case back to the British
courts.[26] In 2004, Nestlé UK used the slogan "Make the most of your break", [27] but later
returned to the original slogan.

Routemaster bus converted into a mobile radio station by Capital London with four varieties of Kit Kat
advertised. Located in Manchester, England

The United States also used the short-lived slogan, "Tastes So Good, You'll Roar", in
the early 1980s. The TV commercial most known from this slogan involves a young man
biting into one of the Kit Kat bars in a grocery store, and roaring like a lion so loudly the
whole store shakes violently, knocking items from the shelves. Another short-lived US
slogan was "That's What You Want", whose television adverts showed people pulling
unlikely foodstuffs from their pockets or purses, before rejecting them in favour of a Kit
Kat.
The "classic" American version of the "Gimme a Break" Kit Kat jingle (in use in the US
since 1986) was written by Ken Shuldman (copy) and Michael A. Levine (music) for
the DDB Advertising Agency. Versions of the original have been covered by Carrie
Underwood, Shawn Colvin, and many studio singers, as well as people who have
appeared on-camera in the commercials. The jingle was cited in a study by University of
Cincinnati researcher James J. Kellaris as one of the top ten "earworms" – bits of
melody that become stuck in your head. Another version of the advertising jingle
'Gimme a break' created for Kit Kat "Factory" commercial in the US was an original
recording by Andrew W.K. W.K. was hired to write a new musical version for their
"Gimme a break" slogan. Variations on the Andrew W.K. advertisement included
executive dance routines in corporate offices and a network newsroom. However, the
"classic" song has also been used again since the newer version first aired in 2004.
Many adverts were worldwide hits among them in the 1980s with Ken Campbell in an
advert with Heaven and Hell with Devil and Angel on Television. In Australia, TV ads for
Kit Kat featured the classic children's show Thunderbirds, which played off the
catchphrase “Thunderbirds Are Go” but instead sees one of the members enjoying a Kit
Kat “Break.” A 1989 United Kingdom advertisement for Kit Kat, in which a zoo
photographer "takes a break" from waiting for pandas to appear in an enclosure and
misses them performing a dance routine, came in 30th in Channel 4's "100 Greatest
Adverts" poll in 2000.[28]
In late 2004 through to the end of 2006, Nestlé Rowntree sponsored the English football
club York City F.C.. As a result, the club's home-ground, Bootham Crescent, was
renamed to KitKat Crescent.[29] The Maltese tour boat MV  Lady Davinia had a distinctive
red and white Kit Kat paint scheme before she sank in 2008.
In a 2012 advertising campaign in the UK and Ireland, several new flavours of Chunky
Kit Kat were marketed, with consumers being asked to vote for their favourite. Selecting
from white chocolate, double chocolate, peanut butter, and orange, Peanut butter was
the winner by having 47% of votes. A similar campaign occurred in 2013 with mint,
coconut, hazelnut and chocolate fudge.
Association with Android[edit]

A Kit Kat bar statue at Googleplex Headquarters, United States

In September 2013, it was announced that version 4.4 of Google's Android mobile

operating system would be named "KitKat".[30] Google licensed the name from Nestlé,
with no money changing hands.[31] A promotion ran in numerous countries with specially
branded Android Kit Kat bars to win Nexus 7 devices and Google Play Store credit.[32]
Fairtrade[edit]
In December 2009, it was announced that the four-finger variety of Kit Kat would
use Fairtrade chocolate (at least in Britain and Ireland) from January 2010. [33] The
Fairtrade Kit Kat promotion was extended to the finger edition in January 2010. [34]
In June 2020, Nestle announced that KitKat was to end its relationship with the non-
profit organisation, Fairtrade, instead choosing to source its cocoa for KitKat chocolate
bars from farms with a Rainforest Alliance accreditation.[35]
Golden ticket draw[edit]
In the first three weeks of Big Brother Series 7 in the UK, Channel 4 conducted a
promotion in conjunction with Nestlé to distribute 100 "golden tickets" randomly
throughout Kit Kats, in a style reminiscent of the Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory story.[36] Members of the public finding these tickets were permitted to use them
to give themselves a chance to become a Big Brother housemate and bypass the
standard auditions process.
Golden ticket holders were invited to a television show where one of them, Susie
Verrico, was chosen to enter the House by Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace, picking a ball out
of a machine at random. This contest caused some controversy, with the Advertising
Standards Authority saying that the terms and conditions of the draw should have been
made clearer in related advertisements, and that an independent adjudicator should
have been present before and during the draw. [37]

