Have a break, have a Kit-Kat.

“Have a break, have a Kit-Kat” is a commercial slogan created for the KitKat chocolate bar (Rowntree’s, later Nestlé). It emerged from British advertising in the mid-20th century and became one of the most recognizable taglines in UK popular culture, subsequently used internationally. The line is tied to the product’s positioning as a small, convenient treat associated with pausing work—tea breaks, lunch breaks, or any brief respite—rather than a formal dessert. Although often treated as “anonymous” in casual quotation contexts, it is best understood as copywriting from a specific advertising campaign rather than a literary aphorism.

The slogan works by turning an everyday need—taking a break—into a branded ritual. Its repetition (“have a break, have a…”) makes the second clause feel like a natural completion of the first, implying that rest and consumption of the product belong together. Beyond selling chocolate, it reflects a modern, work-structured sense of time in which relief comes in short, sanctioned intervals. As a cultural catchphrase, it also shows how advertising can generate lines that function like proverbs: memorable, easily quoted, and capable of being used humorously or ironically to suggest someone should pause, reset, or reward themselves.

“Have a break… have a KitKat.”
“Have a break, have a Kit Kat.”
“Have a break. Have a KitKat.”