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Sommeliers in the Spotlight, Starchy Hospitality, and KFC Brings Sexy Back

Ingredients: Technology, activations, and trends in the world of food


Fine Dining News

Are Sommeliers Athletes?

HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" is headed to England's Varsity Blind Wine Tasting Match- a wine tasting competition between Oxford and Cambridge university. Teams from each school have 40 minutes to blind-taste 6 whites and 6 reds to identify the grape, region, vintage, and other factors. The "Real Sports" episode will focus on the training of the senses and the trends in the competitors (many were mathematics majors). Wine tasting is not a spectator sport, much like the crossword championship they covered last season. Gumbel loosely defines sports by the competitive nature, learned physical expertise, and officiated competitions. By defining sports in this way, the category can be expanded to include quirk and fun.


 

Stunt Spotlight

Idaho's Potato Hostel

The latest addition to Air BnB? An oversized potato made from steel, plaster, and concrete. The cozy potato hotel is part of a stunt by Idaho’s Potato Commission in celebration of their 75th anniversary. The potato was once part of a potato promotional tour across America (tied to a “What Kind of Potato Are You?” quiz digital campaign. The retired tater has been given a facelift with the help of Scandinavian chic interior decorating and now sleeps two in a queen-sized bed and boasts a small bathroom for the bargain price of $247 a night. For tens of people, a dream has become a reality, living inside a potato! For above market price! The stunt is a creative reuse of a tour element and while it is attracting more buzz than bookings, Idaho Potato Commission succeeds in an irreverent, playful stunt.



 

Best in Digital

KFC Chickendale Dancers

Last year, KFC celebrated Mother's Day with a steamy romance novel featuring the Colonel. To one-up themselves, Kentucky Fried Chicken is unveiling a digital surprise-and-delight program for moms. Starting on April 25th, you can send a semi-personalized video to your mother featuring a series of sexy dancing Colonels called ... the Chickendales. The dancers are on loan from the Chippendales strip tease group based in Vegas. The sexy take on Mother's Day comes hot on the heels of their digital influencer who can be found mocking stereotypical influencer pictures on Instagram. The influencer is basically Chris Hemsworth... with white hair? Anyway! KFC never ceases to shape shift and innovate in their marketing and use of the Colonel. Kudos to KFC.


 

Quick Bites

Royally Cheesy Baby Announcements

To celebrate the arrival of the Royal baby, Whole Foods will release a Westminster Royal Mark red cheddar cheese! The cheese is cheddar- a nod to the popularity of cheddar in both the U.S. and U.K. and will be naturally colored red-orange for the Prince's hair. The cheese will be available in select Whole Foods upon... the birth?


Lucky Charm Drops

On St. Patrick's day, Lucky Charms used social listening on IG, FB, and Twitter to surprise and delight families with Lucky the Leprechaun with cereal and prizes. The promotion ran locally in suburbs of Boston. Consumers received updates from Lucky as they headed to homes, dorm rooms, a fraternity, a bar and offices.


McDonalds Global Menu

McDonalds will roll out global favorites in the US for a limited time. Every country boasts different offerings. The test run will include Stroopwafel McFlurries from the Netherlands, Australian Cheese Fries, Canada's Tomato-Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich, and Spain's McExtreme Bacon Burger. The "Worldwide Favorites" will hit select McD's in June.

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