BOUISSET FIRMIN - Lot 1148

BOUISSET FIRMIN Poulain Rare Chocolate "Arlequin" Poster The first Poulain chocolate shop was founded in 1847 by Victor-Auguste Poulain on Rue Porte-Chartraine in Blois. After acquiring a group of condiment companies in 1970, including Maille, Poulain decided to merge all these food brands into a single group, SEGMA (Société d’exploitation des grandes marques alimentaires). In 1978, Poulain and SEGMA were acquired by Clin-Midy, then sold and integrated a year later into Jimmy Goldsmith’s Générale Occidentale (which owned, among others, the Amora, La Pie qui Chante, Carambar, and Vandamme brands). Poulain came under the control of the British company Cadbury in 1988. In 1995, it was merged with Bouquet d'Or into Cadbury France, the group’s new French subsidiary, headquartered in Blois. In 2010, Cadbury was acquired by the multinational Kraft Foods. In 2012, following a spin-off from Kraft Foods, Poulain became part of the newly created Mondelēz International group. In 2016, the French investment fund Eurazeo announced the acquisition of a large portion of Mondelez’s brands (including Poulain, Carambar, Krema, and La Pie Qui Chante). The acquisition took effect on May 2, 2017, with the creation of a subsidiary of Eurazeo, the company Carambar&Co. Although not as old as Suchard (founded in Switzerland in 1826) or Menier (1836), Poulain is nonetheless one of the oldest chocolate brands in France and, without a doubt, the one that has contributed most to the commercial spread of chocolate across all segments of society. In fact, before Victor Auguste Poulain, chocolate was an artisanal product packaged in the form of rolls and sold as a “health” product—the chocolatier Menier, for example, was originally a seller of pharmaceutical products. Poulain turned it into an industrial and gourmet product. It was also likely the first chocolate brand to engage in large-scale advertising. The company would remain a marketing innovator. It went so far as to purchase movie theaters (110 theaters in 1914, including in Egypt and England) and offer “complimentary tickets,” distributed inside the chocolate bars, entitling holders to half-price admission. Poulain chocolate is also famous for offering educational images, known as “Poulain images,” as gifts with its products as early as the 1860s. / The first Poulain chocolate shop was founded in 1847 by Victor-Auguste Poulain on Rue Porte-Chartraine in Blois. After acquiring a group of condiment companies in 1970, including Maille, Poulain decided to merge all these food brands into a single group, SEGMA (a company operating major food brands). In 1978, Poulain and SEGMA were acquired by Clin-Midy, then sold and integrated a year later into Jimmy Goldsmith’s General Occidental (which owned, among others, the brands Amora, La Pie Chante, Carambar, and Vandamme). Poulain came under the control of the British company Cadbury in 1988. In 1995, it was merged with Bouquet d'Or into Cadbury France, the group’s new French subsidiary, headquartered in Blois. In 2010, Cadbury was acquired by the multinational Kraft Foods. In 2012, following a split from Kraft Foods, Poulain became part of the newly created Mondelēz International group. In 2016, the French investment fund Eurazeo announced the purchase of a large portion of the Mondelēz brands (including Poulain, Carambar, Krema, and La Pie Qui Chante). The acquisition took effect on May 2, 2017, with the creation of a subsidiary of Eurazeo, the company Carambar & Co. Although not as old as Suchard (founded in Switzerland in 1826) or Menier (1836), Poulain is still one of the oldest chocolate brands in France and, without a doubt, the one that has contributed most to the widespread popularity of chocolate across all segments of French society. Indeed, before Victor Auguste Poulain, chocolate was a traditional commodity packaged in the form of sausages and sold as a “health” product—the chocolate maker Menier, for example, was originally a seller of pharmaceutical products. Poulain transformed it into an industrial and gourmet product. It is undoubtedly also the first chocolate brand to have engaged in large-scale advertising. The company would remain an innovator in marketing. It would go so far as to purchase movie theaters (110 theaters in 1914, including in Egypt and England) and offer “free tickets,” distributed inside the chocolate bars, granting access to half-price admission. Poulain chocolate is also famous for including educational images, known as "Poulain images," as a gift with its products starting in the 1860s. E. Pecaud & Cie Paris Vintage Poster on Linen, T.B.E. A + POSTERS, PRINTS, PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS, POSTER 78.5 X 52 cm, Printed 1967