Cadbury replaces beloved Freddo mascot (for a very good reason)

Anyone Down Under looking to get their Freddo fix may be in for a surprise the next time they go shopping for their favourite chocolate treat. The Cadbury bar adorned with the famous smiling frog is getting a temporary rebrand in Australia, as a new campaign aims to highlight the country's endangered frog species.

New packaging for Freddo sees the titular mascot replaced by endangered frogs such as the Hochstetter's Frog and the spotted Tree Frog. The cartoon look is gone, too, with photos of the frogs appearing on the wrapper to catch the consumer's eye through an unusual rebranding. For the next time you want to design your own eye-catching packaging, just remember we have a rundown of the most standout packaging designs to entertain and inspire you.

The photographic approach cleverly conveys the seriousness of the situation for certain frog species in Australia. There are at least 30 species of endangered frogs in Australia and New Zealand, and after recent bushfires in Australia and the long-lasting impact of the pandemic on conservation efforts, the outlook isn't a bright one for many of these creatures.

As a solution, Freddo has partnered with major zoos and conservation efforts to save our little green friends, with Cadbury pledging AU$600,000 (US$468,444) to its partners to support breeding programs and build habitats for the amphibians.

As said by Katrina Watson, Cadbury Dairy Milk Freddo marketing manager in a statement on the campaign, "We're so proud to be able to work with these frog experts to deliver programs that will give these endangered species a chance to repopulate and flourish." Find out more information on the campaign via the Freddo Save The Frogs homepage.

All in all, this temporary rebrand is a sobering one along the lines of last year's recycling-focused KitKat campaign, and will hopefully warn consumers of what's at stake in our changing world.

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