Did you know that there is a bear in the logo of Swiss chocolate brand Toblerone? Neither did Twitter user Stephanie when her son had his first bar of Toblerone and asked his mother, “What’s the bear for?”
Her post on his observation has since gone viral.
My son had his first Toblerone today. “What’s the bear for?”
— Stephanie ✨🎄✨❄️✨🎅🏼✨ (@upstephanie) December 27, 2018
Me: “what bear?”
.
I was today years old when I found out there’s a bear in the Toblerone logo. pic.twitter.com/CmwRO2BFww
Here. pic.twitter.com/stN9FtDPFE
— Mammen (@MammenMas752) December 28, 2018
As it turns out, the confection of nougat and milk was created by Theodore Tobler in 1908 in the Swiss city of Bern – a city associated with bears. Bern’s seal and coat of arms have had a bear on it since the 13th century.
![](https://sc0.blr1.digitaloceanspaces.com/inline/907473-lrlmguslct-1546056805.jpg)
The mountain behind the bear in the logo is inspired by Matterhorn, the peak in the Alps near which Bern is located.
Many fans believe that the distinctive triangular shape of the Toblerone chocolates is also a nod to Matterhorn. But according to the company’s website, Theodor Tobler based the design on “something sexier”. He was evidently inspired by “a red and cream-frilled line of dancers at the Folies Bergères in Paris, forming a shapely pyramid at the end of a show”.
To graphic designers, Stephanie’s tweets did not come as a suprise. The Toblerone logo is used in commercial art classes to highlight the intelligent use of “negative space”.
That’s nothing... wait till you see the arrow in the Fed Ex logo pic.twitter.com/0KrpnL8dYs
— Kevin D⚠️ (@Penralltgoch) December 28, 2018
But to many long-time Toblerone fans, Stephanie’s tweet sparked delight at discovering something right under their noses.
I had never seen that!!! Your son is brilliant!
— Honu (@harrislarryd) December 27, 2018
71 yrs old, 50 Christmas' of Toblerone and after a search of the package, I FINALLY found the Bear! Your son is brilliant!
— Marty Kennedy (@themartyone) December 27, 2018
This is nice.
— Samuel West (@exitthelemming) December 28, 2018
Population of (e.g.) USA: 325m
Proportion of people who know about the Toblerone bear when they’re born: 0%
Proportion who know about it now: maybe 50%
People who find out about it every day (estimated): 12 000
That’s a lot of fun revelation. Let’s celebrate it https://t.co/ScuLRwn0ln
Eating them for 50 years never noticed that, your lads a genius, in my defense the wrapper is the last thing Im thinking about when I get one.
— Paul Thornberry (@thornberryp) December 28, 2018