It doesn’t matter that I was always more of a Pillsbury Toaster Strudel kind of guy, or that I haven’t actually had a frosted breakfast pastry since the Clinton administration, because this blog at Consumerist really makes me want to visit Kellogg’s pop-up Pop Tart store in Times Square.
The new store, Pop Tarts World, opened to the public yesterday and is a regular Pop Tart-palooza. From designing your own Pop Tart t-shirt to customizing your very own variety pack, the store offers a hands-on experience for a product that’s identity previously was pretty limited. The chef at the Pop Tarts store has whipped up some crazy creations that have already created headlines and sound-bytes, the main one being Pop Tart sushi. Compromised of three different chopped pop tarts rolled in tasty fruit leather, the sushi thankfully stays away from incorporating seafood into the mix. Other concoctions on the menu include a sandwich of tarts with marshmallow in the center called the Fluffer Nutter and a pop tart version of Ants on a Log.
For the circus-like Times Square that also plays home for stores of Hershey and M&M’s, Pop Tarts World makes sense. The goal isn’t to create the next Pinkberry but to create an odd, headline-grabbing showtique that places the brand on a global stage. So far, the little plan by Kellogg’s has worked. Everywhere from The New York Times to this very blog has run with the story.
It’s the kind of brand awareness that is over-the-top – but it ties into our collective curiosity while playing on memories of our childhood. Granted, not every business can plunk down the $1,000 a month per square foot to have its own wacky Times Square store, but surely anybody can tap into brand creativity that will help create a buzz and a bump in business.
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