Man Food: Sorry, ladies, these snacks are too macho for you
Jun 08, 2012 04:20 PM EDT | By Carly Okyle
Advertising can be very segmented. Commercials for vacuums and chocolate target womemn, commercials for tools and sports cars target men. It used to be that ads for food and drink were aimed at women -- more specifically, mothers -- since they were the ones responsible for shopping for their families. Men, it seemed, would survive on power bars and Gatorade. Now, however, with the rise of the stay-at-home dad, companies are recognizing that there's a larger, male-r, market to appeal to.
Like Us on Facebook
The trend has made its way into popular culture, with male caretakers having prominent rolls in television shows like Up All Night and Modern Family. As society sees these examples and becomes accepting, companies see a potential new market and become creative at trying to turn the sector into a profitable one.
The commercials can be humourus to the point of boardering on farcical, but perhaps they're effective. Dr. Pepper has a new product called Dr. Pepper 10. In the commercials, a ruggedly handsome man explains -- to a background of machine-gun fire and explosions -- that the name comes from the "10 , manly calories" in the can. Then he rushes off on a high speed chase in an SUV, yelling the tagline: "It's not for women." The softdrink containers advertise the calories as "bold-tasting." The Wall Street Journal reports that the company spent approximately $10 million on the campaign. "In tests, Dr Pepper Ten made up 6% of total sales of Dr Pepper products, while also increasing sales of regular and diet Dr Pepper," the article said.
Ruffles brand of potato chips is jumping on the bro-centric bandwagon as well. A new line of chips, named Ultimate, pump up the macho vibe as they deepen the ridges in Original, Sweet & Smokin’ BBQ, and Kickin’ Jalapeno Ranch flavors. It's the perfect snack for while he's playing poker and watching sports (or porn) in his man cave. He'll probably wash down his manly munchies with some Miller 64 beer. Those commercials are unabashedly masculine.
We're anxiously awaiting the day there's a advertising campaign for video gaming system aimed at women.
Wrigley Pulls Caffeinated Gum off Market, FDA Express Concerns Relating to Children Consuming the Gum
Wrigley pulls caffeinated gum from shelves temporarily as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigates the safety of added caffeine, particularly its potential effects on children and young adults.
Dollar Menu Fails: Fast Food Giant Declines In Sales
McDonald’s struggles to keep up profits with Dollar Menu
Hospital Food Program Helps Woman Shed 55 Pounds
By eating certain hospital foods, one woman has managed to overcome her weight issue and surgery
Cupcake Craze Expands, Sprinkles Makes Cupcakes Gourmet
Cupcake Craze, a well-known shop in New York, stated that television shows such as Cupcake Wars have increased the company's sales. "The craze is definitely helping business. People love cupcakes. You give someone a cupcake and they smile", said owner Kevin Hughes.
Serious Food Allergies: NIAID Finding Cures
NIAID is the lead Institute at the National Institutes of Health for research of food allergies. According to the institute's official website, they are committed to supporting efforts to help better understand, prevent, and manage this disorder that affects approximately 5 percent of children and 4 percent of adults in the United States.
Wrigley Will Release Caffeinated Gum April
Beginning next month, Wrigley gum is going to begin selling caffeinated gum. The company is well known for selling mints, gum, lollipops, hard and chewy candies. A couple of world known Wrigley brands include: Orbit, Doublemint, Skittles, Starburst and Altoids.
