Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Tony's Chocolonely

104 replies

Ekerty72 · 13/12/2021 09:55

This happened on 8th December so I'm not sure why I haven't seen it until now. An advent calendar from Tony's took away a chocolate to highlight inequality within the chocolate industry and the children that work in the industry. As a marketing tool I thought it was clever. Opinion however was divided as there was no warning for neurodivergent children so they did issue an apology...

Made me really think though......if you have a moment have a read of their statement and why they did it....

tonyschocolonely.com/uk/en/why-our-calendar-is-unequally-divided-choco-fans

OP posts:
thereisonlyoneofme · 13/12/2021 10:07

I think its ridiculous, the world has gone mad

kokokokokokokokoko · 13/12/2021 10:08

I like it as an idea - although for kids it's a bit hard for them to "get" this kind of thing. So not sure.

ReeseWitherfork · 13/12/2021 10:09

Bless them for trying but I don't think it highlights what they think it does. They forget that just their existence alone reminds people/educates people.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General food
kokokokokokokokoko · 13/12/2021 10:11

Plus let's be clear, the supposed "intention" behind it likely has another less benevolent reason behind it - the huge amount of publicity generated by people talking about it as a stunt.

20FlowerPower · 13/12/2021 10:18

I got this calendar for my husband...was a bit Hmm on day 8 but then got two chocs on day 9 so we assumed it was just a mistake. Feel they could've explained their strategy on the box a bit more - would never have known this was intentional without this thread.

Shiningpath · 13/12/2021 10:20

Anyone who buys Tony’s would surely be aware of the campaigning stance they take given it’s all over the packaging and the bars are printed with chains and divided unequally.

But it’s definitely not clear from the packaging in the calendar until you get to day 8 that the calendar is also going to be “unequally divided”.

OhNoWhatYouGonnaDo · 13/12/2021 10:21

I think they should have explained somewhere on the box that this was going to happen.

ShirleyPhallus · 13/12/2021 10:22

I think it’s a really nice idea. Sometimes marketing stunts have to happen in order to raise awareness of certain causes (ie the ice bucket challenge which was ridiculous but did actually raise a lot of money)

Polmuggle · 13/12/2021 10:45

@20FlowerPower

I got this calendar for my husband...was a bit Hmm on day 8 but then got two chocs on day 9 so we assumed it was just a mistake. Feel they could've explained their strategy on the box a bit more - would never have known this was intentional without this thread.
Really? It explained it quite clearly in the calendar.

I don't get the outrage on this. Yes a small number of children will have struggled outside of their control, but the company being forced to apologise is ridiculous.

SexyNeckbeard · 13/12/2021 10:49

Absolutely ridiculous that they had to apologise for this

Haus1234 · 13/12/2021 10:53

I have the calendar. It literally says on the other side for the 8th why it happened, and it’s obvious from the size of the box for the 9th that there will be 2. People need to chill out (and learn to read!).

SSOYS · 13/12/2021 10:54

There were two chocolates in the next window, and it said clearly on the box that this was the case. I think some people just like complaining.

Chemenger · 13/12/2021 10:57

@OhNoWhatYouGonnaDo

I think they should have explained somewhere on the box that this was going to happen.
You mean like they do on the little bit of text on the other side of the packaging? It is crystal clear what the intent is and there were two pieces of chocolate the next day.
DuckWithOneWing · 13/12/2021 10:59

I thought it was hilarious

middleager · 13/12/2021 11:07

I'm confused by the hypocrisy. Weren't they dropped by the ethical traders list?

OhNoWhatYouGonnaDo · 13/12/2021 13:14

Presumably you can only see that once you've opened the door though?! It would be helpful to know in advance, surely. I have a neurodiverse child and I would have struggled if this was only explained retrospectively once you'd opened the door.

Or did it say somewhere on the external packaging?

Comefromaway · 13/12/2021 13:16

It's not really the kind of advent calendar you would buy a young child as some of the flavours are very adult.

My neurodivergent dd loves Tony's and is a big advocate of their message. The chocolate bar segments are deliberatly different sizes to emphasise unequality. Something like this is absolutely to be expected.

Chemenger · 13/12/2021 13:18

The calendar opens like a book - the chocolate windows are on one side and the text for each day is written on the other side. All the text for every day is visible from the beginning. I wouldn't have bought this calendar for my DDs when they were small because they would not have been impressed by the dark chocolate days! and I wouldn't have spent that much money on them

Comefromaway · 13/12/2021 13:21

The explanation on the opposite side of the box was perhaps not explicit enough. There is a message for every day that is there before the doors are opened. Door no 7 refers to the chocolate bars being unequal sized blocks, door no 8 says Told you so, even our calendar is unequally divided.

Chemenger · 13/12/2021 13:21

This is what it looks like.

Tony's Chocolonely
Tony's Chocolonely
Chemenger · 13/12/2021 13:23

Try again

Tony's Chocolonely
Tony's Chocolonely
LadyCampanulaTottington · 13/12/2021 13:23

I have a 6 figure Instagram following for my business. I tagged them in a post about getting a gift of a bar from a fan in NL. I got a DM back with an essay about their work protecting cacao farmers. I love the idea but it felt so condescending and righteous. The campaign language needs work IMO.

Chemenger · 13/12/2021 13:24

Sorry, it looked as though the pictures didn’t load at first.

Comefromaway · 13/12/2021 13:26

@LadyCampanulaTottington

I have a 6 figure Instagram following for my business. I tagged them in a post about getting a gift of a bar from a fan in NL. I got a DM back with an essay about their work protecting cacao farmers. I love the idea but it felt so condescending and righteous. The campaign language needs work IMO.
Sorry, you wanted them to just send you free chocolate becasue you have a "6 figure instagram following""

You wanted something for nothing.

WhatScratch · 13/12/2021 13:27

Anyone who buys Tony’s would surely be aware of the campaigning stance they take given it’s all over the packaging and the bars are printed with chains and divided unequally

Yes. It’s the core of who they are! Their aim is ‘to make chocolate slave free’.