Millenials baffled but boomers rejoice as the Pollywaffle makes a comeback
A chocolate bar famed among boomers is making a comeback, and the aspiring small business owner who made it happen is cashing in.
Pollywaffle, a sugary treat few millennials have ever heard of, is returning to the shelves of Australian supermarkets.
The chocolate bar will be revived by Robern Menz, a South Australian company known for bringing the Violet Crumble back to Australia last year.
Invented in 1947, the Pollywaffle shares a birthday with the world’s first instant camera, another innovation millennials are unlikely to recognise in its original form.
It was produced by a chocolate company in Melbourne until the late-1980s when Nestle took over, before the product was discontinued in 2009.
For those playing at home, 2009 (now a decade ago), was also the year the foldable speaker was invented. Oh, how far we’ve come.
Robern Menz chief executive Phil Sims is working on a plan to recreate the Pollywaffle but concedes many younger Australians probably have never heard of it.
“There are kids and even young adults out there who don’t really know what a Pollywaffle is and haven’t tasted it before,” Sims said in a statement.
There are those dedicated to bringing back the chocolate bar though, with pages on the Gen X social-media platform of choice, Facebook, campaigning for the revival.
One such page, “Bring back the Pollywaffle”, has 56,059 likes and has been flooded by supporters in recent days.
The page has emerged as a gathering point for those wanting the treat to return and administrator Nerida has even been in contact with Robern Menz.
Nerida explains she is actually an aspiring business owner and originally started the page as a way to learn more about Facebook as a marketing platform.
“I wanted a fun topic, and one day I had a craving for the Pollywaffle,” she tells SmartCompany.
Its success was a surprise to her as much as anyone else, but not one to let an opportunity pass by, she’s taken to spruiking her Airbnb listing in Mitcham Victoria on the page.
“The only value I’ve got has been a few free Pollywaffles, so I wanted to get something for all the work,” she explains.
Nerida gives anyone who stays at their property a free Pollywaffle. What a deal.
Keith Urban was enthused about the return.
OMG!!!!!….. ok,,,,, maybe it’s the little things….. but C’MON…. my all time fave aussie chocky is returning – and I’m STOKED!!!! – KU pic.twitter.com/2P1MBtVmhc
— Keith Urban (@KeithUrban) 24 January 2019
Others had no idea what a Pollywaffle is.
Saw the pollywaffle announcement at work tonight. My staff didn’t know what it was. I think this was the start of my mood tonight.
— Scotia ???????????? (@Scotjayel) 24 January 2019
This is obviously very serious. But, what’s a Pollywaffle?
— John Parry (@jparrie) 24 January 2019
Speaking on the apparent generational divide the return has kicked up, Nerida says she understands why millennials don’t get it.
“It’s just very hard for millennials to understand the nostalgia.”
