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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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6

Ladies, Mars Wants You to Have a Fling

'Naughty' new candy bar has really, really, really suggestive ads

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(Newser) – Mars has introduced its first new candy bar in 20 years—and a racy marketing campaign to go along with it, NPR reports. The Fling is a "chocolate finger" of meringue and truffle painted with a "shimmering" chocolate coating, and both the 85-calorie size and the very pink, faux scandalous advertisements are aimed squarely at women.

From a commercial that seems to open with strangers having sex in a dressing room to the campaign's slogan—"Pleasure yourself"—some think that Mars is coming on too strong. "The overall campaign feels weird, it feels creepy," says the author of a book on marketing to women. So far, the Fling is available only in California.

One of the promotional images for Mars's new Fling candy bar. An advertising expert finds the campaign more
One of the promotional images for Mars's new Fling candy bar. An advertising expert finds the campaign more "trashy" than seductive.   (Courtesy of Taylor Global Inc.)
A promotional image for the new Fling.
A promotional image for the new Fling.   (Courtesy of Taylor Global Inc.)
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The language of it has so much sexual innuendo, you could pack it into a trashy novel. There are other things you can do that can hit this note without banging on it. - Lisa Johnson, co-author of a book on marketing products to women

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6 comments
VIEWING:
 
Janniel
May 17, 09 2:01 PM CDT
This is creepy, patronizing, and over the top. Reply
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-1
AS1280
May 17, 09 3:54 PM CDT
A chocolate finger? GAG. Reply
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+1
Thinker
May 17, 09 5:24 PM CDT
Look, when their chocolate is fake and tastes like doggie doo, they have to resort to sex to sell the thing. Reply
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-1
shonangreg
May 17, 09 5:30 PM CDT
Fling story: It's newsey, but not *that* newsey: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlRGT474Kiw Reply
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0
Derni
May 17, 09 5:45 PM CDT
Oh yes-don't forget our American Heritage of a Methodist and Puritan bent-no PLEASURE-NO SEX-NO ADS -YOU want those kinds of things go to France-Canada-UK-and on and on-why are we so worried about sex and the human body when we have the mostviolence and the highest death rate from guns? go fugure! Reply
Vote up! Vote down!
+2

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