Yorkie's wrapper has carried one of the most argued-about slogans in British advertising history, and the campaign behind it ran a lot longer, and drew a lot more controversy, than most people now remember.
A deliberate repositioning, not a one-off joke
In 2001–2002, Nestlé repositioned Yorkie as a men's chocolate bar, printing "It's not for girls!" directly on the wrapper and backing it with a reported £3–3.5 million advertising campaign across TV and print. The ads leaned into deliberately tongue-in-cheek, old-fashioned gender stereotyping — one TV spot showed a woman trying to buy a Yorkie in a fake moustache, only for a shopkeeper to challenge whether she was actually a man.
Real complaints, and a banned promotion
The campaign wasn't just internet discourse after the fact — it drew genuine pushback at the time. It received 97 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority in its first year on grounds of sexism, though the ASA ultimately ruled those complaints weren't upheld. A linked promotional stunt, which handed out free sample bars exclusively to men, was banned outright by the city councils in both Liverpool and Birmingham.
Blokie, pink editions, and a slow retreat
The campaign kept mutating for years. In 2003, Yorkie was briefly rebranded "Blokie" as part of the same tongue-in-cheek push. A 2006 pink-wrapper edition flipped the joke, marketed ironically towards women, and a military-themed variant read "It's not for civvies." The core slogan was finally dropped in 2011, and a Nestlé spokesperson later confirmed it had no plans to bring it back.
What we stock
We currently carry Yorkie Milk Chocolate Duo Bar 72g, Yorkie Milk Chocolate Bar 3 Pack Multipack 138g, Yorkie Salted Caramel Pretzel Milk Chocolate Duo Bar 66g and Yorkie Milk Chocolate Bar 46g PMP, all in stock. The Yorkie Raisin & Biscuit Chocolate Duo Bar 66g is currently out of stock. Browse the rest of our Yorkie range.
Frequently asked questions
What did 'It's not for girls' actually mean?
Yorkie's 2001–2002 repositioning as a men's chocolate bar, with the tagline printed directly on the wrapper and backed by a reported £3–3.5 million campaign.
Did the campaign get banned or complained about?
It drew 97 complaints to the ASA in its first year, though they weren't upheld. A related free-sample stunt was banned by Liverpool and Birmingham councils.
Is the slogan still used today?
No. Nestlé dropped it in 2011 and later said it had no plans to bring it back.
What does Supreme Sweets stock?
Yorkie Milk Chocolate Duo Bar, the 3-Pack Multipack, the Salted Caramel Pretzel Duo Bar and the 46g PMP are all in stock. The Raisin & Biscuit Duo Bar is currently out of stock.