It surely wins: Kit Kat’s supremacy in Japan

Go to the corner store. You’ll find some Kit Kat bars populating the middle shelves below the Watermelon Bubblicious and above the Sour Punch Straws. Maybe you’ll chance on a box of King Size, or if the stars are aligned: Big Kat and White Chocolate. Ok, your work here is done.

Now go to Japan. Find a corner store and you’ll also find Kit Kat bars. But instead of the plain chocolate jumpsuits our US counterparts wear, these delights are in full ballroom regalia: Green Tea, Wine, Apple Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Wasabi, Cucumber, Muscat of Alexandria Grape, Blood Orange, Mashed Green Soybeans, Strawberry Ice Cream, and the princely Rum Raisin.

It turns out that Kit Kat sounds a lot like Kitto Katsu, which is a phrase the Japanese use to wish each other good luck. Translated directly Kitto Katsu (きっと勝つ) means “it surely wins.” By becoming part of a good luck ceremony, and with the help of some clever branding, Nestlé did just that. Now, Kit Kat is one of the few western candy brands that has found a foothold in Japan.

“We’re finding that parents are buying them for their children for exam days, but also some determined pupils are buying Kit Kats for themselves as a sort of reminder that they are really going to give these exams their best shot.” said Yuko Iwasaki, a spokesman for Nestlé Japan.

Chance opened the door for Kit Kat to grab a piece of the Japanese confectionary market, but Nestlé did some intelligent branding work to solidify their grip. By offering flavors like Soy Sauce and Wasabi they’ve catered towards the Japanese palate. Flavors are released in limited production runs, often seasonal, a tactic that has proven to be successful in all areas of the Japanese culinary market. In addition to the limited availability, Kit Kat releases regionally specific flavors like Hokkaido Corn in the northern province, which creates a geographical allegiance.

All of this has made it so Kit Kats are no longer candy bars, they’re collectibles—”surely winning”, highly delicious, collectibles.