For the past 90 years, GODIVA has been a world-leader within the world of chocolate. Overseen by GODIVA’s five Belgian-trained chef chocolatiers, the brand’s chocolates are sold in over 600 company-owned boutiques and in more than 100 countries around the world. Although quality control is high within GODIVA, the award-winning brand is known to take chances when it comes to events and new products.
On Wednesday, November 29, GODIVA’s flagship store in New York City’s Rockefeller Center held a one-of-a-kind chocolate tree lighting ceremony. Open to the public, the store live-streamed the event via GODIVA’s YouTube page, allowing consumers to view the lighting in real time. A social media exercise as well as a holiday celebration, Internet users who tweet @GodivaTree through December 8 have the opportunity to control the color and pattern of the lights on the tree, which is made out of 225 pounds of dark chocolate.
The tree and its accompanying recreation of Rockefeller Center took two chocolate chefs four days to build. Attendees to the event were also treated to Christmas carols from the New York Holiday Choristers, free GODIVA hot chocolate, and samples of their Petit Four chocolates. GODIVA’s Executive Chef Thierry Muret and the company’s “Chocolate Genius” Paul Joachim were both on-hand to greet customers and answer questions, as was Sharon Leite, Managing Director of GODIVA for North America. Below are some of the visual highlights of my visit to the store.
For your viewing pleasure, the time-lapsed GODIVA chocolate tree lighting:
