Godiva Chocolate (History, FAQ & Commercials)

Nearly everyone knows about how delicious Godiva Chocolate is. This is one of the best-known chocolate brands in the US and also in other countries. This is a consistent product that offers various different flavor combinations, all made with luscious and creamy chocolate. Godiva is one of the chocolate products that people think of as a luxury food product.

This company has been around for years, and you will be enjoying a candy treat that has been carefully refined for years to make for one of the best products in the candy space. This product is sold in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia and it is also sold in specialty retailers. It is not hard to get your hands on these products if you have missed out on them in the past.

History

This candy company works with Belgian Chocolate. It is currently owned by Yildiz Holding and a South Korean equity company called MBK Partners. This company was founded in 1926 and was only purchased by the current owners in 2007. Godiva operates more than 600 store locations around the US, in Canada, Europe, and Asia. It is sold in 80 countries in total, which is something that no other candy company can boast about.

The first candy that Godiva made was actually praline. This almond and hazelnut product is made with caramelized sugar and it is one of the most traditional candy types. It was not a big leap to get to chocolate making, and Pierre Draps Senior made both products in his home before Godiva was the candy-making giant that it is today. The family quickly started working on making chocolates together, and the candy company grew into a chocolate company.

Godiva has planned to open up 2,000 cafes worldwide over the next few years which should offer them access to a coffee-shop-type experience that includes food as well as drinks and their traditional products. This was postponed due to the pandemic, but Godiva redirected and announced it will close all its brick-and-mortar locations across the US and then focus on other means of delivering its products via online sales.

Godiva was only sold in Belgium until 1958. The first shop outside of Belgium was opened in France on the Rue Saint Honoré. The products came to the US in 1966 and were sold in shopping centers thereafter. In 1972, the first shop was opened in New York. This has been a very successful product almost since it was first offered in the US, and Godiva reports millions in sales every year.

The first truffle products were offered for sale in 1946 when Pierre Draps Jr. created the Truffe Originale. In 1968, Godiva was made the official chocolatier to the Royal Court of Belgium.  This was a great honor for Godiva and it is one of the statements that is on the wrappers of all of the products. There are few chocolate companies with this kind of honor and this makes Godiva unique and distinct.

Campbell Soup Company bought the Godiva brand in 1972, but they sold it in 2007 saying that they were not interested in trying to continue to promote this brand that is so different from their other products. In May 2012 Café Godiva was opened in London’s Harrods store. This is one of the only brick-and-mortar locations that remain open. Other London locations include Regent Street Covent Garden Market, Canary Wharf, and St. Pancras Station.

The company celebrated its 90^th anniversary in 2016. This is one of the oldest candy brands that is still operating and it is not likely to be going anywhere anytime soon. Valentine’s Day and some of the other major holidays are huge sales times for Godiva but the products sell well year-round. Godiva also commits to lots of civic projects such as sustainability with the World Cocoa Foundation and also with Save the Children.

This is a really responsible brand that makes delicious products that are a match for their efforts in the social space.

Branding and Packaging

The Godiva brand has always sold itself as an upscale product. The boxes of candies have gold tops and the classic mixed variety method is used to build these boxes. You will also find more practical pouch-style bags that are colored to match the variety of Godiva truffle that is inside of them. Smaller candies such as the hearts might be offered in bags that are themed for holidays like Valentine’s Day or they could be packaged in a silver and white bag during non-holiday periods.

Godiva packaging has not changed much in the last twenty years, and the simple logo with the bold letters and the image of the horse and rider have been a part of product design almost since the company became a major player in this space. This is one of the most classic and unchanged candy branding efforts which is likely due to the fact that the product was originally sold primarily from a boutique-style location that offers in-person buying.

Candy boxes with various different candy flavors and varieties inside them have waned some in popularity over the years, but Godiva still offers this kind of candy product to its customers. This is a very simple yet refined candy product that is marketed at reasonable prices to a high-end product niche. You will appreciate the packaging styling if you need to give a gift, or you can just feel like you are spoiling yourself if you decide to splurge on a variety box of this candy’s favorites.

