People are only just realising why Cadbury’s packaging is purple… and it has blown their minds
CHOCOLATE lovers have only just realised why Cadbury’s famous packaging is purple and it has blown their minds.
A lengthy court battle over the colour has offered a look behind the scenes at the sweet giant’s world-famous products.
Cadbury was established in Birmingham by John Cadbury in 1847 producing cocoa, hot chocolate and chocolate bars.
The purple packaging has been used by the British-based company since 1914, when it was introduced reportedly as a tribute to Queen Victoria.
The row over the colour was brought to court by rival company Nestlé after Cadbury trademarked their distinctive shade of purple, called Pantone 2865c, in 2008.
In 2011, Nestlé challenged the trademark all the way to the High Court, but the latest ruling went against them.
In his decision, Judge Colin Birss declared that colours can be legally protected as they “are capable of being signs” and that, in this case, Pantone 2865c is distinctive of Cadbury’s products.
Since then enthusiasts have been able to spot a bar of Cadbury’s chocolate from a mile away.
However, there was a twist in the case, as the judge ruled that the trademark only protects the specific shade, not the colour purple as a whole, and only “milk chocolate in bar and tablet form, milk chocolate for eating, drinking chocolate and preparations for making drinking chocolate”.
This means that Nestlé are still able to use slightly different purple wrapping for its chocolate-coated Brazil nuts found in beloved Christmas favourite Quality Street.
It also doesn’t affect other Cadbury that are not in purple packaging, such as Bournville dark chocolate or Turkish Delight bars.