Twizzlers®, those red twisted sticks of chewy strawberry delight, are addictive. My family calls them red licorice, even though we debate whether or not real licorice can be anything that isn’t black and tasting of licorice extract.
Personally, I think Twizzlers® sell themselves and don’t need to be advertised. I have given up my other addictions, like chocolate chip cookies, chocolate, and Diet Coke. Red licorice is my controlled indulgence. Even so, it just doesn’t seem fair that Twizzlers® are now advertised and repackaged in interesting ways to further seduce us into buying them. For example, today I was walking through a Walgreens store. It was my first visit there because we just moved to a new city. I know to avoid the candy aisle, but those tricky product placement folks had Twizzlers® displayed on the main aisle in the middle of the store. This is the wide high-traffic aisle where we shoppers go to get from place to place. As I glanced at the bags of temptation, I noticed something new. Now we can buy Twizzlers® in extra-long sized pieces. I stopped and picked up the bag. Those extra-long pieces look like they are at least a foot long. Not fair.
I should have known something was going on with Twizzlers® when I saw a TV ad for the movie Man of Steel. According to the publicity, Twizzlers® has teamed with The Man of Steel movie for an “invincible summer”. The ad ends with pieces of Twizzlers® woven to create Superman’s emblem. Maybe it took those extra-long sticks of Twizzlers® to make that happen.
I admire the mighty creative marketing staff who found a way to turn Superman’s chest into advertising for Twizzlers® . Undoubtedly the results will be consumers heading to the candy counters at the movie theaters, or into the local stores. I am working hard not to be one of them!
The marketing of Twizzlers® is pretty awesome. However, it is only marketing of a candy product and a movie. This got me to thinking (a monkey mind thing) about just how powerful the results would be if the financial services industry could be as creative in marketing the information and products it provides. I am ready to be a part of that process.
For the moment, I am staying away from Walgreens, and trying to visualize the Superman emblem when the focus was on Christopher Reeve’s chest. Keeping my Twizzlers® consumption down is my version of an invincible summer.
Until next time.
Debra Hadsall
Financial Freedom Party for Women (FFP)-Talk 
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