Friday, October 09, 2009

Sexist Candy or Tasty Treat?

Mars is introducing a new candy bar aimed at women, Fling.

Here's the description:

We created FLING™ Chocolate to celebrate the female spirit – the unapologetically feminine playful, naughty, flirtatious, and alluring nature that brings shimmer into the world.

FLING™ Chocolate is a sweet, light truffle on a subtle crisp layer enrobed in shimmering chocolate that's as glamorous as you are. At under 85 calories per chocolate stick, it's slim, but not skinny. Indulgent but not greedy. Naughty but nice.

So let yourself go! Have FLING™ Chocolate in private, or wave it all around town; in the office, the bedroom, or the great outdoors. It's also a way of living. FLING™ Chocolate women are spontaneous – and when we find something good, we share it.

The FLING™ Chocolate community has started in California, but you can be a part of it no matter where you are. The FLING™ Chocolate spirit is universal. So go ahead and be naughty…but not that naughty™.

Is it just me or does that come off rather condescending? And shimmering chocolate? What's the chocolate made of? Vampires that sparkle? I don't know, it's all such overkill, don't you think? We get it. It's a low calorie chocolate bar, but why all the sexual innuendo? And really, it's a way of living? Um, if chocolate is your way of living, that's probably why you need a low calorie candy bar in the first place. I'm not impressed. What do you think?

15 comments:

  1. They should have named it Flirt and come right out and insulted us.

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  2. Unreal. I love chocolate; it's hard to resisit in any form...until now. They can 'fling' their idea right into the garbarge. And the only shimmering chocolate I've ever seen was the river in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! Of course after the fat kid fell into it I was turned off. PFFFLT!

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  3. Anonymous9:22 AM

    Almost as bad a name as the PROBE car

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  4. Dammit! They renamed TWIX!!!

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  5. Patrick is right it's totally a Twix. And with that description why not change the shape and add nuts? Please.

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  6. It looks like a Pria bar or something pseudo-granola-y. Based upon the wrapper, I'd just pass it up for a Twix. If I'm eating chocolate I want to know it's not full of sucralose...or glitter.

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  7. Um,that looks deceptively like a Twix bar - are they just trying to make Twix sexier or something? And besides condescending, I find the marketing strategy rather ... bizarre. I can be tempted to eat chocolate without being told it will make me feminine, spontaneous, flirtatious, and naughty ; )

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  8. Frankly, I love it. I think it's hysterical and fun and I'm totally in. I don't find it insulting at all.

    Women always claim a love affair with chocolate. Why not have a chocolate bar that owns that?

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  9. I'm not offended by the marketing concept, but the pink on white packaging needs to go. It makes me think "tampons", not chocolate.

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  10. The copy alone makes my teeth hurt.

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  11. I agree with Eva - they should've just named it Flirt and be done with it. It is a tad condescending. And Cora's right too - it does kinda look like a tampon!

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  12. I'm a little confused about the Fling chocolate community starting in California? Here in Wi - we like our chocolate fully fattening, our cheese plentiful, and our beer bountiful. And our Brats Hot!
    We have to bulk up for the cold winters you know.

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  13. I agree with your thinking! And it seems they're trying to compliment me. I'm not at all impressed, nor does it sound anything like the woman I am. Hmm. I'm thinking I'll take a Milky Way.

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  14. Well, I don't know if it's condescending, but I don't really like how a woman is described. Sheesh.
    Also, I have to agree with the other commenter, the wrapper totally looks like a tampon! Ew.

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  15. As my husband would say: 'Feh. Marketing people.' Sometimes they get it, but a lot of times they miss. I totally didn't see the tampon package thing until someone pointed it out. Too funny. And totally ewww.

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