Logo

Popular Culture Around Godiva

Godiva Chocolate is associated with the legend of Lady Godiva who was the wife of Lord Leofric. She protested the taxation of his subjects and they struck a deal. Lady Godiva said she would ride through the streets of Coventry clad in nothing but her long hair. If no one came out to chastise her, their taxes would be lifted.

Lady Godiva made the famous ride and the citizens stayed inside. Leofric kept his word and Lady Godiva was heralded as a heroine. This story has long been told as an example of the purity and goodness of heart that is associated with this famous woman and Godiva has used the association to promote their products for generations.

Godiva’s association with Lady Godiva has led to some recent issues with their use of the connection in public and in advertising. This has always been a central part of the marketing of this brand and the misuse of this female symbology over the years upon occasion has caused the brand to back off on using its link with Lady Godiva as extensively in ads. This is one of the only candy products that is associated with this kind of story and the connection has not aged as well as another kind of marketing ploy might have.

There has also been a bit of chaos surrounding the Lady Godiva public house in Switzerland which was warned by Godiva to stop infringing on intellectual property related to Lady Godiva and the chocolate brand. This might end up being a bit of he said, she said, but this had further tarnished the connection between the candy and this famous woman. Godiva Chocolate stated that they feel that Lady Godiva herself would not want to be associated with this other business entity due to the way that the historical figure was treated in their recent advertising.

Godiva was also criticized recently for their use of child labor in the production of cocoa and for Godiva’s Milk Chocolate products that were found to be contaminated with nickel in a test that was done by a German consumer institute. There has been no shortage of challenges for the company due to the pandemic, so these additional PR burdens could not have happened at a more inopportune time.

Varieties

• Truffe Amande Au Miel
• Truffe Framboise
• Truffe Amere
• Truff Mathilde
• Truffe Cappuccino
• Truffe Praliné Brésilienne
• Truffe Crème Brûlée
• Truffe Speculoos
• Truffe Traditionnelle
• Eclat Feuilletine
• Mosaique Macadamia
• Pepite Amande
• Tourbillon Praline
• Noix Macadamia
• Lune Praline
• Lingot Noisette
• Ecusson
• Lady Lait
• Coeur Lait
• Volupte Lait
• Iconique
• Signature Lait Café
• Perle Amande Lait
• Mokalata
• Tourbillon 85
• Extra Dark Palette Dark Ganache
• Couer Noir
• Extra Dark Palet Raspberry
• Lady Noir
• Volupt 72
• Lune Passion
• Noisettine
• Liberty
• Orangette
• Serti Noisette
• Nippon
• Moelleux Caramel Chocolat
• Moelleux Caramel Framboise
• Ecusson Fondant
• Saint Germain
• Coeur Blanc
• Serti Macadamia
• Mielodie
• Croustine
• Signature Blanc Café

Ingredients

From the basic milk chocolate product:

• Sugar
• Unsweetened Chocolate processed with alkali
• Cocoa butter
• Palm oil
• Palm kernel oil
• Butter oil (milk)
• Milk powder
• Skim milk
• Emulsifier (soy lecithin)
• Natural flavor

They state that their products also contain tree nuts and their derivatives. This is the one allergy that is listed on these products. Obviously, you will also need to be aware of this product containing milk too. There are no products that are made by Godiva that do not contain milk.

Nutrition

Serving Size:	3 pieces (41g)	% Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat	108
Calories	190
Total Fat	12g	18%
Saturated Fat	8g	40%
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	10mg	3%
Sodium	50mg	2%
Total Carbohydrates	22g	7%
Dietary Fiber	1g	4%
Sugars	18g
Protein	2g
Vitamin A		2%
Vitamin C		0%
Calcium		4%
Iron		8%

• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Pictures

Ads:

New ad for the product line:

Another newer ad:

Godiva masterpieces commercial:

A holiday ad:

FAQ