The Easter Egg market is a dynamic one – in the children’s sector in particular, the offer changes from year to year to reflect the latest trends. But how about the gender bias? The Archive of Market & Social Research offers insights from qualitative work in the 1970s on the ways consumers segmented the market according to the age and sex of the intended recipient.
For younger children, up to the age of 8 or 9, the parent generally knew the child’s preferences and interests and would choose either a confectionery brand (Smarties, Cadbury’s Buttons) or a media theme (Star Wars, Muppets). Older children and teenagers, on the other hand, presented more of a problem but would often be given products aimed at younger children on the grounds that “you’re still my baby!”. The sex of the child was at most a subsidiary factor.
Gender differences were far more marked in the case of adult recipients. According to men, their female partners expected large, lavish eggs: as a gift, the Easter Egg was equivalent to a bunch of flowers. It was important, therefore, that the entire package should communicate quality and often extravagance. Brand reputation was an essential element, as represented often by Black Magic chocolates.
As recipients, however, men and teenage boys were regarded as a problematic segment – both by women and by the men themselves (“there’s nothing for us!”). A common response to the problem was for female partners either to ignore them or to give a small non-confectionery gift, while teenage boys would often receive a large bar of chocolate or a small egg and some cash. Brands relevant to them were largely absent: only Bourneville and Terry’s were seen as offering a degree of masculinity.
However, the research was conducted less than two years after the 1976 launch of the Yorkie bar, with an advertising campaign that featured lorry-drivers, then almost invariably masculine. Examination of lorry-shaped packaging for the brand evidently generated considerable interest as a novelty Easter Egg: almost uniquely, it was seen as “particularly relevant for boys” and indeed for grown men. Perhaps Easter Eggs could be a boy thing after all…
Contributed by: Nick Tanner
Date posted: 27th March 2026
Photo: New Africa / Shutterstock.com