I’ve been watching a German brand of chocolate for years and either the owners, Mars, keep changing their product managers, or they’re getting a bit lost. It’s called “Amicelli” (I think).

They launched the brand in 1999. At the time the slogan was “Alles nur nicht männlich” (everything, except “male”). Sadly I have no copy of the campaign but it hit a few headlines and attracted a number of complaints. The campaign only featured women, looking almost mockingly (though flirtingly) at men, as they (the women, not the men) ate long, thin chocolates. The play on the chocolate as a phallic object was obvious.

Don’t forget your coffee

The slogan they ran with at launch was “Genuss bei dem man alles andere vergisst” (literally: “Indulgence, in which one forgets everything else”, no, admittedly, that can’t be translated accurately and still sound catchy).

No sooner had the slogan become established, I guess they ran some focus groups and worked out women didn’t like it, or the campaign. It clearly targetted women. So, out comes a new campaign, not long after the launch campaign:

Well, if you ask me this is the same concept behind KitKat (take a break, take a Kitkat). It could even be Magnum (me and my Magnum). Or German brand LilaPause (which even has the concept of taking a break in the name). All right, in the days of cocooning I can see that chocolate is about a little treat. But what about the old “male” bit? Who knows. Let’s call this an advertising strategy revision. Just muck around with the benefits and voilà. After all, it’s about imagery, not much function with this brand (unless the launch had other hidden meanings I don’t dare to think about).

The first Amicelli pack design in Germany

Then, within the last year, what do I see? Another relaunch?

Ah! This time a packaging relaunch. Sorry, let’s call that portfolio streamlining. They’ve taken another Masterfoods brand and merged it with the ailing Amicelli. So now we have DOVE Amicelli. Could it be they had another brand manager? Or did they listen to the feedback in focus groups – surely Dove is body lotion and soap and all sorts of cosmeticky things. What, Dove chocolate?

But, sadly within months, the Dove had flown off again. Surprise surprise. And our amigo Amicelli is back in his old clothing (or maybe they had to clear out some old stock).

Amazed by their U-turns, and after nearly giving up twice before I finally worked out you can’t get to the Amicelli website via the German company website (and the US site for Mars has no link to Germany – you end up in an email template to contact the company), I decided to take a look at the latest weekly (or is it monthly) status on Amicelli.

It’s worth a visit (save the wild choc chase): www.amicelli.de. Wow, confused branding or what? We have the mother brand, Amicelli (click on Produkte). Next to it Dove Waves. Sorry that should be Dove© Waves(TM). Then Dove Liaison.

Er, hang on. Is this brand called Amicelli or Dove?! I’ll keep you posted.