Marketing mix: I’ll name that brand in one!

The founder of the company behind this famous Swiss brand was born

in 1830. His surname would give too much away, but he changed his

original Christian name - Johann Jakob - to Jean after travelling in

France and Germany.

Brand X owes its life to his manufacturing manager and nephew, Emil

Baumann, who was inspired to experiment with nougat during a visit to

France in 1908.

The resulting brand’s name merges the family name with the Italian word

for nougat, and it was patented the following year. The origins of its

distinctive shape remain unclear, although the red and cream packaging

(which, as this 1930s pack shows, has hardly changed) is said to have

been inspired by the costumes of a Folies Bergeres troupe. Brits

consumed around 32 million bars last year, making us its biggest

consumers. If you can name Brand X and fancy a bottle of Mercier

champagne, fax us on 0171 413 4504.

Karen Douglas of the National Asthma Campaign picks up the bubbly for

spotting that Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts was last week’s mystery brand

Congratulations.

This article was first published on Marketing