The truth behind why Cadbury's packaging is purple

It turns out that the answer lies in a historical connection that traces back to none other than the royal family.

Cadbury has long been associated with its iconic purple packaging. 

But it seems that people are only just discovering the reason behind its vibrant hue and it's leaving them completely shocked.

Prepare to have your mind blown as we delve into the fascinating story...

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Image: IStock

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Cadbury got a 'royal warrant' to become the official chocolate maker for the monarch 

It turns out that the answer lies in a historical connection that traces back to none other than the royal family.

Cadbury was established in the UK by a man named John Cadbury in 1847.

But it wasn't until 1914 that they started using the iconic colour. Apparently, it was because Queen Victoria was a massive Cadbury fan.

In light of this, the chocolate brand secured a 'royal warrant' in order to make it the official chocolate maker for the monarch. 

During the Victorian era, they even used the monarch in one of their advertisements for their drinking chocolate!

Image: IStock

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Cadbury tried to trademark the shade of purple

In 2013, Cadbury wanted to trademark their distinctive shade of purple, Pantone 2865c, but was challenged by their rivals, Nestle. 

A spokesperson for Cadbury said at the time: "Purple is a colour that has been used by Cadbury for more than 100 years - the colour has always been associated with Cadbury.

"Purple was Queen Victoria's favourite colour and the Cadbury brothers were loyal supporters of the Queen. We have gone to great lengths to guard our trademark rights and… we have been looking to protect the colour for years."

Nestle took the case all the way to the High Court, but Cadbury ultimately got to stake their claim on the colour. 

In the court ruling, Judge Colin Birss declared that colours have the potential to be legally protected due to them being "capable of being signs."

The momentous decision meant that Cadbury could maintain their association with the specific colour in their branding and thus continue to honour their royal ties.

Originally published as The truth behind why Cadbury's packaging is purple