Ladies, the creators of o.b. Ultra tampons have something they need to say to you. They’re sorry. They’re really, really, really sorry. If you’re confused, not to worry — so were we. Apparently, o.b. brand Ultra tampons began disappearing from shelves late last year, much to the dismay of their die-hard following (did you know tampon brands could have die-hard followings?). The line’s discontinuation resulted in massive consumer outcry and reports of black market o.b. Ultras going for $100 a box on eBay. Yes, you read that right. But now, o.b. wants to apologize, and apparently a heartfelt form letter isn’t enough — they’ve found a scruffy indie rock guy to sing each and every one of you a personalized song expressing his deep sorrow and affection. Oh yes, it’s as completely cheesy as it sounds, but it’s also kind of hilarious and great, not to mention a very savvy marketing idea. Watch the apology here, and let us know what you think in the comments. [via LA Times]
Ladies! Is your beer not feminine enough for you? Do you wish that you could carry a six pack that looks like a purse, and that the packaging could be hot pink and black, which as we know are every girl everywhere’s favorite colors? Well, you’re in luck. Enter Chick, a newly released beer, with a tagline that reads, ”finally, a beer just for women.” (We want to know: where are the beers that are just for men? Did we miss something?) But it’s not just about what’s on the outside, girls. In an interview with the Village Voice, Chick’s creator Shazz Lewis says of her brew, “It’s very mellow. It has a little less carbonation so it doesn’t make you burp. There’s no bitterness, and I think that was the big appeal for women.” Um. We’re not sure where anyone got the idea that women like bitter flavors any more or less than men do, but that’s okay, we’ll sail on through.
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With his new movie, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock has sold out, in a sense. For Pom Wonderful Presents the Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Spurlock, the provocateur behind the fast-food take-down Super Size Me, has created a documentary on the realities of marketing, advertising and product-placement that it, itself, funded entirely through those exact same things. That’s why you’ll notice, in our interactive interview with him below, he’s wearing a suit loudly emblazoned with the logos of JetBlue and his movie’s other major backers. He talks to us about the realities of “selling out” in the 21st century, what he thinks is the most mind-blowing corporate sponsorship buy-in he’s seen, and the good and bad points of being in a bathtub with a live horse. Click through for the full Flavorpill Interactive Interview with Morgan Spurlock, where you control the questions.
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We snorted with a mix of delight and derision today when reading Choire Sicha’s rail against the “corporate tribble” of the American Girl franchise over on The Awl. But Choire! thought we. How could you possibly understand the cracked-out secret code of the American Girl fiend if you weren’t aged 6 to 11 in the early 1990s? After the jump, a very biased analysis of “what it all means,” plus doll-owner profiling and gross generalizations on the sociology of doll-collecting.
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Using a tactic that is virtually the reverse of its typical omnipresent cluster openings, Starbucks’ new plan for coffee supremacy is to go stealth by opening up new stores that claim to be “inspired by Starbucks” when, in fact, they actually are Starbucks — after a fashion. 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea is the name of the first Seattle shop, which opened its doors last week. Read More »
It’s been quite a week for Burger King. For they impressed us with their extremely viral and controversial burger virgin commercial. Plenty of people have cried bad taste, but we found it entertaining — and as fast food commercials are usually peddling their unhealthy eats to obese kids who love shiny, plastic toys, is exploiting a few remote Transylvanian farmers really the worst thing ever?
Then we read about their meaty new man fragrance, FLAME™, via Ephemerist. It could possibly be the worst thing ever.
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