Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

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:
WeAreTheHeroes · 13/12/2021 19:03

I had no idea about any of this or the brand's ethos. I just thought it was good chocolate in an irritatingly chunky bar you can't just snap a square off.

nosyupnorth · 13/12/2021 19:17

It's stupid. The point of an advent calendar is to get a thing every day - their way of spreading their message is to make a product that doesn't do what it's supposed to do. Fine to have their message in general or do their unevenly divided bars thing because that doesn't change that the product is fit for purpose, but having some advent doors with nothing behind and some with two is not how advent calendars work.

mininionsteve · 13/12/2021 20:50

I've just opened my number 8 door. I had a chocolate, and I got two for the 9th. I'm not sure my calendar got the memoGrin

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General food
Anaximedes · 13/12/2021 20:55

I don't think it's just neurodivergent children but many children who aren't old enough to understand this or if they are, it should be at a time and in a context of their parent or carer or teacher's choosing. Opening box 5, or whatever it was, perhaps before or after school, in anticipation and getting this 'lesson' isn't appropriate. Moreso as some advent calendars will have been bought as gifts by unwitting grandparents etc.

Right cause, wrong way about it.

Personally I don't buy their products because I had some to review from Ocado and I didn't like the taste of the chocolate. I'm not sure that's relevant though.

Poetrypatty · 13/12/2021 21:01

Seems a bit daft from them because it could put people off buying their advent calendar next year.

JaninaDuszejko · 13/12/2021 21:10

None of their products (AFAIK) are gluten free so we don't buy them.

It's chocolate, surely the default is that it doesn't contain gluten? The label says 'may contain' which is a bit annoying, some of their products (the pretzel and wafer bars) are made with gluten so presumably the whole factory is possibly contaminated.

LadyCampanulaTottington · 13/12/2021 21:15

@NumaNumaYay oh bore off. Is the air thin up there on your high horse?!

DoncasterHombre · 13/12/2021 21:53

I used to open my brothers advent calendar, slide out the plastic tray holding the little chocs, empty it into a tub, put the empty tray back in, re-seal the box and put it back next to my advent calendar and then take the tub of chocolate to my room to enjoy.

He learnt about inequality very early doors. I believe I should be thanked for this.

Sn0tnose · 13/12/2021 22:07

I never said anything about the ethos not being sound, what I said was the wording of the campaign messaging that was DM’d to me was condescending

How would you have liked them to tell you that they thought you were being a bit of a ponce?

NumaNumaYay · 13/12/2021 23:26

[quote LadyCampanulaTottington]@NumaNumaYay oh bore off. Is the air thin up there on your high horse?![/quote]
"Boring" now, is it?
I'm not on a high horse. I don't have the influence you clearly do.
I find it infuriating that these are issues that affect people's lives and you are complaining about the wording people use to communicate this to you.

Yeah, it's boring. People are exploited all the time. People in poverty continue to mean little or nothing to people with lots of money or instagram followers. It's not new or exciting. Do you think that's a reason not to do anything about it?

You can't even defend your viewpoint - just insult me. I don't care, feel free. You have presumably considered how you want to spend your time and influence, this is what you have decided is worthwhile.

NumaNumaYay · 13/12/2021 23:27

[quote LadyCampanulaTottington]@NumaNumaYay oh bore off. Is the air thin up there on your high horse?![/quote]
"Boring" now, is it?
I'm not on a high horse. I don't have the influence you clearly do.
I find it infuriating that these are issues that affect people's lives and you are complaining about the wording people use to communicate this to you.

Yeah, it's boring. People are exploited all the time. People in poverty continue to mean little or nothing to people with lots of money or instagram followers. It's not new or exciting. Do you think that's a reason not to do anything about it?

You can't even defend your viewpoint - just insult me. I don't care, feel free. You have presumably considered how you want to spend your time and influence, this is what you have decided is worthwhile.

NumaNumaYay · 13/12/2021 23:32

Excuse double-post. That was not me lecturing or preaching or thinking it's good to do good things or anything like that - glitch in wifi or MN server.

IWentAwayIStayedAway · 14/12/2021 03:56

@DoncasterHombre we would have been besties if we grew up at same time. Delivered that lesson plenty of times till he was old enough to deliver his own lessons Grin

Itsnotover · 14/12/2021 04:07

Um, good way for them to save some money?

Utterly ridiculous if you ask me. And im usually in favour of such things....

liveforsummer · 14/12/2021 04:34

@Itsnotover

Um, good way for them to save some money?

Utterly ridiculous if you ask me. And im usually in favour of such things....

There was 2 in the next days. Not less chocolate in the calendar, just unevenly distributed - like the entire point of the brand
RobertSmithsLipstick · 14/12/2021 04:48

I think it's a brilliant ethos.

Testingprof · 14/12/2021 05:05

@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 literally says on the eighth “ We told you so! Even our calendar is unequally divided..”

My DS has the advent calendar and came straight to me with it and discussed what it meant so to me it was explained if a 10 year old could tell me why it had happened. He was a little disappointed and got over it sharply the next day and has spoken to everyone who’ll listen about the day without chocolate and why it was missing.

SuPerDoPer · 14/12/2021 05:19

@DrCoconut

None of their products (AFAIK) are gluten free so we don't buy them.
Same here. Its lazy manufacturing because they can't be bothered to separate their production lines therefore the blanket "may contain" gluten warning on every product.
DoncasterHombre · 14/12/2021 09:48

@IWentAwayIStayedAway

Doubt it. I'd have stolen yours too!

ToffeeNotCoffee · 14/12/2021 11:14

@repottingthescabious

Divine chocolate - from the Co-op ?

Thanks.

ToffeeNotCoffee · 14/12/2021 11:17

@WineGetsMeThroughIt

Thanks.

ToffeeNotCoffee · 14/12/2021 11:23

back in my day advent calendars were just pictures and that was enough

That's right. That's what I miss. I very nearly purchased a 'real' advent calendar for myself, but didn't 'cause I would have felt silly.

(I also remember chocolate advent calendars back in late 70's early 80's and the chocolate was shite. I ate it under sufferance because the advent calendar was a gift so therefore was the chocolate.)

Other advent calendars are available.

SFisnotsimple · 14/12/2021 11:33

My teens weren't too impressed until they read the calendar entry for the day (which many adults on this thread don't seem capable of) and both said "oh", were briefly pissed off, considered unfair trade, realised the door for no. 9 was oversized and moved on.

Delayed gratification is another skill to be improved as well as an understanding of how people are exploited.

Tony's Chocolonely - fucking ace. Will be buying again.

Snog · 14/12/2021 12:20

My understanding is that this brand are seemingly campaigning to stop child slavery in the future but their chocolate today is still made by child slaves

GoingBacktoSchool123 · 14/12/2021 12:35

I thought it was a great campaign and the complainers are pathetic. Anyone who can't parent children to understand that life isn't always fair and that sometimes the unexpected happens is setting them up for a lifetime of disappointment.

[Post edited by MNHQ to remove spoiler for And Just Like That]