Toblerone can't use iconic Swiss mountain as logo anymore

Some of Toblerone's production is being moved out of Switzerland.

Matthias Ang | March 06, 2023, 12:26 PM

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The Matterhorn mountain in Switzerland is set to disappear from the packaging of Toblerone chocolate bars.

According to the BBC and Bloomberg the design will be changed to a more generic mountain and will include the signature of the brand's founder.

In a statement released to international media, the owner of Toblerone, Mondelez International, said: "The packaging redesign introduces a modernised and streamlined mountain logo that aligns with the geometric and triangular aesthetic."

Switzerland's national symbols cannot be used on dairy products not made exclusively within the country

Bloomberg reported that the change is due to some of the chocolate brand's production being moved to Slovakia from Switzerland.

In 2017, Switzerland passed a Swissness Act that stipulates that the country's national symbols and its crosses cannot be used on dairy products which are not made exclusively within the country.

For all other food products, the threshold is 80 per cent.

Why is some of Toblerone's production being moved out of Switzerland?

According to Mondelez International, the decision to move some of the chocolate's production to Bratislava in Slovakia is in response to "increased demand worldwide".

The company added that it was also seeking to grow the Toblerone brand "for the future".

According to Toblerone's website, the chocolate first went on sale in 1908.

However, the Matterhorn mountain was only introduced as the chocolate's logo in 1970 — 62 years later.

In 2016, Toblerone sparked consumer outrage when it decided to reduce the number of triangles in the bar, leaving gaps where chocolate used to be.

This reduced the net weight of each chocolate bar, while supposedly still retaining the distinctive design reminiscent of the Swiss alps.

Toblerone eventually reverted to its original design in 2018 amidst much criticism, the BBC reported.

Mondelez International was quoted as saying that the new shape had not been a "perfect long-term answer" for consumers.

Top photo by Morgan Thompson via Unsplash