The special shape became fatal for them. Waves are a cult today, people want them back

“According to our witnesses, Vlnky began to be produced at the turn of the 50s and 60s of the 20th century after the transformation of the original factory for the production of long-lasting pastries,” recalls Jiří Šebek, manager of Mondelez for the Czech Republic, about the beginnings of the popular confectionery. The candy maker discontinued the wafers in 2011 because people were no longer interested in them.

While in 2005 a total of 1457 tons of Vlnek were produced, in 2011 the company produced less than a third of these wafers. “The production of each product requires a certain minimum volume due to cost distribution. As soon as there is less interest in the product than this minimum, production cannot continue,” Šebek explained, adding that the most popular flavors were Chocolate Waves and Griliášové.

In addition to the decrease in interest among people, there was another problem with Vlnki – their production. Because of their specific shape, the wafers required special baking molds, which, unlike other cookies, could not be used for anything else.

After the beloved confection ended in 2011, several hundred of their fans began to mourn. Four years later, a petition for the restoration of Vlnek was even created, which was signed by almost 2,500 people. “Why change some production when they were the best biscuits on the Czech market! By signing the petition, we remember these excellent biscuits and I hope that this will force Mondelez to resume production,” wrote the creator of the petition Petr Volhejn at the time.

Even a document with signatures did not convince the candy maker about the renewal of the wafers. “Rather than looking back to the past, the company tries to respond to new trends and consumer expectations in its offer. We dynamically adjust the offer precisely according to demand. The Czech consumer is picky – apart from a few staples, he mainly likes new and seasonal products,” explained the manager of Mondelez for the Czech Republic, adding that they respond to retro trends by, for example, packaging the Zlaté range, which includes Koka, Derby and Esíčka, in retro packaging. According to him, people are looking for them.

But according to some people, the cookies were legendary. Their popularity is proven, for example, by the Facebook post of the grocery store Tesco, which reminded Vlnky on the social network in 2017 and received even 17,000 “likes” from people. Others, on the other hand, tried to enrich themselves financially on Vlnky – in 2021, an advertisement appeared on the online bazaar Aukro, offering chocolate-flavored Vlnky for purchase. The cookies ended up being auctioned off for roughly eight times their original price. But the advertiser was probably not jumping for joy at 65 crowns.

The “healthiest and juiciest” drink? Today, mainly a demonstration of marketing without borders