Nesquik is a
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
of
food
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...
products made by
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internation ...
company
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. (; ; ) is a Switzerland, Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other me ...
. In 1948,
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. (; ; ) is a Switzerland, Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other me ...
launched a
drink mix
A drink mix is a processed-food product, designed to mix usually with water to produce a beverage resembling fruit juice or soda in flavor. Another type of drink mix is represented by products that are mixed into milk. It is traditionally made i ...
for
chocolate-flavored milk called Nestlé Quik in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
; this was released in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
during the 1950s as ''Nesquik''.
Since 1999, the brand has been known as ''Nesquik'' worldwide.
Today, the Nesquik name appears on a wide range of products, including
breakfast cereal
Cereal, formally termed breakfast cereal (and further categorized as cold cereal or warm cereal), is a traditional breakfast food made from processed cereal grains. It is traditionally eaten as part of breakfast, or a snack food, primarily in ...
s,
powdered mixes for flavored milk,
syrups,
ready-to-drink products,
candy bars,
Fondue
Fondue (, , ) is a Swiss melted cheese dish served in a communal pot ( ''caquelon'' or fondue pot) over a portable stove () heated with a candle or spirit lamp, and eaten by dipping bread into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. It was promote ...
fountains,
Hot chocolate
Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener like whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate ...
mix, and more.
History
![Charles Herbert 1960s](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Charles_Herbert_1960s.jpg)
Nesquik began as a chocolate powdered flavoring mix in the United States in 1948, as Nestlé Quik. In the 1950s, it was launched in Europe as Nesquik. In countries with the Quik term (including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Australia, where it was originally marketed under the name Nestlé's Quik), the name was changed to the worldwide brand Nesquik in 1999. The same year,
Cereal Partners Worldwide
Cereal Partners Worldwide S.A. is a joint venture between General Mills and Nestlé, established in 1991 to produce breakfast cereals. The company is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and markets cereals in more than 130 countries (excep ...
introduced
Nesquik Cereal, a breakfast cereal that "turns milk into chocolate milk", which is similar to
Cocoa Puffs
Cocoa Puffs is an American brand of chocolate-flavored puffed grain breakfast cereal, manufactured by General Mills. Introduced in 1956, the cereal consists of small orbs of corn and rice flavored with cocoa. Cocoa Puffs have the same shape as K ...
. Nesquik syrup products were introduced in 1981 and ready-to-drink products were introduced in 1984.
On 8 November 2012, Nestlé USA issued a voluntary recall of limited quantities of Nesquik Chocolate Powder made and sold in the United States. These that were recalled were of the 10.9-, 21.8-, and 40.7-ounce tins. This recall only affected the chocolate variety; it did not affect the other varieties of the mix or any other Nesquik products. This was the first known recall of a Nesquik product. These tins were taken off the market after Nestlé was informed via a supplier, Omya Inc. that it had issued a recall of certain lots of one of its own products, calcium carbonate for
Salmonella
''Salmonella'' is a genus of rod-shaped (bacillus) Gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The two species of ''Salmonella'' are ''Salmonella enterica'' and ''Salmonella bongori''. ''S. enterica'' is the type species and is fur ...
contamination. The affected Nesquik chocolate mix was produced during early October 2012. All affected products had an expiration date of Best Before October 2014. Nestlé issued a statement on the recall stating, "We apologize to our consumer and sincerely regret this incident."
On 1 April 2013, the official Facebook page of Nesquik USA posted a photo on their page depicting a broccoli-flavored ready-to-drink flavor of Nesquik. However, upon closer inspection of the photo, there was a notice in the lower-left corner that it was not an actual Nestlé product. Nesquik USA announced later in the same day that it was an April Fool's joke.
In January 2017, Nestlé food scientists outlined a strategy to reformulate their drink mix to remove over half of the sugar content, citing consumer backlash against sweetened mixes and beverages.
Products
Mixes
![Tassa de Nesquik](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Tassa_de_Nesquik.jpg)
* Nesquik Chocolate Powder was introduced in 1948.
