Page 11 - IAV Digital Magazine #539

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Oscar Mayer's Bologna Face Mask Quickly Sells Out
By Jordan Valinsky, CNN Business
New York (CNN Business)If the thought of using a slice of bologna as a moisturizing face mask was tempt- ing, you're out of luck — for now.
Oscar Mayer's bologna-inspired face mask sold out less than a day after
its release on Amazon. Kraft Heinz blamed the shortage on "unexpected incredibly high demand" and said in a statement that the product would be restocked "over the coming days." It's the number one new release in Amazon's beauty and per- sonal care sec-
tion.
The new product isn't actually a slimy piece of meat.
Rather, Kraft Heinz (KHC) part- nered with Seoul Mamas, a Korean skin care compa- ny, to create a "hydrating and
restoring hydro- gel" mask that promotes skin elasticity, improves hydra- tion and moisture retention. (Oddly, those are not among the typical side benefits associated with ingesting the sodium-filled deli
meat.)
But the tan-col- ored masks are not actually edi- ble. There's a large warning on the packaging that says "do not eat bologna masks."
The $5 skin care
product was cre- ated as a "playful spin on the often serious 'New Year, New You' trope with its meaty take on the self-care space," Kraft Heinz said in a press release. It's also an homage to those oddball kids
in school who would bite out eyes and a mouth on a bologna slice and put it on their face.
The nearly 140- year-old brand commonly uses off beat advertis- ing and stunts to bring attention to its packaged products (see: the Wienermobile). In 2019, Kraft wrote down the value of its Kraft and Oscar Mayer brands by $15 bil- lion because con- sumers have shifted their pref- erences away from processed foods.
Judging by the popularity of the face masks, per- haps a pivot into the growing well- ness sector is in its future.
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