Varieties[edit]
Flavours[edit]

Kit Kat Matcha

Many varieties of Kit Kat have existed, either permanently or as limited editions, such as
those sold to commemorate festivals such as Valentine's Day.[38] In Japan, Nestlé has
introduced over 200 different flavours since 2000, [39] including ginger ale, soy
sauce, creme brulee, green tea, sake, and banana.[40] The flavours are designed to
appeal to younger buyers,[41] and are often bought as good-luck gifts as the brand name
echoes the Japanese phrase "Kitto Katsu", roughly translating as "surely win." [39]
The Kit Kat Orange was the first flavour variant to be introduced in the United Kingdom,
in 1996 and 1998 in Ireland. It was followed in 1997 by the Kit Kat Dark and Kit Kat
Mint.[citation needed] All three were available as permanent editions of the two-finger multipack in
the United Kingdom, along with the Kit Kat Original, the Kit Kat White, and from 2012
the Kit Kat Cookies & Cream.
A wide variety of promotional items exist, ranging from traditional merchandise (such as
mugs, pens, oven gloves and tea-towels) to less common items such as coats for small
dogs. Recently in Japan,[when?] Kit Kats have come packaged with CD singles, and a
special limited edition double pack of Kit Kat Crispy Monogatari came bundled with a
mini book featuring six short stories, one of which was written by Koji Suzuki, author of
the Ring cycle series. In Japan, Kit Kats are also available in jars that are dispensed
from vending machines.
Kit Kat introduced two new flavors to the United States in 2020: Lemon Crisp and
Raspberry Creme. The new flavours are available in regular sized bars or miniature
bars.[38]
In 2020, Nestlé launched a new flavor, Scotch whisky KitKats, available only in Japan
using chocolate aged for six months in whisky barrels in Scotland. [42]
Forms[edit]

Kit Kat varieties: Pop Choc, regular and Chunky (or Big Kat)

The 'standard' Kit Kat finger bars can come in a variety of presentations and nutritional
values. The bars can come in a miniature form of two finger mini bars, or a larger
standard four, or in some cases, three, fingered bars.
The standard size has been upgraded in several cases up to a 'monster Size' bar, which
can include up to five or eight fingers. Large single-fingered "Chunky Kit Kats" were
launched in the United Kingdom in 1998 and have been sold in a variety of flavours.
The market for Chunky Kit Kats has also expanded to Canada.
Other forms and shapes include "Choc'n'Go" individually wrapped fingers in France, a
twelve-finger "Family Block" available in New Zealand [43] and Australia, round bite-sized
"Pop Choc" pieces, square "Kubes", praline-filled "Senses", a yoghurt with Kit Kat
pieces, and a Kit Kat ice cream cone.
In the 1980s, a Kit Kat with five shorter fingers was sold in vending machines in the UK.
[44]

The Japanese Bake 'N Tasty Mini Kit Kats Custard Pudding Flavour was launched in
2014. The bar must be baked in an oven before consumption, and the surface sugar
caramelises in the process.[45]

Pink coloured Kit Kat Ruby

In 2015, a new luxury and giftable variant of Kit Kat called Kit Kat Rubies was launched
in Malaysia. Comes with the box of 20 small bars, the Kit Kat Rubies bar made with the
premium chocolate truffle cream and imported roasted hazelnut pieces. [46]
As of 2017, U.S. variants include the standard and king-size four-finger bars, standard
bars covered with white or dark chocolate, snack-size orange-covered bars for
Halloween, bagged wrapped one-finger miniatures (original and assorted), unwrapped
minis, a redesigned Big Kat, and a king-size Big Kat (two of the new Big Kat bars). [47]

Chocolatory[edit]
Kit Kat has opened a Chocolatory in the Melbourne Central Shopping
Centre in Melbourne, Australia. There is also one in Sydney. The shops allow
customers to use touch screens to create their own Kit Kat from a selection of
chocolates and ingredients; they are made while the customers wait, and customers
can mix their own flavours with some Kit Kat that has been provided in store. [48]
There are similar locations in Japan and Toronto, Canada.