* Nesquik Banana Powder was introduced in 1954.
* Nesquik Strawberry Powder was introduced prior to 1960.
* Nesquik Vanilla Powder was introduced in 1979, but this was discontinued in 2006 due to low sales.
* Additional powder flavors have been introduced, but discontinued: Cherry (1989–1995), Mango (1991–2000), Cream (1997), Triple Chocolate (2002–2006), Honey (2001–2006), Crème Soda (sold in South Africa until 2015),
Caramel
Caramel ( or ) is an orange-brown confectionery product made by heating a range of sugars. It can be used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, or as a topping for ice cream and custard.
The process of caramelizatio ...
, Cookies & Cream.
Ingredients
The ingredients of the "classic" chocolate powder are:
*Sugar
*
Cocoa powder
Cocoa may refer to:
Chocolate
* Chocolate
* ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree
* Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao''
* Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...
processed with
alkali
In chemistry, an alkali (; from ar, القلوي, al-qaly, lit=ashes of the saltwort) is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a ...
*
Soy lecithin
Lecithin (, from the Greek ''lekithos'' "yolk") is a generic term to designate any group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in animal and plant tissues which are amphiphilic – they attract both water and fatty substances (and so a ...
*
Carrageenan
Carrageenans or carrageenins ( ; ) are a family of natural linear sulfated polysaccharides that are extracted from red edible seaweeds. Carrageenans are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties. T ...
*Salt
*
Natural flavor
A flavoring (or flavouring), also known as flavor (or flavour) or flavorant, is a food additive used to improve the taste or smell of food. It changes the perceptual impression of food as determined primarily by the chemoreceptors of the gustat ...
*Spice
*Vitamins and minerals:
**
Sodium ascorbate
Sodium ascorbate is one of a number of mineral salts of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). The molecular formula of this chemical compound is C6H7NaO6. As the sodium salt of ascorbic acid, it is known as a mineral ascorbate. It has not been demonstrate ...
(vitamin C)
**Ferric pyrophosphate (iron)
**
Niacinamide
Niacinamide or Nicotinamide (NAM) is a form of vitamin B3 found in food and used as a dietary supplement and medication. As a supplement, it is used by mouth to prevent and treat pellagra (niacin deficiency). While nicotinic acid (niacin) may b ...
**
Zinc oxide
Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a white powder that is insoluble in water. ZnO is used as an additive in numerous materials and products including cosmetics, food supplements, rubbers, plastics, ceramics, glass, cemen ...
**
Thiamin hydrochloride
Thiamine, also known as thiamin and vitamin B1, is a vitamin, an essential micronutrient, that cannot be made in the body. It is found in food and commercially synthesized to be a dietary supplement or medication. Phosphorylated forms of thi ...
**
Copper gluconate
**
Manganese sulfate
Manganese(II) sulfate usually refers to the inorganic compound with the formula MnSO4·H2O. This pale pink deliquescent solid is a commercially significant manganese(II) salt. Approximately 260,000 tonnes of manganese(II) sulfate were produced w ...
**
Biotin
Biotin (or vitamin B7) is one of the B vitamins. It is involved in a wide range of metabolic processes, both in humans and in other organisms, primarily related to the utilization of fats, carbohydrates, and amino acids. The name ''biotin'', bor ...
Syrups
Nesquik chocolate syrup was introduced in 1981. Strawberry was added in 1989. Vanilla was added in Canada in 2021. Mixed flavors such as Strawberry Banana and Chocolate Caramel have also been produced.
Ready-to-drink
''Not including refrigerated Nesquik, which is made by
Saputo Dairy''.
* Nestlé introduced ready-to-drink Nesquik (Quik at the time) Chocolate Milk in 1983. Strawberry was added in 1987, and Banana was added in 1990. Vanilla, Double Chocolate, and Banana-Strawberry are also available.
* Fat-Free Nesquik Chocolate Milk was introduced in 1998.
* Nesquik Milkshakes come in Chocolate and Strawberry. Chocolate Caramel was introduced in 2007.
