Okay, for the uninitiated, these little round delights are officially cakes. In the famous 1991 Jaffa Cake court case, brought about by McVitie's not wanting costly VAT charges for luxury biscuits to be levied against its iconic offering, the law had to decide just what defines a cake of the chocolate-coated variety. Debating over several points, the decision eventually found in favour of McVitie's based on one crucial fact: cakes get harder when going stale, whilst biscuits get softer.
Admittedly, the debate probably wrangles on in homes and offices and, until I see people dunking their Victoria Sponges and taking slices of Jaffa Cake, I'm certainly not convinced. That said, it doesn't really matter too much to me as I simply enjoy the fact that this snack, which so effectively weaned me on to the classic yet reliably tasty combination of chocolate and orange, is still as good as ever.
THOUGHTS
Packaging-wise, the pack's exterior employs the complementary colours of blue and orange for the background and brand name respectively to create strong visual contrast. Moreover, with highly saturated colour used, out of this contrast comes a vibrancy that implies notions of fun, energy and freshness. As for the soft radial bursts of lightness that accent the background, these work well to inject a bit of interest in to the design without convoluting it and compromising the strength of the colour principle at work. Whilst, the brand name occupies a conventional central positioning to give the design a sense of symmetry and, in turn, a feeling of reliability and trust - qualities befitting such a classic product. That said, the brand name does carve out an irregular line and employ playful text, styled after orange peel, to inject further energy and fun in to the presentation.
Secondary panels carry on over the colour scheme with basic product information provided neatly and succinctly. Moreover, by using the same colour principle as the primary panels, the light orange text box contrasts well with both its blue background and blue content giving clarity to each component.
The wrapping inside is still a lovely touch. With the Jaffa Cakes coming in a transparent orange wrapping - picking up on the exterior's colour scheme - you get the distinct sense that all the product's elements very much sit as a cohesive whole.
As for the Jaffa Cakes themselves, well they still sport their classic look. A significant sponge base, baked nice and evenly, is adorned with a dark chocolate coating, which rises up in the centre to give accommodation to the orange filling. Taking a bite, the chocolate reveals itself to be paper thin yet of just enough substance to provide a pleasing undercurrent of bitter cocoa. As the chocolate crumbles in to the jelly-like filling the relatively significant plain sponge base lends a rather pleasing textural contrast to the whole affair. Though, of course, the filling remains the star of the show as it bursts onto the palette with a very well balanced sweet citrus tang that keeps these cakes as devilishly moreish as ever.
SUMMING UP
As with all old favourites this iconic offering has stood the test of time because, above all else, it does the simple things very well. The packaging feels uncluttered and direct employing basic colour theory together with fun stylisation to generate an eye-catching presentation that carves out a distinct visual identity for the brand in the consumer's mind. Added touches such as the orange wrapping allow for successive moments in one's interaction with the product to sit as a cohesive whole. Moreover, the Jaffa Cakes themselves still look as distinctive as ever with a very strong silhouette from the side. Finally, in terms of taste, that wave of sweet, tangy orange is still the star of the show with the dark chocolate coating providing a nice undercurrent of more mature flavour and the sponge bringing a great textural contrast to the party. All in all, a great little snack that, whether cake or biscuit, will continue to be a favourite of the Great British Diet.
MORE INFORMATION
See the McVitie's Jaffa Cakes resource on my GBD website:
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