Posted on 07/02/2007 10:49:04 AM PDT by 3AngelaD
7-Eleven Inc. turned a dozen stores into Kwik-E-Marts, the fictional convenience stores of "The Simpsons" fame, in the latest example of marketers making life imitate art. Those stores and most of the 6,000-plus other 7-Elevens in North America will sell items that until now existed only on television: Buzz Cola, KrustyO's cereal and Squishees, the slushy drink knockoff of Slurpees...
For 20th Century Fox Film Corp. and Homer's creators at Gracie Films, the stunt is a cheap way to call attention to their movie, since 7-Eleven is bearing all the costs...
At 7-Eleven, they're hoping it shows the ability to laugh at themselves....
The monthlong promotion has been rumored a long time -- it's hard to keep a secret known by so many suppliers and franchisees -- but 7-Eleven managed to keep the locations of the stores quiet until early Sunday morning. That's when the exteriors of 11 U.S. stores and one in Canada were flocked in industrial foam and given new signs to replicate the animated look of Kwik-E-Marts.
The U.S. locations where a 7-Eleven store was transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart are New York City; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Burbank, Calif.; Los Angeles; Henderson, Nev.; Orlando, Fla.; Mountain View, Calif.; Seattle; and Bladensburg, Md...
In some cases, 7-Eleven has contracted with manufacturers of similar products to make their Kwik-E-Mart counterparts. Malt-O-Meal will conjure up a recipe for KrustyO's...One flavor of 7-Eleven's own Slurpee will be sold as "WooHoo! Blue Vanilla" Squishee for the month...
That's the case for Kumar Assandas, a 28-year-old franchisee whose parents immigrated from India. His store in suburban Las Vegas is one of the temporary Kwik-E-Marts. "I know it's a stereotype, but it doesn't bother me. Everybody knows it's a joke," Assandas said...
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...
I think you misunderstood me. I love Apu, the character, not Hank Azaria. Hank Azaria is okay, but Apu is so much more.
I’m a Fudd man.
Here’s a pic of the one in Denver.
http://www.denverpost.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=1573276
A Slurpee was a knockoff of the Icee.
I am thinking about driving up to Bladensburg to visit the Maryland Kwik-E Mart.
Get a few boxes of Krusty-O’s and sell em’ on Ebay. Highest bidder plus $15.00 Shipping.
Looks like someone already has plans to sell beer under that trademark.
http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=67kk3p.2.1
I will only buy if it contains a jagged metal-o
LOL, That would be a rare find indeed. Just don’t eat it, you may get appendicitis. :^)
"That was a tough call, but we want to make sure it's considered good, responsible fun."
and
" I would have paid good money for a six-pack of Duff."
Will resolve themselves soon
Not enough flavor in either one. Give me a Slush Puppy any day. Hard to find, but worth the effort.
“Woo-hoo!”
The New York Kwik-E-Mart is three blocks from my front door.
They were already sold out of Krusty-Os by 2pm, but lots of Buzz still left, plus Sprinklicious donuts. BYW, the products are on sale at all 7-Elevens, not just the rebranded stores, so they won’t be that rare as to be eBait.
There were more reporters in there (interviewing the fans taking snapshots with the character cutouts and Squishee machine) than actual customers.
Buzz Cola is actually pretty tasty, a Pepsi-like base with notes of citrus.
Oh, and http://www.7-eleven.com/kem.asp to find a Kwik-E-Mart in your vicinity.
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