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Ladies, Mars Wants You to Have a Fling

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

By Katherine Thompson, Newser Staff

Posted May 17, 2009 1:48 PM CDT

(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.

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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. (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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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 4 comments

Rob

May 18, 2009 12:59 PM CDT

Most violence and highest death rate from guns? The world is a big place filled with violence and we are most certainly not the most violent place, not even close. But I agree; sex? So what?

Derni

May 17, 2009 10:45 AM 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!

Thinker

May 17, 2009 10:24 AM CDT

Look, when their chocolate is fake and tastes like doggie doo, they have to resort to sex to sell the thing.

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Ladies, Mars Wants You to Have a Fling