They’ve been a permanent fixture in the confectionery aisle at supermarkets, gas stations and kiosks since 1974: Kinder Surprise eggs. These toy-filled chocolate eggs fascinate people almost everywhere in the world. Almost everywhere - except the USA ...
People have been shaking and rattling these toy-filled chocolate eggs, known by Germans simply as “Ü-Ei” (Überraschungsei), almost everywhere in the world for over 50 years. Reason enough to look back at their long history.
The Inventor
No doubt most people are familiar with the Kinder Surprise eggs, chocolate bars and Nutella chocolate spread made by Ferrero – but who’s actually behind it? When Michele Ferrero took over his parents’ company, people didn’t really know Ferrero outside Italy – the firm’s country of origin. He expanded the product lines and production facilities into other countries, and Ferrero became a global brand. For some of his life, the “chocolate king” ranked as the richest confectionery manufacturer in the world. What about the Kinder Surprise egg? That stems from one of his ideas too.
You Need Eggs at Easter. Chocolate Eggs.
The first Kinder Surprise eggs came onto the market in 1974, at Easter. You need eggs at Easter, of course. The idea of selling little gimmicks with confectionery products wasn’t totally new: Ferrero had already been selling Nutella with free gifts in Germany before that – although it was nowhere near as successful. The Surprise egg became a bestseller and they kept it in the product range. Incidentally it was filled with small toys just like the ones you used to buy from gum machines to begin with. Today there are special editions at Easter and Christmas – like the chocolate rabbits shown here, which incorporate a Surprise egg.
What’s Inside The Egg?
They quickly moved on from the original freebies and developed their own Ferrero gimmicks. The yellow capsules hidden inside the hollow chocolate eggs contain either a little model kit or a figure.
More Popular than Superman
The colourful figures made of hard plastic have been a staple of the Kinder egg range since the start of the 1980s. It started in 1981 with the Smurfs. Countless sets of characters have been released since then, often in cooperation with brands such as Disney. There has been Barbie, Pumuckl and superhero editions, but one of the most popular collections is these: the Happy Hippos.
Collectors’ Items
It’s a well-known fact that there are collectors and enthusiasts of everything, including Kinder Surprise eggs. If you’ve still got old Smurf figures in your cellar, you can count yourself lucky – some collectors will pay up to 12,000 euros for the night watchman Smurf. Yes, you read that right. Other figures can boost your bank balance instantly too – so rooting through those old memory boxes can certainly reap rewards. If you suddenly discover your passion for collecting, be warned – there are whole gangs of fraudsters offering fake figures on a flourishing market.
One in Seven Eggs …
… contains a figure – at least that’s the promise of the advertising slogan, which has resulted in an absolute shaking frenzy: people (especially those indulging their collecting passion) still have a habit of rattling an egg before they buy, in order to work out whether or not it contains a figure on the basis of sound or weight.
Alternative Contents
But not only are Surprise eggs great for spreading the idea of “Treat, discover, play”, they are also perfect for smuggling: criminals have now discovered the capsules’ potential too. Berlin customs officials caught a big fish in Berlin in 2012, when cigarette smugglers tried to use Kinder Surprise eggs to transport money.
Kinder Surprise – at Home Almost Everywhere in the World
While children all over the world are able to indulge their love for Surprise eggs and they are promoted accordingly (here’s the Kinder Christmas train in Kyiv, Ukraine), there are a few exceptions: they are banned in the USA due to a regulation. This regulation prohibits the sale of confectionery containing toys. And Chile also put Kinder Surprise on the illegal list in 2016 – to protect children and stop them becoming obese. The eggs were encouraging them to buy and eat unhealthy foods excessively, said the authorities.
Kinder chocolates finally made their way to the USA in 2017 with the introduction of Kinder Joy, a chocolate and toy pairing. Unlike traditional Kinder Surprise eggs, Kinder Joy comes in two separate halves, ensuring no inedible object is hidden inside, making it fully compliant with U.S. regulations. Its growing popularity—boosted by coveted toys featuring licensed characters from franchises like Harry Potter, DC superheroes, Barbie and Hot Wheels or NBA mascots—has helped make up for the U.S. being almost 50 years late to the party. The two-shell concept has been so successful that it has been adopted in other regions to address the notorious summer "dry spell," during which Kinder Surprise eggs are unavailable because summer heat softens or melts their thin chocolate shell. Ferrero’s decision to put the original eggs on a seasonal break is now complemented by Kinder Joy, which allows kids and fans to enjoy the treat all year round.
Thanks for the Flowers
By the way – Surprise eggs are not just suitable as presents for children, and you can find ideas galore for creating your own gifts on the internet. If you think a run-of-the-mill bunch of flowers is a dull gift for a friend, maybe you should opt for a brightly-coloured egg bouquet instead. However we suggest you don’t shake the bouquet before handing it over.
12/2022