Seven-Eleven Becomes Kwik-E-Mart for Simpsons

Well...not all of them, just 12 (11 in the US and 1 in Canada). These stores have been made to look like the Kwik-E-Mart owned by Apu on the Simpsons TV show. All 6000 plus 7-11s will be selling pink with sprinkles doughnuts, Buzz Cola, Krusty Os cereal, special editions (#711 get it!) Radioactive Man comic books, and Squishee frozen drinks.

This is all in connection with the July 21st release of the new Simpsons Movie.

In an AP artcile by David Koenig, "At 7-Eleven, they're hoping it shows that the ubiquitous chain has a trait seen in few corporations-the ability to laugh at themselves."

Rumors of this move have been around, but the exact locations kept secret until this past Sunday, when the exteriors of the 12 stores were given new names and flocked in industrial foam to look like the Kwik-E-Mart. I imagine there were more than a few non-Simpson watchers who were saying "What the Hey!" when they went in for their morning cup of coffee, paper, and doughnut a few days ago. I wonder if some didn't even notice.

This is called reverse-product placement. Instead of the product being placed in the movie or TV show, fake goods move from the screen to reality. Malt-O-Meal will be making up the KrustyOs, and one flavor of Slurpee (I'm mighty fond of Slurpees, having had my first one in a trip out to California in 1967 and a fan ever since) will be sold as "Woo Hoo! Blue Vanilla" squishee. This all will run for a month.

WHAT? NO DUFF BEER!!!!!!!!! The Duffman won't be very pleased.

The Chicago Kwik-E-Mart is located at 6754 W. 63rd Street. Too far for me to drive in these days of rip-off gas prices. There will be life-size citizens of Springfield.

You can also win the opportunity of getting animated for a Simpsons episode.

For more info: www.7-11Simpsons.com
and www.seeyellow.com


MMMMMMMmmmmhhh, Slurpies!!! --RoadHomer