Nestlé Nesquik
Encyclopedia
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
corporation. It began as a chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
powdered flavoring mix in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1948, as Nestlé Quik. In the 1950s, it was launched in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as Nesquik. In countries with the Quik term (including the USA, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where it was originally marketed under the name Nestlé's Quik), the name was changed to the worldwide brand Nesquik in 1999. At the same time, General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
introduced Nesquik cereal, a breakfast cereal
Breakfast cereal
A breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
that "turns milk into chocolate milk."
Powders
- Nestle Quik Chocolate Powder was introduced in 1948.
- Nestle Quik Banana Powder was introduced 1954.
- Nestle Quik Strawberry Powder was introduced prior to 1970.
- Nestle Quik Vanilla Powder was introduced in 1979
- Additional powder flavors have been introduced, but discontinued: Cherry, (1989–1995; still sold in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
), Cream (1997), Triple Chocolate (2002–2006), Vanilla (2003–2006), Honey (2001–2006), Crème Soda (sold in South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
until recently).
- Nestle Quik Chocolate No Sugar Added was introduced in 1993. This product contains artificial sweetener (sucraloseSucraloseSucralose is an artificial sweetener. The majority of ingested sucralose is not broken down by the body and therefore it is non-caloric. In the European Union, it is also known under the E number E955. Sucralose is approximately 600 times as sweet as sucrose , twice as sweet as saccharin, and 3.3...
).
Syrup
- Nestle Quik Chocolate Syrup was introduced in 1981. Strawberry was added in 1989. Mixed flavours, such as Strawberry Banana and Chocolate Caramel, have also been produced.
Ready-to-Drink
- Nestle introduced Ready-to-Drink Quik Chocolate Milk in 1984. Strawberry was added in 1987, and Banana was added in 1990. Vanilla and Double Chocolate are also available.
- Fat Free Quik Chocolate Milk was introduced in 1998.
- Nesquik Milkshakes come in Chocolate and Strawberry. Chocolate Caramel was introduced in 2007.
- Nestle introduced Nesquik "Magic" Straws in 2008
The ready-to-drink versions of Nesquik ended production in 2009 in the UK.
Others
- Nestlé Nesquik chocolate candy bars (back then, they were known as Nestlé Quik candy bars before the name change).
- "Nestlé Nesquik" breakfast cerealBreakfast cerealA breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
, made of chocolate-flavored rice and corn puffs, is produced by Cereal Partners WorldwideCereal Partners WorldwideCereal 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 Cereal Partners Worldwide S.A. is a joint venture between...
, a joint venture between General MillsGeneral MillsGeneral Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
and Nestlé. This, like some other chocolate breakfast cereals, flavors the milk. - A Nesquik flavor of Nestlé hot cocoa mix features bunny-shaped marshmallowMarshmallowThe marshmallow is a confection that, in its modern form, typically consists of sugar, corn syrup, water, gelatin that has been softened in hot water, dextrose, vanilla flavourings, and sometimes colouring, whipped to a spongy consistency. Some marshmallow recipes call for egg whites...
s and advertises 38% more calciumCalciumCalcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
than regular hot cocoa.
Jimmy Nelson, Danny O'Day and Farfel
In 1955, Nestlé hired ventriloquist Jimmy NelsonJimmy Nelson (ventriloquist)
Jimmy Nelson is an American ventriloquist who appeared on television in the 1950s and 1960s. He was famous for commercials for Nestlé chocolate featuring his puppet Farfel the dog. He hosted a children's show sponsored by Nestlé....
to do its advertising on children's television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
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 the Dog
Farfel the Dog was a hound dog ventriloquist's dummy created by Jimmy Nelson. The Farfel character is probably best known for television commercials for Nestlé's Quik which ran from 1953 to 1965.-Creation:...
would finish the commercials by singing Nestlé's brand-new signature jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
:
- 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 sweatty 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 they insisted Nelson keep it in. Nelson performed the jingle that way for ten years.
Nesquik Bunny (a.k.a. Quiky)
A cartoon Quik Bunny first appeared on the cans of the strawberry flavor when it was introduced. Later, an anthropomorphic animatedAnimation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
bunny wearing a large red "Q
Q
Q is the seventeenth letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.- History :The Semitic sound value of Qôp was , a sound common to Semitic languages, but not found in English or most Indo-European ones...
