I have kids, so naturally, I’ve seen a lot of kids’ movies.  These have varied in quality…most have been in the forgettable-to-annoying range, although there were also a few I’ve actually enjoyed (Toy Story and Shrek come to mind, here).

I’d include “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” in the latter group: not perfect, but it had its moments of inspired insanity and dark humor.  And, of course, it has a cool premise: wouldn’t it be awesome to find a golden ticket in a candy bar, and visit a fantastic place where everything around you was made from chocolate?

The beauty of the chocolate factory in the movie, however, was that it was big, and lots of things were going on…there was more to it than just oohing and aahing over the chocolate.  The chocolate was just the backdrop for the action, not the focus of the plot.  It would have been a dull flick, otherwise. 

Which is why this publicity stunt seems like a perfectly dumb idea…


The sweetest suite for my sweet!

That’s the grand prize offered by Godiva Chocolatier in its annual Valentine’s Day promotion.

The Belguim-based chocolate maker is offering a weekend stay in a decadent New York hotel room that’s a bonbon lover’s dream come true.

…Its parlor is anchored by a reproduction of Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss,” made of chocolates, Godiva boxes and foils, set over a faux fireplace with candy logs.

The confection adorns the armchairs, sofas and lamp. A chandelier garnished with bonbons, hangs above a glass dining table filled with a mosaic of truffles, crescents and stars.

Then there’s a buffet table overflowing with – guess what.

“This year we really wanted to bring the chocolate experience to life,” said Erica Lapidus, Godiva’s head of public relations and promotions. “It’s a multi-sensory experience.”

…One winning gift box – sold in North America for $23 or more – will contain a note congratulating the winner.

Ok, so let’s say you – out of millions of people – find the lucky box, and get to stay in the suite for a weekend.  What are ya gonna do?  Pig out on chocolate all weekend?  That might seem like an attractive prospect for…oh, maybe the first hour or so, but I think it would get pretty sickening, pretty fast.  Not to mention you’d have to live with the smell for 2 days straight.  A whiff is lovely, but to have it permeate your clothes and hair, and be surrounded by it all night long would be a little tiresome, methinks.

And since the room itself is a work of art, it’s not like you can make yourself completely at home, either.  You can’t light the candles or the fireplace (they’re chocolate!).  You can’t sit on a lot of the furniture (same reason).  Sounds like it would be a lot more trouble than it’s worth…what’s the point?

So, in the end, I can’t see how a promotion like this will induce any sane person to buy a box of Godiva chocolates, if they weren’t already inclined to do so.  Sounds like a weekend that only Augustus Gloop could enjoy.