 | |
 Former Aguila factory in Barracas, 2007 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1880 inBuenos Aires |
| Founder | Abel Saint |
| Defunct | 1993; 33 years ago (1993) |
| Fate | Acquired byGrupo Arcor in 1993, became abrand |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Chocolate |
| Brands | Tofi |
| Owner | Grupo Arcor (1993–pres.) |
| Website | chocolatesaguila.com |
Chocolate Aguila is an Argentinechocolatebrand. It is owned byGrupo Arcor. "Aguila" was thetradename used by the former companySaint Hermanos S.A., which was established in 1880, and renowned for itschocolate bars.
The company was acquired by Grupo Arcor in 1993.
The company was established by French immigrant Abel François Charles Saint (1845–1892),[1] first as acoffee roasting business on Carlos Pellegrini street inBuenos Aires. The company began producing chocolate in 1880. As the business grew, Saint opened a factory on Herrera street inBarracas, a neighborhood south ofBuenos Aires, in 1894.[2] Named "Saint Hermanos", the company continued producing roasted coffee and chocolate.[1]
During the first half of the 20th century, the firm opened outlets in Argentina, expanding its business toUruguay (including a plant built) andParaguay. By 1920, Aguila addedice cream to its portfolio under the brand Laponia. The company produced and marketedbonbons, chocolatepastilles, and mint confections, among other goods.[3]
Between the 1930s and the 1970s, the company developed a variety of products, manufacturing and commercialising more than 100 items in its factory located in Barracas.[4] Among those products were Laponia ice creams (which employed 700 street vendors to distribute its products),[1]Colibrí bonbons,Aguila Express, andComprimido Aguila. The company employed 1,800 people by then.[2]
In 1993, the company was acquired by multinational companyGrupo Arcor,[5] which expanded theAguila brand, adding products such asice creams,alfajores, andcandies.[6]
In the 1980s, Aguila focused on strategies to advertise its chocolate bar as an ingredient for desserts and cakes. The logo and packaging were redesigned, establishing pink as the characteristic color that has identified the brand since then.[2]
In the 1930s, the company hired celebrity cook Petrona de Gandulfo (popularly known as "Doña Petrona") to advertise its chocolate.[7] Gandulfo wrote acook brochure with recipes using Aguila chocolate as the main ingredient. Those recipes were compiled in the anthology volumeDoña Petrona Inédita with more than 1,000 recipes that had remained unpublished until then.[8]
In the 1980s, the company broadcast a TV commercial starring ablack man who compared himself (in a humorous tone) with a blonde-haired boy when talking of his childhood, at the end of the piece. The advertisement became a classic of the brand.[9]Afro-Cuban pianist and actor Rigoberto Díaz de Armas played that role. The advertisement took criticism from sectors who stated that comparing African culture with chocolate was racist.[10]
As of August 2021[update],Aguila sells a wide range of chocolate-based products. Apart from its classicbar, Arcor commercialiseschips,syrup,alfajores,bonbons,ice creams, andcandies.
