Nefertiti_Jaquez's Blog

Lickable ADS? LICK or ICK?

Taste strips in magazines? Huh? That’s what I said to myself when I opened up this week’s People Magazine. ((The one with Brit Brit on the cover…aptly titled: Inside her Ordeal))

First thing that came to my mind was, ‘How do I know someone hasn’t been there before me?’

Ewww…

Here’s the deal:
WELCH’S is taking out full-page print ads in People magazine this month that give readers a chance to sample its grape juice by licking the ad. The front of the advertisement shows a huge bottle of the juice, while the back has a strip that peels up and off, with text that reads: "For a TASTY fact, remove & LICK."

Marketers are excited about the prospects for lickable ads, but also have to deal with the "ick" factor. Since magazines are often passed from reader to reader (think dr.s' offices and recycling between friends and collegues) there is a good chance that saliva could be left on the ad. Right?

Well…

Readers are supposed to peel off the entire sticker on the Welch's ad before licking, says Jay Minkoff, President & CEO of “First Flavor,” the company that developed the technology used in the ad. If someone doesn't rip off the whole sticker, Minkoff says, the flap can't reseal, giving people an easy way to know whether the ad has already been licked. But still the question remains…would you PEEL, TASTE, AND LICK an ad found in a magazine?

I want to know what you guys think…so please… feel free to comment...

Fun facts:

Remember the 1971 movie Willy Wonka…where Gene Wilder asked the kids to lick the wallpaper? The creators say, that’s where they got the idea from. Their next step – put it in grocery stores so you can taste...before you buy.

"First Flavor," is a small, privately held company in Bala Cynwyd, PA.