In Helsinki, chocolate lovers are discovering a new way to indulge their cravings — by simply staring at a giant chocolate bar. Finnish brand Karl Fazer has unveiled the Desire-a-Bar, a three-meter-tall installation at Kamppi Shopping Centre that uses artificial intelligence to detect desire in the eyes of passersby and reward them with real chocolate.
The concept challenges Finland’s famously reserved culture, where silence and restraint are part of daily life. At the Desire-a-Bar, participants are asked to lock eyes with the towering chocolate bar for a couple of minutes. Those who can maintain their gaze long enough, revealing their hidden cravings through subtle facial expressions, are rewarded with a Fazer chocolate bar. A select few even unlock golden bars granting a year’s supply of chocolate.
“The idea was to remind people that chocolate is more than just a sweet snack — it’s joy, indulgence, and even a little escape,” said Niklas Lindroos, senior marketing manager at Karl Fazer. “We wanted Finns to step out of their comfort zone and show their emotions in a playful way, while building stronger connections with the Fazer brand.”
The Desire-a-Bar relies on AI trained to recognize expressions of longing and delight. Creatives Anna Huttunen and Matilda Mäkinen, who helped design the project, explained: “It’s as if the chocolate bar knows exactly how much you want it. By reading micro-expressions, the AI rewards honesty in a fun and emotional way.”
Blending tradition with innovation, Karl Fazer has turned its iconic chocolate into both a treat and an interactive experience — proof that even in a market defined by silence, a little indulgence can still speak volumes.
