mullenlowe MENA and karim bourgi create ‘chocapologies’ to fight against online trolls

trying to make the internet a 'sweeter' place for everyone.

Prerna Mehra edited by lea zeitoun February 10, 2022 3 min

‘chocapologies – on behalf of the internet’

the internet is, without a doubt, the cruelest playground in the world — where trolls bully perfect strangers, and their victims are left to suffer. master chocolatier and influencer chef karim bourgi is no stranger to that online hate, so he asked himself: could anything make the internet a ‘sweeter’ place for him and thousands of other victims?

with the seed planted in his mind, he decided to approach dubai-based advertising agency mullenlowe MENA. together, they launched the ‘chocapologies – on behalf of the internet’ campaign to raise awareness on the often devastating outcomes of online abuse. the result is three beautifully packaged and designed chocolate bars molded to precision.

%f0%9f%99%8fchocapologies on behalf of the internet%f0%9f%99%8f 1 — all images © rahul menon

three sleek chocolate bar designs, each tackling a theme

after extensive research, the team at mullenlowe MENA decided to take some of the hate messages, vitriolic comments, inappropriate and rude use of emojis of trollers and cyberbullies to form the basis of three carefully designed chocolate bars.

specifically, each chocapologies was created using crystal clear rigid PVC and food-grade specialized thermoform plastic molds. ‘the idea pushed the limits of food mould-making to a level of precision and detail that even the best food mould-makers in the world said wasn’t going to be possible’, explains the agency.

%f0%9f%99%8fchocapologies on behalf of the internet%f0%9f%99%8f 2 — hate messaging

sending chocapologies to hundreds of online victims

additionally, karim bourgi (see more here) helped the team assign a specific theme for each of the three chocolate molds. these themes were hate messaging, cyberbullying, and body shaming. while each bar reveals a design that stands out on its own, all three still form part of a perfect set.

once packaged, the chocapologies were sent out to victims of online hate and trolling to make them feel a little better and remind them that they are enough, as they are.

%f0%9f%99%8fchocapologies on behalf of the internet%f0%9f%99%8f 3 — cyberbullying

%f0%9f%99%8fchocapologies on behalf of the internet%f0%9f%99%8f 4 — body shaming

%f0%9f%99%8fchocapologies on behalf of the internet%f0%9f%99%8f 5 — three beautifully designed chocolate bars that incorporate some of the online hate messages

%f0%9f%99%8fchocapologies on behalf of the internet%f0%9f%99%8f 12 — packaging for the ‘body shaming’ chocapologies bar

project info:

name: chocapologies

advertising agency: mullenlowe MENA, dubai

client: karim bourgi

executive creative director: paul banham

creative director: prerna mehra

art director: adela fataliyeva

copywriter: paul banham

illustrator: adela fataliyeva, madruth zaman

photography: rahul menon

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.