* Nestlé introduced Nesquik "Magic" Straws in 2008
The ready-to-drink versions of Nesquik ended production in 2009 in the U.K.
Ingredients
The ingredients of the ready-to-drink chocolate milk are:
*
Reduced fat milk with vitamin A palmitate and vitamin D3 added
*
High fructose corn syrup
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as glucose–fructose, isoglucose and glucose–fructose syrup, is a sweetener made from corn starch. As in the production of conventional corn syrup, the starch is broken down into glucose by enzym ...
*Less than 2% of:
**
Cocoa powder
Cocoa may refer to:
Chocolate
* Chocolate
* ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree
* Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao''
* Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...
processed with alkali
**
Nonfat milk
The fat content of milk is the proportion of milk, by weight,
made up by butterfat. The fat content, particularly of cow's milk, is modified to make a variety of products. The fat content of milk is usually stated on the container, and the color ...
**Sugar
**
Calcium carbonate
**Natural and
artificial flavors
A flavoring (or flavouring), also known as flavor (or flavour) or flavorant, is a food additive used to improve the taste or smell of food. It changes the perceptual impression of food as determined primarily by the chemoreceptors of the gust ...
**
Guar gum
Guar gum, also called guaran, is a galactomannan polysaccharide extracted from guar beans that has thickening and stabilizing properties useful in food, feed, and industrial applications. The guar seeds are mechanically dehusked, hydrated, mil ...
**Salt
**
Carrageenan
Carrageenans or carrageenins ( ; ) are a family of natural linear sulfated polysaccharides that are extracted from red edible seaweeds. Carrageenans are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties. T ...
Cereal
Nesquik Cereal is a
breakfast cereal
Cereal, formally termed breakfast cereal (and further categorized as cold cereal or warm cereal), is a traditional breakfast food made from processed cereal grains. It is traditionally eaten as part of breakfast, or a snack food, primarily in ...
first manufactured by Cereal Partners in 1999. The cereal consists of small (about in diameter) chocolate
Whole grain
A whole grain is a grain of any cereal and pseudocereal that contains the endosperm, germ, and bran, in contrast to refined grains, which retain only the endosperm.
As part of a general healthy diet, consumption of whole grains is associated w ...
hollow spheres. Nesquik Cereal is most similar to General Mills'
Cocoa Puffs
Cocoa Puffs is an American brand of chocolate-flavored puffed grain breakfast cereal, manufactured by General Mills. Introduced in 1956, the cereal consists of small orbs of corn and rice flavored with cocoa. Cocoa Puffs have the same shape as K ...
; it is also their most direct competitor.
Nesquik Cereal is sold in dozens of countries worldwide such as the U.K., Sweden, Canada, Mexico, France, and Hong Kong. It is sold throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, South America, and parts of North America. It is currently available in 43 countries. It is available in , , , and package sizes. Most Nesquik Cereal is manufactured in France by Cereal Partners.
It is also available in two other varieties: CioccoMilk (a filled square-shaped chocolate puffed rice-and-corn cereal), and Duo (the original variety, but with white chocolate flavored rice-and-
Puffcorn
Puffcorn or corn puffs are puffed or extruded corn snacks made with corn meal, and baked.
Puffcorn is an extruded puffed corn snack which belongs in the snack group products made with corn grits, rice, wheat, or other cereals. Puffcorn is often ...
. A third variety was introduced in certain regions of EMEA and Kerela called DittoMilk but was discontinued.)
Other
* Nesquik chocolate
candy bar
A candy bar is a type of candy that is in the shape of a bar. The most common type of candy bar is the chocolate bar, including both bars made of solid chocolate and combination candy bars, which are candy bars that combine chocolate with other ...
s were originally known as Nestlé Quik candy bars before the 1999 name change.
* A Nesquik Chocolate Fondue Fountain was made by Smart Planet Home, using the Nesquik name and logo under license.
* A Nesquik flavor of Nestlé
hot cocoa
Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener like whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate ...
mix features bunny-shaped
marshmallow
Marshmallow (, ) is a type of confectionery that is typically made from sugar, water and gelatin whipped to a solid-but-soft consistency. It is used as a filling in baking or normally molded into shapes and coated with corn starch. The sugar c ...
s and advertises 38% more
calcium
Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to ...
than regular hot cocoa.
