Rowntrees Lion Bar: Sunset

The simple power of association. Not a “melt in your mouth”, but a macho “crunch it, chew it”, for “when you feel like a great big bite”.

If a lion is the iconic animal that a product’s brand is based upon, then what else is needed than just to show a real life lion? That must have been the thinking behind this uncomplicated advert, where the “magnificence” of the lion is advertisement enough in itself. As the Great British Diet has it: “A true beast of a bar. The Lion Bar is another piece of Rowntree's confectionery genius that boasts textures, calories and manliness.”

This is one of a large collection of films made by Rowntree’s of York (now Nestlé), most of which are adverts for their confectionary products. Apparently the Lion Bar was originally designed by chocolatier Allan Norman who worked at Rowntree’s second largest UK factory in Fawdon, Tyneside, which opened in 1958. After a trial in the Dorset area in 1977 Eric Nicoli of the marketing dept at Rowntree's introduced it, along with Yorkie (he later become head of EMI music). Some have seen it as a rival to Cadbury’s Picnic bar which came out much earlier in 1958. Nestlé claim that they are aimed primarily at young men aged 16-24.