" on a collar
Collar (animal)
An animal collar is a device that attached to the neck of an animal to allow it to be harnessed, tied up or for various other reasons.*Pet collar. A piece of material put around the neck of certain pet animals, such as dogs or cats, for control, identification, or other purposes. Identification...
-like necklace
Necklace
A necklace is an article of jewellery which is worn around the neck. Necklaces are frequently formed from a metal jewellery chain. Others are woven or manufactured from cloth using string or twine....
, was introduced in television commercials as the new chocolate Quik mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
. He debuted in 1973. The character is voiced by Barry Gordon
Barry Gordon
Barry Gordon is an American film, television and voice actor and political talk show host and producer. He was the longest-serving president of the Screen Actors Guild, having served from 1988 to 1995.-Biography:...
.
He sings a new jingle in a rock-and-roll rhythm:
- "It's so rich and thick and choco-lik,
- That you can't...drink it slow...
- if it's Quik!"
Then he vocalizes only four notes "oh-bo-de-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."
In France, Italy and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, he is known as Quicky the Nesquik Bunny. France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
first had another mascot for Nesquik, which was a fat yellow dog cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
monster
Monster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
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 Quiky, much to the discontent of fans who protested against the lack of a sympathetic character and the Americanism. In Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, the mascot was a kangaroo, Kangurik, which was replaced by Quiky in 1989/1990. In Italy, before the arrival of Quicky, the mascot was an anthropomorphized box of Nesquik called Mr.Nesquik.
In the USA by 2001, 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 and marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
and has appeared in the product's television commercials. The artist who made the redesign of the Bunny for its global implantation in the nineties, was the cartoonist Ramon Maria Casanyes.
Appearances in other media
- The Quik Bunny was parodied in the animated television series Drawn TogetherDrawn TogetherDrawn Together is an American animated television series, which ran on Comedy Central from October 27, 2004 to November 14, 2007. The series was created by Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein, and uses a sitcom format with a TV reality show setting...
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 milkChocolate milkChocolate milk is a sweetened, usually cold, cocoa-flavored milk drink. It is created when chocolate syrup is mixed with milk . It can be purchased pre-mixed or made at home with either cocoa powder and a sweetener , or with melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, or chocolate milk mix...
". - A promotional comic with SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
- The Adventures of Quik Bunny comic
- Southern Baptist minister and comedian Reverend Grady NuttGrady NuttGrady Lee Nutt was a Southern Baptist minister, humorist, television personality, and author. His humor revolved around rural Southern Protestantism and earned him the title as "The Prime Minister of Humor."...
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 Nestle's Quik, putting the proper meaning and interpretation into words like niacinNiacin"Niacin" redirects here. For the neo-fusion band, see Niacin .Niacin is an organic compound with the formula and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients.Niacin is one of five vitamins associated with a pandemic deficiency disease: niacin deficiency...
, thiamineThiamineThiamine or thiamin or vitamin B1 , named as the "thio-vitamine" is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex. First named aneurin for the detrimental neurological effects if not present in the diet, it was eventually assigned the generic descriptor name vitamin B1. Its phosphate derivatives are...
, riboflavinRiboflavinRiboflavin, also known as vitamin B2 or additive E101, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN, and is therefore required by all flavoproteins. As such, vitamin B2 is required for a...
, "and people would stand weepin' and volunteerin' for foreign missions!"
See also
- Chocolate milkChocolate milkChocolate milk is a sweetened, usually cold, cocoa-flavored milk drink. It is created when chocolate syrup is mixed with milk . It can be purchased pre-mixed or made at home with either cocoa powder and a sweetener , or with melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, or chocolate milk mix...
- Hot chocolateHot chocolateHot chocolate is a heated beverage typically consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and sugar...
- Flavored milk
- OvaltineOvaltineOvaltine is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract , sugar , cocoa, and whey...
- MilkshakeMilkshakeA milkshake is a sweet, cold beverage which is made from milk, ice cream or iced milk, and flavorings or sweeteners such as fruit syrup or chocolate sauce....
External links
- Official U.S. site
- Nesquik on Nestlé UK