Chocolate Aguila facts for kids
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Former Aguila factory in Barracas, 2007
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| Private | |
| Industry | Food |
| Fate | Acquired by Grupo Arcor in 1993, became a brand |
| Founded | 1880 in Buenos Aires |
| Founder | Abel Saint |
| Defunct | 1993 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Chocolate |
| Brands | Tofi |
| Owner | Grupo Arcor (1993–pres.) |
Chocolate Aguila is a famous Argentine chocolate brand. It is currently owned by Grupo Arcor. The brand "Aguila" was first used by a company called Saint Hermanos S.A.. This company started in 1880. It was well-known for its tasty chocolate bars.
Grupo Arcor bought the company in 1993. Since then, Aguila has been one of their popular chocolate brands.
Contents
The Story of Aguila Chocolate
The company was started by Abel François Charles Saint. He was an immigrant from France. He first opened a business that roasted coffee beans. This was on Carlos Pellegrini street in Buenos Aires.
In 1880, he began making chocolate. His business grew bigger. In 1894, Saint opened a factory. It was located on Herrera street in Barracas. This is a neighborhood in the south of Buenos Aires.
His company was named "Saint Hermanos". They continued to make roasted coffee. But their chocolate quickly became a favorite.
Growing Across Countries
During the early 1900s, the company grew a lot. They opened many sales points across Argentina. They even expanded their business to Uruguay and Paraguay. A new factory was built in Uruguay.
By 1920, Aguila started making ice cream. This new ice cream brand was called "Laponia". The company also made other sweet treats. These included bonbons, chocolate pastilles, and mint candies.
Between the 1930s and 1970s, Chocolate Aguila made many products. They produced over 100 different items. All these were made in their Barracas factory. Laponia ice creams were very popular. About 700 street vendors sold them. Other products included Colibrí bonbons and Aguila Express. At that time, the company had 1,800 employees.
A New Look for Chocolate
In the 1980s, Aguila changed its focus. They wanted people to use their chocolate bars for desserts and cakes. The company updated its logo and packaging. They chose pink as the main color. This color has identified the brand ever since.
In 1993, a big company called Grupo Arcor bought Aguila. Grupo Arcor is a multinational company. They expanded the Aguila brand. They added new products like ice creams, alfajores, and even candies.
Advertising Aguila
In the 1930s, Aguila hired a famous cook. Her name was Petrona de Gandulfo. People knew her as "Doña Petrona". She helped advertise their chocolate. Doña Petrona wrote a recipe brochure. It had recipes that used Aguila chocolate. These recipes were later put into a book. It was called Doña Petrona Inédita. This book had over 1,000 of her unpublished recipes.
In the 1980s, Aguila aired a TV advertisement. It featured an Afro-Cuban actor named Rigoberto Díaz de Armas. In the ad, he humorously compared himself to a blonde-haired boy. This ad became very popular. It is now a classic for the brand. However, some people felt the ad was not appropriate. They thought comparing African culture with chocolate might create unfair ideas.
Aguila Products Today
As of August 2021, the Aguila brand offers many chocolate products. Besides its classic bar, Arcor sells other items. These include chips, syrup, alfajores, bonbons, ice creams, and candies.
Images for kids
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"Café torrado" carts of Saints Hnos., around 1900
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Early advertisement of Chocolate Expréss
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Petrona Gandulfo advertising Chocolate Aguila, around 1930
