April 2007

MEDIA WEEKLY, THE INDEPENDENT, 23RD APRIL

Media Weekly, The Independent, 23rd April

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HARRODS OPENED THE DOORS TO ITS ROOF FOR AN EXCLUSIVE VIEWING OF THE STORES PRIVATE ALLOTMENT

Harrods opened the doors to its roof for an exclusive viewing of the stores private allotment complete with breathtaking views of London’s beautiful cityscape.

To celebrate The Great Outdoors season at Harrods from 16th April to the 19th May, garden design service Lavender & Stone Garden Designs have specially designed this allotment for the store.

This urban allotment boasts a range of veg and flora including lettuce, tomatoes, lemon trees, lavender, garlic and potatoes. It includes big steel planters, high trellises with ivy, traditional garden bench and has one of the most breathtaking views of London overlooking the Gherkin, the London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral and Big Ben.

The allotment can be viewed anytime day or night via the VEG CAM (see the produce grow with your very own eyes at www.harrods.com/webcam) At the end of the promotion customers will have the opportunity to purchase some of the chairman’s home grown vegetables through the World Famous Food Halls at Harrods.

THORNTONS UNVEILS THE WORLD’S FIRST EDIBLE CHOCOLATE BILLBOARD – AND IT LASTS JUST FIVE HOURS

Leading Chocolatier Thorntons kicked-off Easter celebrations early yesterday, and celebrated the true ‘art of the Chocolatier’ by unveiling the world’s first edible billboard - made entirely from Thorntons’ delicious chocolate.

Thorntons invited shoppers and passers by to break-off chunks of chocolate and take a bite from giant chocolate 3D Easter eggs and model bunnies. Despite having the space booked for a whole week, the 390Kg of chocolate were devoured by hungry passers-by in just 5 hours!

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Positioned at 34 Henrietta Street (facing Covent Garden Piazza) in central London and made by hand by Thorntons’ Master Chocolatier Barry Colenso, the chocolate billboard measured 14.5 feet x 9.5 feet, and included:

Vital Statistics
· 134,982 square cm or 53,143 square inches of Thorntons chocolate
· A background of 128 panels of chocolate, each weighing 2Kg
· 72 hand-crafted giant chocolate Easter eggs, each weighing 0.75Kg
· 10 hand-crafted giant chocolate bunnies, each weighing 1.8Kg
· The full billboard includes a whopping 390Kg of chocolate

Barry Colenso, Master Chocolatier for Thorntons commented:
“We wanted to produce something spectacular to celebrate Easter this year, by providing an interactive chocolate experience for people to share in. An edible billboard was the perfect solution, and the fact that it’s a world-first makes it even more exciting. Having said that, creating the billboard and ensuring that the 390Kg of chocolate stuck to the board and stayed there, wasn’t as easy as it sounds!”

The chocolate billboard coincides with Thorntons’ decision to remove all Hydrogenated Fats and GM ingredients from its chocolate eggs and Easter novelties. The message on the billboard, sculpted from Thorntons’ white chocolate, therefore related to the removal, as well as wishing everyone a ‘Happy Easter’.

As well as an innovation in chocolate, the billboard was the world’s first edible billboard, and therefore a media and advertising first.

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The Times

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Evening Standard

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Metro

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Daily Record

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City AM

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Daily Express

The Sun

For more information contact Hannah Roche or Emma-Jane Ireland at Borkowski PR on 020 7404 3000 or email
hannah@borkowski.co.uk / emmajane@borkowski.co.uk