Criticism and controversy[edit]

In March 2010, Kit Kat was targeted for a boycott by Greenpeace for using palm oil,
which the environmental organisation claimed resulted in destruction of forest habitats
for orangutans in Indonesia.[49] A YouTube video by Greenpeace went viral[50] and Nestlé
announced a partnership with The Forest Trust to establish "responsible sourcing
guidelines" and ensure that its products did not have a deforestation footprint. They
aimed to achieve a fully sustainable method of palm oil harvesting by 2015. [51] Nestlé
state that 58% of palm oil purchased in 2017 was responsibly sourced. [52]

Ingredients[edit]
Original Kit Kat ingredients unless otherwise stated, listed by decreasing weight: milk
chocolate (sugar, milk ingredients, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, whey
powder, lactose, soya lecithin, polyglycerol polyricinoleate, natural flavour), wheat flour,
sugar, modified palm oil, cocoa, sodium bicarbonate, soya lecithin, yeast, and natural
flavour.
Europe[edit]
Milk chocolate (66%) (sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, dried whole milk, cocoa mass,
lactose and proteins from whey, whey powder, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), butterfat,
flavouring), wheat flour, sugar, vegetable fat, cocoa mass, yeast, raising agent (sodium
bicarbonate), salt, emulsifier (soya lecithin), flavourings.
In 2006, the UK four-finger Kit Kat contained 233 dietary calories (kcal) (975 kilojoules).
In 2009, the two-finger Kit Kat contained 107 calories.
In 2013, the UK Kit Kat Chunky contained 247 calories which reduced to 207 calories in
2015. This correlated to a reduction in weight by 19% from 48 g to 40 g.[53][54]
United States[edit]
Hershey's Kit Kat Crisp Wafers in Chocolate contain sugar, wheat flour, cocoa butter,
nonfat milk, chocolate, refined palm kernel oil, lactose (milk), milk fat, contains 2% or
less of: soy lecithin, PGPR (emulsifier), yeast, artificial flavor, salt, and sodium
bicarbonate.
Canada[edit]
Milk chocolate (sugar, modified milk ingredients, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, whey
powder, lactose, soya lecithin, polyglycerol polyricinoleate, natural flavour), wheat flour,
sugar, modified palm oil, cocoa, sodium bicarbonate, soya lecithin, yeast, Natural
Flavour. Dark chocolate (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, milk ingredients,
soya lecithin, salt, artificial flavour), wheat flour, sugar, modified palm oil, unsweetened
chocolate or cocoa powder, sodium bicarbonate, soya lecithin, artificial flavour. May
contain salt and/or yeast.
Asia[edit]
In Japan, Kit Kats are produced at Nestlé-owned factories in Himeji and Kasumigaura.
The milk chocolate used for Kit Kats is made from whole-milk powder and Nestlé buys
most of its cacao beans from West Africa.[55]
Nestlé has factories in various locations in China, to supply to China and Hong Kong.
During the 2008 Chinese milk scandal, where melamine was found to have tainted
some milk suppliers in China, importers in Hong Kong chose to import bars
manufactured in the United Kingdom.

See also[edit]
 Kit Kats in Japan
 Kvikk Lunsj

References[edit]
1. ^ "Nestlé UK Website – History of Rowntree". Archived from the original  on 18 March 2007.
Retrieved 4 April 2007.  1988 – Nestlé SA buys Rowntree plc.
2. ^ "KitKat is named after a man called Christopher". Nestlé. 28 August 2015. Retrieved  12
April  2020.
3. ^ Jump up to:a b c "Kit Kat 1955-1959".  Yorkshire Film Archive. Retrieved  28 July 2019.
4. ^ "The Story Behind the Music: The Iconic Kit Kat Jingle".  NERDBOT. 11 June 2020.
Retrieved 23 November 2020.
5. ^ "The Origin of the name Kit Kat".  Nestlé.