New Peel and Lick Magazine Ads

Have you heard about the latest in food marketing strategies? Forbes reports Welch's Grape Juice is soon to unleash upon the magazine-reading public a full page advertisement in People magazine. So what, you may say? Welch's is the first of who knows how many companies to incorporate a peel and lick strip to sell their product.

According to Richard F. Taflinger in his article "A Definition of Advertising", taste "is probably the least useful communication channel available to advertising" because its use "requires the potential customer to come in actual physical contact with the product". Little did Mr. Taflinger realize when he published this observation back in 1996 that food marketers would rise to the challenge and tell the public to "lick it".

And why not?

In September 2007, the television show "Cane" was advertised in Rolling Stone magazine via a flavor strip that tasted like a lime and rum mojito but didn't carry with it the calories or buzz of an alcoholic beverage.

The makers of fine perfumes and colognes have had scratch and sniff ads in your favorite magazines for years. Back in the August 1972 edition of Playboy magazine, Fleischmann's Gin advertised their product with perhaps the world's first scratch and sniff strip. The technology to put these scratch and sniff ads in magazines and newspapers is cost prohibitive but more products are being advertised that way. Since then, Mercedes automobiles and movies like Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium to Kraft Philadelphia Cream cheesecake and cinnamon flavored coffee have had their scratch and sniff ads. I suppose it was only a matter of time before a company like First Flavor came up with the ingenious technology to advertise food products.

Let's think of the realm of food ad possibilities. Just how hot and spicy are the chicken wings your favorite fast food restaurant is offering? Take a lick.

What about that new flavor of Listerine, the one that doesn't taste like hospital antiseptic? Take a lick.

Want to sample the newest Jelly Belly jellybean flavors? Take a lick.

How can you discover how non-artificial an artificial sweetener tastes? Take a lick.

The eww factor alone should have had Welch's ad campaign managers raise their eyebrows. Everyone knows what happens to old outdated magazines: they lead reincarnated lives in doctor's and dentist's waiting rooms. Think about it. When was the last time you visited the clinic and you did not see a little kid wiping his drippy nose on his sleeve? All those germs waiting patiently on that peel and lick ad for the next person to sample it.

I am positive a terrorist bent on the destruction of the United States must have infiltrated Welch's department of advertising. The next major worldwide pandemic won't come from something as benign as poultry or contaminated city water supplies. No, it will be passed along by people who can't keep their tongues to themselves and clinics and dentist's waiting rooms will be the areas where the poison is planted.

Think about it. Look for Welch's first peel and lick ads to run on February 18th. Then take a lick. If you dare.