What Kit Kat flavor do you want to see?
That’s the question asked to candy bar lovers worldwide to celebrate Kit Kat’s wildly successful 45 years since its debut in Japan.
After Nestle, which now owns Kit Kat globally, received over 4,000 submissions for flavor ideas, they picked 21 of the most promising, including “wasabi cheese” and the Japanese citrus flavor of “yuzu.” Back in April 2018, a popular vote was held to decide the winner among these flavors for an important-sounding New Flavour World Summit Campaign. With close to half a million votes from 81 countries and regions, they’ve just announced the #1 flavor. And it is…
Strawberry tiramisu!
This 45-year milestone is huge for Kit Kat, a confectionary originating from the U.K. In that time, over 350 flavor varieties have been sold in Japan, including famous limited-edition and limited-time flavors known to push the boundaries of the traditional milk-chocolate-and-wafer bar. Remember Hokkaido Melon and Apricot Seed? How about Wasabi? Or Cough Medicine? The huge range has made Kit Kats a legit collectible item, with fans all over the world.
Kit Kat’s success in Japan
Since their Japan debut in 1973, Kit Kats have been boosted by both clever branding and a bit of luck. Rather than sticking to the “Gimme a Break” English slogan, in Japan, they decided to play off the fact that “Kit Kat” sounds similar to the Japanese phrase “Kitto Katsu,” or “Sure to Win.”
This coincidence was branded to advertise Kit Kats to students preparing to take school entrance exams. When this strategy was combined in a clever collaboration with the Japan Post to make postable Kit Kat boxes, customers started sending the boxes to the students in their family to encourage their studies. The Kit Kat has since gained cult status and become so popular that people often think it’s a Japanese candy bar.
New flavor in town
For the new Strawberry Tiramisu packaging, Kit Kat worked with world-renowned comedian, actor, and artist Noritake Kinashi, whose art style is abstract and often uses the color red. The new Kit Kat packaging comes as a series of cute illustrations featuring a couple congratulating Kit Kat on 45 years in Japan, romantically feeding each other Kit Kats, and looking forward to their own 45th anniversary someday.
In further promotion of their 45th anniversary, Kit Kat has also partnered with popular K-Pop girl band BlackPink, who will be releasing a special celebration movie, as well as with model Nicole Fujita. She was seen on Wednesday at the Kit Kat Chocolatory and Cafe in Ginza, Tokyo, promoting the new luxury Kit Kat gift box — on sale for a limited time only at Kit Kat stores in Tokyo and Osaka. Featuring 35 different flavors of Kit Kat and costing ¥5,800, that’s a pretty sweet Christmas gift.
The 45th-anniversary strawberry tiramisu flavor will feature bitter tiramisu cream with coffee and cocoa, coated in strawberry-kneaded white chocolate. The suggested retail price is ¥120 for a 3-pack to be sold in convenience stores and ¥500 for an 11-pack at supermarkets and drugstores.
Are you keen to try the new flavor? Do you have a firm favorite already? Or is there a flavor that you wish Kit Kat would create? Let us know in the comments!
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