Just address, stamp and send.There are going to be some cases where I won't need to actually buy something to report on it as a snack. These cases will be rare, but there will be a few. I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of those cases will involve Japanese KitKats.
On that note, I'm going to tell you about KitKat Mail though I've not purchased one. Now, this may sound like a KitKat that is flavored like the back of a postage stamp, or possibly a disgruntled postal worker (tired, bitter, and angry-like a moldy chili pepper), but it's actually a regular KitKat in a new package concept.
The idea with these KitKats is to buy a box for 210 yen ($2.32), slap a 140 yen ($1.55) stamp on it, and then toss it into a post box. There are "4 pieces" in it according to the web site, but I'd wager that the volume is either about the size of a regular KitKat or just a bit bigger. They don't offer weight information, but I think it's almost certainly going to be 4 mini bars or 4 individually wrapped fingers. The promotional information for this says that these are to "support students", meaning that mom and pop can send their kid who is off at school a box of these for only about 3 times as much as it'd cost the kid to go pick one up at a local convenience store. Hey, but it's not about the price or the volume. It's about the love.
The main appeal of these is that the box is designed to withstand domestic mail handling and the stamp value required is known and set. You don't have to take it to the post office and have it weighed. Nestlé Japan has produced these in cooperation with the postal service and they'll be available on January 5, 2009. The timing of these coincides with the period in Japan when students traditionally start taking their grueling entrance exams. So, I guess that the years a child has spent cramming away at juku ("cram schools" that prep kids to take entrance tests) rather than enjoying his youth will all seem worthwhile if you just send them a KitKat of encouragement.
"a KitKat that is flavored like the back of a postage stamp, or possibly a disgruntled postal worker (tired, bitter, and angry-like a moldy chili pepper"
ReplyDeleteIt's no wonder postal workers in Japan are disgruntled, not only do they have to deliver the mail, they have to sell stamps and insurance. My husband is an ex-japanese postal worker and he described it as hell on earth, even though it was a government job.
Well, i think this is a nifty idea. By why didn't nestle japan make special stamps to go on these packages? That would increase collection value for sure.
It would be good if they came in flavours, different flavours for different areas of study!
Actually, my "disgruntled postal worker" comment is derived from the American stereotype that inspired the phrase "to go postal". I've never had a bad experience with a postal worker in Japan. They're always polite and reasonably efficient. That being said, I never had a bad experience with a postal worker in America either. ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that there are legal issues separating Nestlé Japan from selling the stamps. Stamps are a little like currency as they retain their face value indefinitely. My guess is only the postal service can legally distribute them (though that's a pure guess).
Thanks for your comment, and for reading!
Living here for as long as I have there are very few things that leave me speechless anymore. This almost does it!
ReplyDeleteYou gotta hand it to the Nestle Japan KitKat people. They come up with some ideas, don't they?