Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles (rebranded in Australia as Wonka Fruit Pastilles after the 1988 acquisition of Rowntree's by Nestlé, Fruit Joy in Italy; Frutips in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan) are small round sweets measuring about 1.5 cm (0.6 in) in diameter; they have a jelly-like consistency, and are covered with sugar. They contain fruit juice, have no artificial colours or flavours, and come in five flavours: lemon (yellow), lime (green), strawberry (red), blackcurrant (purple) and orange (orange).[1]
Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles originated in Tyneside, England, in 1881. In 2023, production was moved offshore to the Czech Republic.[2]
History
At Rowntree's factory in Fawdon, Tyneside in 1881, Rowntree introduced Fruit Pastilles, and the product proved to be a great success, accounting for about 25 percent of the company's tonnage by 1887.[3] In September 2020, Nestlé announced their intention to make Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles suitable for vegans after many years of requests from consumers.[4]
Tubes of Fruit Pastilles are wrapped in foil-backed paper (paper on the inside, foil on the outside) with a paper wrapper over the top. The paper wrapper is green in colour with "Fruit Pastilles" written along the front in large lettering. Along the bottom of the lettering there are pictures of different types of fruit all relating to the flavours within the packet, The top bears the "Rowntree's" brand name. Fruit Pastilles come in a small pack weighing 52.5 grams (1.85 oz), containing 14 pastilles, but are also available in larger bags weighing 180 grams (6.3 oz). They are also available in boxes and larger round cardboard tubes.
Marketing and advertising
The 1972 television advertising campaign used the song Pistol Packin' Mama with the tag line "Pastille Pickin' Mama, pass those pastilles round".[5]
To drive awareness of the 25% fruit juice recipe in Fruit Pastilles, Rowntree conducted a 105-day experimental marketing campaign. At family events, top-end grocers and service stations they invited families to join in their 'What Can You Do But Chew?' talent shows, tying in with the brand's sponsorship of Britain's Got Talent. 427,240 product samples were distributed as brand ambassadors tried to engage parents with the '25% fruit juice' message. 93% of the consumers involved said they'd had a positive shift in brand perception, whilst more than half were 'highly likely' to purchase post campaign.[6]
A more recent TV commercial[when?] shows a man about to chew on a Fruit Pastille when he is surrounded by medieval people who declare whether he'd chew the pastille or go out on a date with a fair maiden. In the end he has to chew. The commercial concludes with the message "Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles with real fruit flavour. You can't help but chew!"[citation needed]
A commercial from the 1980s has recently[when?] been revived, featuring a child daring a basketball player to not chew on a pastille. The slogan from the previous ad is still used.[citation needed]
1 Currently manufactured by General Mills in the U.S. and Canada. Produced by Cereal Partners under the Nestlé brand elsewhere. 2 Brand owned by General Mills; U.S. and Canadian production rights controlled by Nestlé under license. 3 U.S. production rights owned by The Hershey Company. 4 U.S. rights and production owned by the Smarties Candy Company with a different product. 5 U.S. rights and specific trade dress owned by Nestlé; rights elsewhere owned by Associated British Foods. 6 Produced by Cereal Partners, branded as Nestlé. 7 Produced by Cereal Partners and branded as Nestlé in the U.K. and Ireland. Produced by Post Foods elsewhere. 8 Philippine production rights owned by Alaska Milk Corporation. 9 Singaporean, Malaysian and Thai production rights owned by Fraser and Neave. 10 Used only in Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia. 11 Used only in the Philippines. 12 U.S. production rights owned by the Ferrara Candy Company. 13NA rights and specific trade dress to all packaged coffee and other products under the Starbucks brand owned by Nestlé since 2019. 14 Brand owned by Mars, sold by Nestlé in Canada. 15 Produced by Froneri in the U.S. since 2020.
