Confectionery giant Cadbury is advocating inclusiveness with the release of a ‘For All’ symbol today, to show that any person, organisation or company should be respected and culturally accepted within the community.
The symbol stems from years of managing hate-fuelled sentiments on Cadbury’s Australian social media platforms. Over the years consumers have come down hard on Cadbury over ‘racist’ adverts, the most high profile of which involved British supermodel Naomi Campbell being compared to one of its chocolates.
In 2017, Cadbury faced furious complaints from misinformed customers about its Easter eggs being Halal-certified.
Last year, the FMCG giant created this visual expression as a way to respond to negative comments in a constructive and impactful way. After six months of planning, the group of designers and anthropologists got together for a four-day design workshop in Sydney. The symbol is available online now for consumers to download, customise and share.
The heart at the centre of the image symbolises, “love to overcome prejudice and hate and pulsating through a spiral line that represents our life journey,” while the different shapes and dots depict people from “diverse backgrounds and cultures flowing around to inhabit the earth.”
The recent terror attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand delayed the planned Harmony Day launch of the ‘For All’ symbol on Cadbury’s Facebook page, to coincide with the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
“Every single day, Cadbury’s Australian social media pages are flooded with hateful messages and comments that have nothing to do with chocolate and everything to do racist sentiment. As an iconic brand in Australia, we reach a significant number of Australians with our messages, and with this voice believe we have a responsibility to lead by example, which has been the impetus for the creation of this symbol,” said Paul Chatfield, Mondelēz International’s director of Marketing, Chocolate.
Chatfield said that the ‘For All’ symbol is now part of Cadbury’s standard response to any non-inclusive comments on its social media platforms to remind Australia that its chocolate is for everyone.
“By responding to these comments with positivity, we’re demonstrating an unwavering commitment to inclusivity and encouraging others to find ‘the glass and a half in everyone’. We invite people to visit our Cadbury social media pages to show their support for a diverse and inclusive Australia by downloading it, customising it and sharing it on their own channels. It is our hope that For All will be widely adopted and used far beyond our shores,” explained Chatfield.
Anthropologist and For All Design team leader, Dr Marilyn Metta, said he is humbled to be a part of a big project with a positive social impact.
“I know that all of the designers and experts involved in this project share the sentiment that it was an honour to be engaged in an initiative that exists to create a positive impact on our broader community,” added Metta.
“It was a saddening shock to everyone that on the second day into the project the Christchurch terror attack unfolded. From that moment on we had even more resolve to find a visual symbol that would show that we are more the same than we are different.”
