Morinaga has released Dars chocolate in a package intenionally printed backwards.
Snack maker Morinaga has released a its Dars chocolate bar in a new package intentionally printed backwards, as part of a clever Valentine’s Day promotional campaign.
Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Japan by the giving of chocolate as in many other countries. However, it is the custom for women to present chocolate to men. Women working in companies are expected to give small, inexpensive gifts of chocolate to male coworkers at the office, a custom called “giri choco” (obligatory chocolate). With February 14th falling on a Saturday this year, chocolate makers are fretting over the lower demand for “giri choco”.
To make matters worse, it seems that Japanese women are feed up with the whole tradition. Earlier this month, chocolate maker Morinaga published the results of a survey revealing that 90.8% of Japanese women would like receive chocolate from men on Valentine’s Day. 69.7% said that they have bought chocolates for themselves for Valentine’s Day, and 89.6% admitted that they have eaten chocolate that was given to their boyfriends or male family members.
Popular actors Junji Takada and Yusuke Yamamoto are part of the campaign.
Japanese men seem ready to relent, with 85.9% saying the way Valentine’s Day is celebrated outside Japan is a good custom. 91.3% of men said they would give chocolate to women, but only if asked. To give Japanese men a little encouragement by promoting the idea of “reverse chocolate” (chocolate given by men to women), Morinaga has released a limited edition of its popular Dars chocolate bar with the packaging intentionally printed in reverse. Popular actors Junji Takada and Yusuke Yamamoto appear in television commercials promoting “reverse chocolate.”