Rolo (/ˈroʊloʊ/ ROH-loh), referring to the roll-styled chocolates, is a brand of truncated cone-shaped or conical frustum-shaped chocolates with a caramel inside. First manufactured in Norwich, Norfolk in the United Kingdom by Mackintosh's in 1937 (followed by Rowntree's after the takeover in 1969), they are made by Nestlé (except in the United States, where production has been licensed to The Hershey Company)As of 2024 the american rights to the rolo are to be transferred to Mars Inc alongside the Kit kat.
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| Owner | Nestlé (worldwide, except in the U.S.) The Hershey Company (U.S. only) |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Introduced | December 1937 |
| Related brands | Kit Kat |
| Previous owners | Mackintosh's |
| Website | www |
A long-running British advertising slogan for the brand was "Do you love anyone enough to give them your last Rolo?"[1] A YouGov poll saw Rolo ranked the eleventh most popular and seventeenth most famous confectionery in the UK.[2]
History
edit
The Rolo product was developed in England by Mackintosh's,[3] (later Rowntree-Mackintosh), simply a combination of caramel and a chocolate coating. Rolo was launched in the United Kingdom in 1937.[4]
In 1956, the New England Confectionery Company acquired a licence to produce Rolos in the US.[5] In 1969, the licence for US Manufacturing was acquired by The Hershey Company.[6]
In 1988, the Nestlé company acquired Rowntree and its brands, including Rolo.[7] There have now been Rolo biscuits, ice-cream, muffins, birthday cake, desserts, cake bars, doughnuts, mini Rolos, big Rolos (all of which use the same type of caramel), yoghurts, and Easter eggs made. In May 2011, McDonald's combined chocolate pieces and caramel sauce with their soft-serve McFlurry product to simulate the Rolo flavour profile in a cross-branded product. In December 2018, Walmart began selling Rolo ice cream cones and ice cream sandwiches in their stores.[8]
In the UK Rolos are produced at Nestlé's Fawdon factory in Newcastle upon Tyne.[9]
Advertising
editIn 1996, the Rolo advertisement "Elephant" won the Grand Prix in the section Film Lions at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. In the advertisement, an elephant gets fooled by a young boy and decades later takes revenge, referring to the saying "elephants never forget".[10][11]
From 1980 to 2003, Rolo was advertised with the slogan "Do you love anyone enough to give them your last Rolo?"[1][12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Kathy Martin (19 February 2017). Famous Brand Names and Their Origins. Pen and Sword. pp. 50–. ISBN 978-1-78159-015-7.
- ^ "The most famous confectionaries in the UK". YouGov. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ R Fitzgerald Rowntree and the marketing revolution, 1862–1969 CUP
- ^ "Rolo". Nestle U.K. and Ireland. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "NECCO® - About". www.necco.com.
- ^ Sharon Hernes Silverman (20 November 2000). Pennsylvania Snacks: A Guide to Food Factory Tours. Stackpole Books. pp. 87–. ISBN 978-0-8117-2874-4.
- ^ Wesley B. Truitt (2006). The Corporation. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 184–. ISBN 978-0-313-33606-5.
- ^ Bennett, Brittany (20 December 2018). "Walmart Is Selling ROLO Ice Cream Treats That Will Make Caramel Lovers Drool". Bustle. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
- ^ Whitfield, Graeme (28 April 2021). "475 jobs set to go as Nestlé announces plans to shut Fawdon factory". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ "Lions+ / 50+ Years Of Grand Prix". canneslions.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
- ^ ""Elephant" on Youtube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
- ^ Cozens, Claire (23 April 2003). "Rolo axes 'sentimental' slogan". The Guardian.
