Star Wars, Promos and the Aisles of Mordor

[Jmg]

Having given up all cereals at the time of going gluten free I was tempted back to the 'dark side' by Nestle. Their 'Go Free' range are delicious, excellent corn flakes and very good rice crispies (sorry Kelloggs, 'Pops' then) if I feel like a nostalgic return to childhood. One thing I like about them is the box size, design etc is very much akin to the 'normal' products which now reside in the Supermarket area I like to call 'Mordor' - the forbidden lands I used to roam, but where evil lurks behind every pack or tin can... Instead of being from some niche form of supplier with niche labelling, niche packet size all of which scream 'NICHE' this is a pack very much like the Orcs eat   

Last time I went shopping I picked up my corn flakes without much thought and it was only later when I was looking in the cupboard that I spotted the fearsome Dark Lord of the Sith Wannabe 'Kylo Ren' glowering at me.  It surprised me. Not because I was clearly a very bad Jedi knight, failing to sense the presence of a dark side user under my nose (although this is undoubtedly true) but because this was the first time I could recall a genuine bona fide movie promo appearing on a gluten free product....  Check it out for yourself:

Open Original Shared Link

Now many will think this is not the most important thing I could've written about and you're correct, but I found myself very happy to see this and not just because it's Star Wars...  It's because I thought of all those coeliac or gluten sensitive kids across the country who have to eat all their meals from niche packaging and never get to participate in one of those silly but fun childhood rituals of opening a pack, collecting codes or coupons, 'winning' a promotional plastic cup or toy robot. 

Now I know this is marketing, that the execs who came up with the promos don't give a toss etc. But for once this is some advertising that I actually like seeing. I like the thought of kids choosing whether they get a Kylo or Rey pack or even kicking off if some hapless parent gets the wrong one   So well done fearsome Disney marketing team and the somewhat checkered multi-national conglomerate Nestle for including these 'niche' consumers in your latest drive to cover the world in Star Wars logos, Yay, even beyond the very aisles of Mordor itself.

May the force be with you.

 

[Victoria1234]

I completely understand your train of thought. It is amazing to see a promotion on a gluten-free food item. Go Nestle!

Although I do much prefer LOTR to Star Wars, as I grew up reading the books. my parents never let me go to the movies. Every kid in 4th grade went to go see Star Wars...... except for me. Rather isolating experience.

[kareng]

I know what you mean.  Normal!  Easy to find at any store.  No one looks at it oddly as you are paying.  Everyone know the cereal.  NO one cares that it is gluten-free except gluten-free people.

[Gluten-free-01]

6 hours ago, Jmg said:

the 'normal' products which now reside in the Supermarket area I like to call 'Mordor' - the forbidden lands I used to roam, but where evil lurks behind every pack or tin can...

I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels this way

Nice story btw. Even though I’m not a fan of Star Wars/Lord of the Rings (sorry ), I get the point. I can’t even imagine how I’d explain the diet restrictions to a child. ‘You can’t have this, you can’t have that..’ I had to explain this whole thing to myself in a way..

When I was a child, being mainstream was important to me. I was collecting Kinder Surprise toys etc.

Fortunately, I don’t care now that I’m older. Niche products are fine.   

[Jmg]

Just now, Gluten_free_01 said:

I was collecting Kinder Surprise toys etc.

You could make a fortune sending them over to the US forum members! They're the stuff of LEGEND over there...