* Nesquik Chocolate Pots, a chocolate
fromage frais
''Fromage blanc'' (; ; also known as ''maquée'') is a fresh cheese originating from the north of France and southern Belgium. The name means "white cheese" in French. ''Fromage frais'' ("fresh cheese") differs from ''fromage blanc'' in that, ac ...
range was available in the U.K..
* Nesquik is available for the
Dolce Gusto
The Nescafé Dolce Gusto is a coffee capsule system from Nestlé. The machines are produced by hardware manufacturers Arno from Næver, Krups and De'Longhi.
Devices
Melody series
The first series of 2006 consisted of the models KP2000 (Black ...
system.
* Nesquik is available as a flavor of Ice-Screamers frozen novelties made by Nestlé.
* Nesquik created a Nesquik-powered
race car
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organi ...
for advertising and marketing purposes.
* Nesquik Milk Slice, a sponge cake with chocolate flavor yogurt filling is available in the U.K.
Advertising campaigns
Nesquik has had hundreds of various advertising campaigns over its long history. It has had ads from print ads to ads at the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
, and
Olympics
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
in recent years. It has been advertised with close to one dozen mascots.
Jimmy Nelson, Danny O'Day, and Farfel
In 1955, Nestlé hired
ventriloquist
Ventriloquism, or ventriloquy, is a performance act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) creates the illusion that their voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered prop known as a "dummy". The act of ventriloquism is v ...
Jimmy Nelson to do its advertising on children's television programming. Nelson's dummy Danny O'Day would say that Quik "makes milk taste...like a ''mill-ion''" (dollars). Danny and a dog named
Farfel
Farfel (Yiddish: פֿאַרפֿל, ''farfl''; from Middle High German ''varveln'') is small pellet- or flake-shaped pasta used in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. It is made from a Jewish egg noodle dough and is frequently toasted before being cooked. ...
would finish the commercials by singing Nestlé's brand-new signature
jingle
A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually t ...
:
:Danny: ''N-E-S-T-L-E-S,''
:''Nestlé's makes the very best...''
:Farfel: ''Choc-'late''
Farfel would finish with the sound of his jaw snapping shut. This effect was accidentally invented when Nelson's sweaty finger (a result of nervousness) slipped off the mouth control during his first audition in front of the Nestlé executives. This would normally be a serious technical mistake for a ventriloquist, but they actually liked it so much that they insisted that Nelson keep it in. Nelson performed the jingle that way for 10 years.
Nesquik Bunny (a.k.a. Quicky)
![WW Chicago 2015 - Quik Bunny (20426134754)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/WW_Chicago_2015_-_Quik_Bunny_%2820426134754%29.jpg)
A cartoon Quik Bunny first appeared on the cans of the strawberry flavor when it was introduced. Later, an
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
animated bunny wearing a large red "
Q" on a
collar
Collar may refer to:
Human neckwear
*Clerical collar (informally ''dog collar''), a distinctive collar used by the clergy of some Christian religious denominations
*Collar (clothing), the part of a garment that fastens around or frames the neck
...
-like necklace, was introduced in television commercials as the new chocolate Quik
mascot
A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...
. He debuted in 1960 and first appeared in his first TV commercial in 1973. The character is voiced by
Barry Gordon
Barry Gordon (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and political talk show host. He was the longest-serving president of the Screen Actors Guild, having served from 1988 to 1995. He is perhaps best known as the original voice of Donatello ...
.
He sings Nesquik's most famous jingle in a rock-and-roll rhythm:
Then he vocalizes only four notes "oh-do-be-oh" and instead of vocalizing the fifth note which is "doh", he immediately sucks all of his drink down through a straw, then finishes the rhyme by forlornly intoning, "That's the saddest sound I know."
