The obesity epidemic in this country is often criticized by those who feel the BMI scale is skewed and manipulated by both the government and diet industries. (For a ranty take on this, you can check out Paul Campos’ argument.) Others feel it’s the product of our busy lives that have been so overrun with work, chores, and extraneous obligations that convenience trumps health. (David Zinczenko’s argument here.) Then there are those who just want to see obesity work in a Darwinian fashion.
Regardless of the angle with which you choose to side, it’s important to note — especially prior to Christmas — that Pizza Hut has released a new perfume, one that allows you to attract your loved one with the bouquets of melted cheese, processed dough, overly-sugared sauce, grease, or “top notes of freshly baked, hand-tossed dough, according to a company press release.”
Seriously:
“At the end of September, the company announced the perfume’s existence on Facebook, offering a free bottle to the first 100 people to respond. In an hour the marketing team was inundated with more than 1,000 requests, four times the anticipated amount, the Globe and Mail reported.” [Time]
I get the gimmick here. Pizza Hut, in their recent attempt at transformation from fast-food pizza jockey to legitimate eatery is speaking tongue-in-cheek and showing their customers that they have a sense of humor; however, at least 1,000 people actually want to smell like yeast, flour, and water. (Irony: there are hygiene products designed to eliminate this odor.)
Even more disturbing is that “Pizza Hut isn’t the only culinary company to garner attention with odd aromas. Four years ago, Burger King offered a $4 meat-scented body spray for men, Flame by BK. Before that in 2006, Stilton created a perfume meant to mimic the scent of the pungent blue cheese.” [Time]
[Editor’s note: There is little if any connection to film here, but the Brad Pitt / Chanel ad that keeps hovering above my New York Times homepage causes me to wonder just which celebrity will be paired with this new eau de pizza.]
