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Snookies Cookies, who credit their cookie delivery business' success to swagging product to Kiis-FM DJ Rick Dees, lured us to note their 20th anniversary with the offering of some genuinely great samples accompanied by a half gallon of whole milk on ice.

Why no foto? You'll not the phrase "still life photograph" is rarely in the same sentence as "fresh baked goods."

Collectability: A, Highly sought after by "collectors" — yet unlikely ever to make it to an online auction.

Oct 29, 2003 at 08:21 AM by James Hames in Shopping | Permalink | Comments (0)

Enjoy a creamy concept product treat today!

CremaLita, seemingly all over New York City, has come to L.A. and points in between. To let us know, they swag us a Neopolitan of flavors: chocolate, strawberry, and French vanilla — even though we're supposed to call it "freedom" vanilla now. (Yes, we've used that joke before.)

With a masterpiece of vagueness, the swag has generically reduced "ice cream" to "low calorie frozen delights" and enveloped it in a 1/2 gallon of specific-free descriptors: fresh, delicious, treat, delight, creamy, concept. We're told what it hasn't got: fat, guilt, cholesterol, calories; and what it's made of.

But they never seem to say what it is. It's not ice cream, sorbet, ice milk, tofutti, sherbet, gelato ... it seemed frozen yogurt-like to us. Could use hot fudge.

BTW: The New York Times has some issues (free registration): "At CremaLita's Third Avenue branch, the small vanilla soft serve is advertised as having 60 calories in four fluid ounces. In fact, one small cup contained 153 calories." And yes, of course, the story does in fact lede with a compulsory "Seinfeld" episode reference, referencing that plot point exactly.

Coolness: B, If this ain't cool, we don't know what is.

Healthivity: B, Yeah, so what? If we really want Häagen-Dazs, we're not going to be thrilled by milky iced food product anyhow. But this tastes OK, if sorta adverby.

Oct 15, 2003 at 02:30 PM by James Hames in Shopping | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pad Tie

Crate & Barrel, the housewares retailer who's not content to just have their big bold font logo in the background of all the photographs from our wedding reception gift opening pre-return extravaganza, also wants their big bold font logo on our grocery shopping list, having swagged to us a lined paper notepad and a handful of so-logoed ballpoint pens. Getting into the whole entertainment industry vibe, the store even has a sequel.

Cool factor: You’re kidding, right?

Recontextualization quotient: D, maybe as recycled paper.

Practicality: B-, who doesn’t need scratch paper?

Sep 2, 2003 at 07:06 PM by James Hames in Shopping | Permalink | Comments (0)