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Lickable Advertising

Posted by Sarah Wolf, June 2, 2008 at 2:45 PM

What's better than Scratch 'n Sniff? That would be Peel 'n Taste. These edible strips of film, which currently appear in ads for Welch's grape juice, are apparently an incredibly effective form of product promotion. Among consumers willing to put a mysterious piece of paper in their mouths, the flavor strips vastly increase the likelihood that they will purchase the juice, according to a study by Starch Communications. And the ad is just as influential on those who merely remember seeing it, influencing them to tell their friends about it or buy the product themselves.

The flavor strips' success has prompted a bevy of big-name clients to sign on with Peel 'n Taste creator First Flavor, including Sunny Delight, Campbell's Soup, Kellogg and Skyy Vodka—though why anyone would want to taste nonalcoholic vodka remains a mystery. Even more disgustingly, a Florida anti-smoking campaign has commissioned a strip that tastes like the bottom of an ashtray. But despite these unappetizing new twists, the prevalence of these ads is likely to increase. "We can imagine a day when you walk into the grocery store and there are [flavor strip] dispensers down the aisle," said First Flavor president-CEO Jay Minkoff.

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Tags: ads, marketing, welch's