Sweet indulgence and its bitter taste

Looking at the figurines in a bit more detail, it becomes clear that they represent the exoticized, racialized African that had become popular in chocolate advertisements in the 1900s. First and foremost, the big red lips and the big eyes make the Sarotti figurines recognizably African to the German consumer. If you can recall, this was important because it gave the product, Sarotti’s chocolate, the allure of exoticism, and also guaranteed its authenticity. This visualized, essentialized exoticism of the figurines is what made Sarotti’s chocolate so appealing to the consumer. The big eyes specifically give the figurine a child-like appearance. The figurine looks innocent, but at the same time gullible and inferior. By making the African figurines child-like, the plaque implies that the African is primitive and immature. note>See on p 201 of David Ciarlo 2011’s Advertising Empire: Race and Visual Culture In Imperial Germany. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. The German consumers, by contrast, are powerful and modern, and can eat the chocolate that the exotic African makes for them. Figure 14 depicts the trope of the innocent child very well, although this is from a British colonial chocolate advert. In addition, you can see the figurines in a position of servitude. They are not just holding the product for the German consumer, the three of them actually serve it. The image of the African servant was one that was circulated widely throughout colonial consumer culture.See on p 193 of David Ciarlo 2011’s Advertising Empire: Race and Visual Culture In Imperial Germany. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. It was powerful because it reflected the power dynamics, in which the African servant was subordinated to the white master. While it sounds outrageous to most people today, back then it was an appealing image precisely because it confirmed the superior position of the German consumer. It is clear from the plaque that the figurines are servants. Another example of the black servant can be found in the advert from Fry’s Chocolates (Fig. 15). Today, Sarotti has changed its branding image. While such changes are symbolically important, it is also important to be aware of the fact that not too long ago, plaques such as this one were a common sight.