Lickable Advertising
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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6 Comments:
And the snozberries taste like snozberries!
LiveToEat at 3:01PM on 06/02/08
Imo Florida strip clubs might have an interest in these ...
redfish at 3:11PM on 06/02/08
this kind of advertising is SCREAMING for a lawsuit. How long before some parent gets angry at theid child tasting a random strip of something from a magazine.
swaaaan at 3:48PM on 06/02/08
What's the big deal? I've been licking magazine ads for years.
baboo at 12:06AM on 06/03/08
@LiveToEat: as a kid, I always used to love that bit in Willy Wonka where they lick the wallpaper. Yet, the idea of having the walls of your home covered in spit...
liwinegirl at 7:49AM on 06/03/08
@liwinegirl: I know! It would be so sticky and gross. But what a great movie!
LiveToEat at 10:38AM on 06/03/08