Sex party's crumbs of comfort

Published on Thursday 3 October 2002 01:00

AS FAR as marketing gimmicks go, this one takes the biscuit.

In a carefully devised sales thrust, McVitie’s, the biscuit giant, has revealed a bizarre link-up with Ann Summers, the sex shop chain, to promote their range of chocolate and raspberry cookies.

In a promotion dubbed "Cookie Nookie", McVitie’s will deliver almost half-a-million free biscuits to Ann Summers parties across the UK this month.

The women who attend the 20,000 private lingerie and sex aid nights will be encouraged to try the snack while considering a ranges of oils, creams, nightwear and battery-operated devices.

McVitie’s officials said the promotion makes perfect sense as the new cookies are aimed at the same target market - women aged 20-45.

The launch has been supported with a 1.5 million advertising campaign on TV and it is thought around 200,000 women will have tried the biscuits by the end of the month.

A spokeswoman for McVities said the Ann Summers’ parties provided an ideal "sharing" environment where "women are able to sample the food and really let their hair down". Party-goers will be given promotion McVitie’s packs.

The "Find Your McV-Spot" kit, as it is called, will include games, ideas involving eating the biscuits plus a competition to win front row seats for The Full Monty theatre show.

Nich Lee, the senior brand manager at McVitie’s, said: "Although McVitie’s biscuits and Ann Summers’ parties do not instantly fit in the same sentence, the tight match with our consumer profile and the opportunity to present cookies in a contemporary setting made them instantly attractive."