BBC News Magazine

News Front Page

Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Middle East

South Asia

England

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Wales

UK Politics

Education

Magazine

Business

Health

Science & Environment

Technology

Entertainment

Also in the news

-----------------

Video and Audio

-----------------

Programmes

Have Your Say

In Pictures

Country Profiles

Special Reports

Related BBC sites

Page last updated at 17:00 GMT, Tuesday, 19 January 2010

E-mail this to a friend

In pictures: Cadbury adverts

After 186 years, Cadbury, one of the UK's best-loved brands, has succumbed to a takeover bid from US food giant Kraft, makers of processed cheese and Oreos. Now separate business, Kraft was once part of a stable that included tobacco company Philip Morris.

Cadbury is now subsumed in a firm that has nearly 100,000 employees. John Cadbury, a Quaker, started the company by opening a shop in Birmingham in 1824, selling tea, coffee and hot chocolate - as an alternative to alcohol.

There have been hundreds of Cadbury products, and many have fallen by the wayside. But there are also classics that continue to fill sweet shop shelves after more than 100 years, such as the Dairy Milk bar, which first appeared in 1905.

The Cadbury family were driven philanthropists. They wanted a healthy environment for their workers. Wholesomeness has been a recurring theme in its advertising, though many today would struggle to see the link between chocolate and healthy living.

Cadbury still promotes its chocolate as containing a "glass-and-a-half" of milk, but in recent years some of its most iconic campaigns have promoted a somewhat racier image.

A gift left by the mysterious Milk Tray Man

Cadbury's characters, such as Flake Girl, Milk Tray Man and the Caramel Bunny, have become familiar figures in popular culture.

Its most recent success was somewhat less cuddly - a gorilla passionately playing a Phil Collins drum solo. The viral advert made newspaper headlines, was the toast of Ad Land, and was cited in the firm's financial results.

Historic brands expert Robert Opie fears for the Cadbury brand name and the familiar swirly logo. Remember Rowntree's, which was taken over by Nestle in 1988? "They become like friends in our world, and when they disappear we mourn their passing."

Vanquished companies tend to see their identities erased, says Mr Opie, who runs the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in west London. "Kraft, if they're wise, will not tamper with it too much. It would be crucifying the brand."