![CCFL709(1996)Nesquick@PdSol-Prazeres28](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/CCFL709%281996%29Nesquick%40PdSol-Prazeres28.jpg)
In the U.S. by 1999, the Quik Bunny was renamed the Nesquik Bunny and his "Q" changed to an "N" when the brand name was changed. He appears on the
packaging
Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a co ...
and marketing and has appeared in the product's
television commercials
A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
. The artist who made the redesign of the Bunny for its global implantation in the '90s was the cartoonist Ramon Maria Casanyes. In France, Italy, and Canada, he is known as Quicky the Nesquik Bunny. In Spain, there was no mascot prior to the introduction of Quicky in 1990/1991.
The Nesquik Bunny is also featured on the packaging and advertisements for other Nesquik products.
Appearances in other media
* The Quik Bunny was parodied in the animated television series ''
Drawn Together
''Drawn Together'' is an American adult animation, adult animated sitcom created by Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein and premiered on Comedy Central on October 27, 2004. The series is a parody of ''The Surreal Life'' and follows the misadventures ...
'' episode "
Unrestrainable Trainable" where he was found engaging in sexual activity with three of the main characters and stunned at the contents of his "
chocolate milk
Chocolate milk is a type of flavoured milk made by mixing cocoa solids with milk (either dairy or plant-based). It is a food pairing in which the milk's mouthfeel masks the dietary fibres of the cocoa solids.
Types
The liquid carbohydrate ...
".
* A promotional comic with
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
.
A promotional comic-->
* ''The Adventures of Quik Bunny'' comic.
* A Quik Bunny balloon had been a staple of the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...
from 1988 until 1999.
Groquik (Quikáras)
France and
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
first had another mascot for Nesquik, which was a giant fat yellow hippopotamus-like
cartoon
A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...
creature with a deep voice, wearing a hat with red and white stripes, called Groquik—a variation of ''Gros Quik'' ("Fat Quik"), created by Gilbert Mast and puppeteered by
Yves Brunier. In Greece, the mascot was called ''Κουικάρας'' (or
Quikáras—English: "Big Quik") He was later replaced by Quicky, much to the discontent of fans who protested against the lack of a sympathetic character and the Americanism.
The character was created in 1978. His first appearance was in the French magazine, ''
Téléjunior'' in April 1979. The designer of the character was Gilbert Mas. In the French advertisements where Groquik was depicted; he was a puppet character portrayed by renowned French puppeteer
Yves Brunier, who manufactured and portrayed puppets as a ventriloquist. He has also created famous characters such as
Casimir
Casimir is classically an English, French and Latin form of the Polish name Kazimierz. Feminine forms are Casimira and Kazimiera. It means "proclaimer (from ''kazać'' to preach) of peace (''mir'')."
List of variations
*Belarusian: Казі ...
,
L'Île aux enfants, and worked on ''
The Muppet Show
''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a ser ...
''.
The Greek character's catchphrase was: ''"I have a craving for Neskouik!"'' (at the time, this translated into Quik, as the name had not yet been changed) The French character's catchphrase was the same, but in French. These catchphrases were passed on to their successor, the Nesquik Bunny. In the Greek television ads, Kouikaras would chase after thieves who kidnapped children, after trying to steal their Quik; the children refused to give their Quik to the thieves, so the thieves stole the children along with the Quik. Kouikaras would catch the thieves, saved the children, and returned the Quik to the children. Over the years, this basic advertising format spawned various variations, such as ads where pirates stole Quik and kidnapped children, and they were saved by Kouikaras; another version followed the basic format, but was instead set in space. Many other versions followed this format, and some still follow this format today with the Nesquik Bunny.
The last ad with Kouikaras (which was played in Greece) showed a train at a train station soon to be leaving the station. Kouikaras was at the station, and dozens of children at the station said goodbye to Kouikaras, soon after he boarded the train, and it began to leave the station. As it left the station, and the children waved goodbye, thieves once again stole the Quik, and Quicky the bunny (who had been at the station the entire time) caught the thieves and returned the Quik back to the children.
In 2001, Nesquik launched a website, which was dedicated to Groquik. The website contained old Nesquik commercials and advertisements, contests, e-cards, logos, and more.
