Review: Inside the immersive KitKatchocolatory

An invitation to the new KitKatChocolatory ahead of its official opening, isn’t one you turn down.

WeAreFearless had worked closely with Nestlé to bring the KitKatChocolatory shop, which had already been in situ in Japan and Australia, to their European fans. Located in the bustling heart of Westfield Stratford’s ‘The Street’, you couldn’t miss the large KitKat covered store front.

The inside of the shop was a cross between a branded art installation and a concept store. Large canvases of the limited edition KitKats adorned the walls. On one side were tablets where the KitKat customising took place, opposite this, the counter where customers could make purchases and peruse the limited edition treats and at the back was the focal point, the chef station where customers could watch their KitKat creations come to life.

Lisa May, Marketing Director for Nestlé UK and Ireland, welcomed us to the store and explained the idea behind the Chocolatory.

In the UK over 1 billion KitKats are sold every year, as clearly, Britain loves having their breaks. Over the last year or so we’ve seen a rise in personalisation, with plenty of brands jumping on the bandwagon, however for Nestlé, customisation is the next step.

There are three different types of chocolate bases to choose from (white, milk or dark) and 16 different toppings (that’s a whole lot of combinations), encouraging you to express your personality on your bar, right down to the design of the packaging, to get a fully customised break.

Designing a KitKat was simple. The tablets are user friendly and give clear instructions, prompting you to select the type of chocolate, pick the toppings and then alternate your packaging to reflect your personality and style. You can then watch the chocolatiers lovingly create your bar in the chef area, before sending it away to chill. An hour later, you receive a text letting you know that your personalised Kitkat is ready to be collected.

As the chocolate takes around an hour to set, a place like Westfield Stratford is the perfect location for this activation as it has such a high footfall, a large dwell time and is a popular destination for families. The activation, which runs over five weeks, coincides with both the Autumn half term and Chocolate Week.

Celebrity Chef Michael O’Hare had been working with KitKat on the activation. For every week of the chocolatory’s residency, four new limited edition bars, designed by Michael, were available to purchase exclusively in store.

WeAreFearless were behind all aspects of the activation including the concept, design, talent scouting, packaging, PR, digital and staffing which were all executed brilliantly.

Garry Dods, WeAreFearless Founder and MD commented: “We’re thrilled to be delivering the first ever KitKat Chocolatory in the UK. It’s a brave move by such an iconic brand to take personalisation to the next level. This isn’t just about being able to put your name on a pack, but giving customers the ultimate personalisation experience where they can create their own unique KitKat. It’s the perfect blend of customisation and creativity and we’re proud to be the agency team delivering the project.”