AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS– Tony’s Chocolonely‘s latest film Fair/Unfair reaffirms its stance on 100 percent slave-free chocolate.
The brand has been campaigning for slave-free chocolate since its launch in 2005. In fact, it’s bars are divided into uneven blocks because the chocolate industry is unfairly divided. To this day, there are still two million children working illegally in the international cocoa industry. Hinging on this insight, the brand tapped HERC to reinforce its original ambitions internationally.
Although everyone in the Netherlands now knows Tony’s Chocolonely being a market leader since 2018, not everyone abroad really knows the brand. Yes, they’re ‘colourful’ and have something to do with a good cause, but what exactly?
The film is narrated by British actor, director and multi-talent Idris Elba to show exactly what the brand stands for: what’s unfair (and Tony’s and Idris strongly condemn) and what’s fair, like the touching scene in the film: “Kids playing freely like a boss. Yes, fair.”
Rogier de Bruin, co-founder and Creative Director at HERC said, “Tony’s Chocolonely is a brilliant brand with a wonderful, very special mission. With the ambition to introduce and spread their message in other markets, they wanted a clear manifesto that would articulate and visualise their motto Crazy about chocolate, serious about people.
“So we translated the ‘brand” – Tony’s doesn’t advertise – Into a number of contrasting ‘fair’ and ‘unfair’ scenes. Just like Tony’s: both happy and serious at the same time.”
Emilio de Haan, also co-founder and Creative Director at HERC: “And why Idris Elba? He fits the brand perfectly. His mother is from Ghana, along with the Ivory Coast, the main producer of cocoa beans. And he wanted to do it: he’s passionate about helping improve lives there, so the mission is one that really appeals to him (plus we’re secretly a bit in love with him, Idris is in almost all our presentations – including our first presentation to Tony’s.)
“In spoken word form, in combination with Afropunk, he’s the voice for Tony’s Chocolonely in the manifesto. The film is maximum poppy – in clothing, grading, camera work, mixed-image styles, you name it. Just like Tony’s energy: full-on colourful.”
De Bruin added, “It’s fantastic, especially in this day and age, to be able to fully apply our approach to a happy activist, a cheerful brand that’s doing something good for the world. And it was also great to be collaborating again with Thecla Schaeffer, with whom we worked before. We have a shared taste in popular culture: we both follow very closely what’s currently happening in terms of movements, styles, and opinions. That’s really stimulating.”
Thecla Schaeffer, CMO at Tony’s Chocolonely commented “For me, it’s quite simple: HERC understands the cultural zeitgeist like no other agency and knows how to translate communication strategies into colourful, distinctive creative work. Which is exactly what Tony’s Chocolonely needs.”
Sign the petition on Tony’s Chocolonely website.