Cangurik
In
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, the mascot was a kangaroo, Cangurik, which was replaced by Quicky in 1989/1990. The song "Cangurik" was recorded by
Suzy Paula
Suzy may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Suzy'' (film), a 1936 film starring Jean Harlow, Franchot Tone and Cary Grant
* "Suzy" (Fool's Garden song), a song by German pop band Fool's Garden
* "Suzy", a song by French electro swing band Ca ...
in 1982. Joel Branco recorded "Uma Árvore, Um Amigo", with Cangurik on the cover, in 1984. "Amigos do cangurik" (1986) was a collection of trading cards. There was a club named "Clube do Cangurik".
Mr. Nesquik
In Italy, before the arrival of Quicky, the mascot was an anthropomorphized box of Nesquik called ''Mr. Nesquik''.
Especially in the 1980s, he represented a popular and easily recognizable
advertising character
A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Ma ...
thanks to TV commercials (featuring an iconic jingle based on the music of
Oh! Susanna
"Oh! Susanna" is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster (1826–1864), first published in 1848. It is among the most popular American songs ever written. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all tim ...
), press advertisements (most notably on
Topolino
''Topolino'' (from the Italian name for Mickey Mouse) is an Italian digest-sized comic series featuring Disney comics. The series has had a long running history, first appearing in 1932 as a comics magazine. It is currently published by Panini ...
comic books), and to the many complimentary gadgets included with every box of Nesquik powdered chocolate throughout the years, all bearing his image.
Mr. Nesquik made his final appearance around 1990, concomitant with Quicky's introduction, for the promotion of a new gadget, the Volaquik, already depicting the latter character, making for a symbolic relay between the two mascots.
Nesquik Cereal
Nesquik Cereal is advertised in the 43 countries in which it is sold. It is mainly marketed via television, though there have been several online and print ads for the product. All ads for the cereal tend to include the Nesquik Bunny.
2012–2013 attempted TV ad ban in England
The attempted ban revolved around a Nesquik chocolate powder TV ad, created by Momentum London, which attracted five complaints to the
Advertising Standards Authority. The ad for Nesquik chocolate milkshake stated: "You know, kids only grow up once, which is why they pack their days full of the good stuff. So start theirs with a tasty glass of Nesquik at breakfast. It has essential vitamins and minerals to help them grow and develop, because all this laughing and playing can be hard work."
An animation showed the ingredients "Vitamins D, B & C", "Iron", and "Magnesium" adjacent to a glass of the product, mixed with milk. On-screen text during the ad read, "Enjoy Nesquik as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle".
Some consumers were angered, complaining the ad encouraged poor nutritional habits, as the advertisement had suggested that the product was suitable to give for breakfast to children on a daily basis. Five of them reported the advertisement to
Ofcom
The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom.
Ofcom has wide-ranging powers acros ...
. Clearcast, the agency that regulates television advertisements, said that it understood that the amount of sugar that is in a single glass of prepared chocolate Nesquik is "well within" the World Health Organisation's guidelines for daily sugar consumption.
To support its case and defense, Nesquik commented on the ad's reference to iron, magnesium Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D. It said that health claims for these micronutrients, in relation to growth and development and maintenance of bones and teeth, had been positively tested by the authorities. Nestlé also said that the benefits of drinking milk were well known and that Nesquik was suitable to be consumed once a day, as part of a balanced diet and
Health promotion
Health promotion is, as stated in the 1986 World Health Organization (WHO) Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, the "process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health."
Scope
The WHO's 1986 Ottawa Charter for Healt ...
.
The ASA ruled in favor of Nestlé, saying that it noted that Nestlé provided nutritional information on its packaging and website. Furthermore, it said it did not consider that the level of sugar in the product was so high as to preclude sensible daily consumption. The ASA ruled that further action was not necessary.
