This month sees Cadbury's Wispa, the chocolate bar that came back from the dead, enjoy a new lease of life. The Wispa Ice Cream bar launches soon to be followed by a tub format. It is an extraordinary renaissance for a brand that Cadbury's discontinued in 2003 when the Wispa morphed into a 'Dairy Milk Bubbly.'
Cadbury's Wispa, the chocolate bar with the tiny bubbles, is a combination of quality product and iconic graphic design. The red chunky Wispa font on a dark blue background is as memorable as the smooth bubbly Cadbury's chocolate held within its wrapping.
Wispa was originally launched nationwide in 1983. It soon became hugely popular and was seen as a fresh take on Cadbury's competitor Rowntree's very own Aero bar. Then a mere twenty years after it's UK launch the Wispa died. In 2003 Cadbury chief's created a Dairy Milk subrand that signaled the death of the Wispa.
The value of great design can be seen by the reaction of chocolate lovers who scanned the shelves for the distinctive red and blue bar to no avail. People power expressed through online petitions, and social networking sites such as Bebo, My Space and Facebook called for the return of the Wispa.
I was part of the target market for the Wispa bar. It launched during my childhood in the 1980's and somewhere along the way we parted company. I didn't even realise that Cadbury's had killed the product. Yet when I became aware that it was no longer available waves of childhood nostalgia became associated with that little bar with its distinctive look and taste.
Since it's full re-intrdouction to the UK market in 2008 Cadbury's Wispa continues to go from strength to strength. This month's launch of an ice-cream version sees the complete re-emergnce of the brand that was born again.
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