Egg-laying amphibians? Freddo confuses a generation of budding natural historians (circa 1978).
Egg-laying amphibians? Freddo confuses a generation of budding natural historians (circa 1978).
A true star among the largely anonymous chocolate animal milieu, Freddo began life in 1930s Australia when one Harry Melbourne, apprentice chocolate moulder for MacRobertson’s, nervously queried his boss’s decision to launch a range of choccy mice, suggesting that, as some children (and, of course, all women) were sent into fits of chair-scaling terror at the sight of a rodent, might a frog not be a less risky commercial proposition? Rather than docking him a week’s wages for insubordination, Harry’s bosses, in a fine example of old-school ‘the boy might just be on to something’ management, sent him away to knock up a few samples. The resulting amphibian sweetmeat, sporting a cheery countenance and sensible footwear, proved that gut instinct right from the moment it went on sale. When Cadbury took over MacRobertson’s it was inevitable that their top-selling line reached the UK.
Launched in 1973 on a wave of cartoon anthropomorphism and creaky puns about leap years on the wrappers, the British Freddo joined such webbed stars as Kermit, Alberto and the intimidating Grog from Vision On, in what turned out to be a singularly froggy decade. By 1974 the lad was turning over £2 million a year. Cadbury’s Bournville HQ was inundated with Freddo fan art and fan fiction. As one exec put it: ‘He has a steady band of admirers who enjoy his special brand of humour as well as his eatability.’ This estimation was revised upwards the following year to the level of ‘national institution’, and non-edible merchandise was rolled out, including Freddo soft toys, finger puppets and greetings cards. Then, unaccountably, at the end of the decade he hopped it from British shelves. Perhaps the fame had all become too much. And sure, he’s been packing the arenas since his 1994 comeback, but somehow it seems like a soulless, money-raking shadow of former glories. Oh, Freddo, what happened? You used to be all about the chocolate!
A frog in one’s throat? Cadbury’s jolly green client (1973).