In popular culture
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Southern Baptist
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The word ...
minister and comedian Reverend
Grady Nutt
Grady Lee Nutt (September 2, 1934 – November 23, 1982) was a Southern Baptist minister, humorist, television personality, and author. He was an uncle to performer Joey Lauren Adams. His humor revolved around rural Southern Protestantism and ...
told a joke in his stand-up act in which a minister, possessing a suitably charismatic voice, could read the ingredients off a box of Nestlé's Quik, putting the proper meaning and interpretation into words like
niacin
Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid, is an organic compound and a form of vitamin B3, an essential human nutrient. It can be manufactured by plants and animals from the amino acid tryptophan. Niacin is obtained in the diet from a variet ...
,
thiamine
Thiamine, also known as thiamin and vitamin B1, is a vitamin, an essential micronutrient, that cannot be made in the body. It is found in food and commercially synthesized to be a dietary supplement or medication. Phosphorylated forms of thi ...
, and
riboflavin
Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, is a vitamin found in food and sold as a dietary supplement. It is essential to the formation of two major coenzymes, flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide. These coenzymes are involved in ...
, "and people would stand weepin' and volunteerin' for foreign missions!"
* In
"The Launch Acceleration" episode of the fifth season of the TV series ''
The Big Bang Theory
''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...
'', it was revealed that Strawberry Quik (along with
Pepto-Bismol
Bismuth subsalicylate, sold generically as pink bismuth and under the brand names Pepto-Bismol and BisBacter, is an antacid medication used to treat temporary discomforts of the stomach and gastrointestinal tract, such as nausea, heartburn, indig ...
) is the favorite pink fluid of Dr. Sheldon Cooper in a "hot date" with Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, as the latter attempts to transfer his attachment to several items towards her.
* In Disney's 2012 film ''
Wreck-It Ralph
''Wreck-It Ralph'' is a 2012 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 52nd Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Rich Moore (in his feature director ...
'', the Nesquik chocolate milk mix appears when Fix-It Felix and Sergeant Calhoun fall from a double-stripe in Sugar Rush. The sign in the mix said "Nesquik Sand" (a pun on the word "quicksand".)
* In the 140th episode of ''
Epic Meal Time
''Epic Meal Time'' is a Canadian YouTube cooking show known for creating extremely high-calorie meals, generally out of meat products (with particular emphasis on bacon) and including alcohol (especially Jack Daniel's). It debuted in Octobe ...
'', the cast of the Canadian web series created a chocolate-filled breakfast with Nesquik-covered bacon.
* Tyler Zetting, the starting goalie for Western Washington University's men's hockey team, said that he made a promise early in their team's season. "I don't know why I said this, but I promised the whole team Nesquik if we won the national championship", he reportedly said. After each win for the team, they would reportedly chant: "One game closer to Nesquik." After they won the National Associated of Intercollegiate Hockey Championships in Buffalo, NY on 17 March, Zetting said, "The first thing we chanted after we won, as we were taking our pictures, the whole team started chanting, 'Nesquik,'" Zetting said. "Everyone in that rink was like, 'What are they saying?' And I had to buy everyone Nesquik."
* A parody of Groquik appeared in episode 7 of ''Les Kassos'', in which he does a poor job at hiding his racism.
See also
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Milo (drink)
Milo ( ; stylised as MILO) is a chocolate-flavoured malted powder product produced by Nestlé, typically mixed with milk, hot water, or both, to produce a beverage. It was originally developed in Australia by Thomas Mayne (1901–1995) in 193 ...
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Cola Cao
Cola Cao is a sugary chocolate drink with vitamins and minerals that originated in Spain and is now produced and marketed in several countries. The brand is owned by the Barcelona-based company Idilia Foods (formerly Nutrexpa).
History
In 1945, ...
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Ovaltine
Ovaltine (also known by its original name Ovomaltine) is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract (except in the blue packaging in the United States), sugar (except in Switzerland), and whey. Some flavors also have cocoa. Ovaltin ...
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Carnation Instant Breakfast
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Nescafe
References
External links
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{{Chocolate beverages
Nestlé cereals
Nestlé brands
Products introduced in 1948
Instant foods and drinks
Chocolate drinks
Powdered drink mixes
Swiss brands
Brand name chocolate