Honey infused with chilli (i.e. hot honey) was on the menu at Australian McDonalds stores in April and May, both as a dipping sauce and an ingredient in fried chicken products. And the US hamburger chain went 'all out' with a media campaign to promote the new condiment.
Aimed squarely at teen and younger consumers, the campaign slogan was “embrace the drip.”
It seems that, in US street culture, ‘drip’ is now teen argot or slang that refers to clothes and lifestyle.
So McDonalds launched its campaign via a “collab” (i.e collaboration) with a Melbourne fashion business known as Culture Kings. The partnership produced a limited edition t-shirt and the campaign encouraged customers to visit McDonalds with their “crew” (i.e. friends) to spend up on the new honey.
Its not known whether the campaign was successful, but chilli-infused honey has become quite a thing in the US marketplace in recent years.
And Australian honey producers have taken notice.
Last year, retail honey giant – ‘Capilano’ (owned by the Hive and Wellness Corporation) released a 340gms Hot Chilli honey on the shelves of Coles and Woolworths supermarkets.
Fiona Tavian, Capilano’s general manager of innovation, said that studies show people aged under 35 and Australian men, in particular, are partial to a chilli hit, and as many as half a million adults include hot sauces in their daily diet.
“We are sure Australians are going to love our Hot Chilli Honey,” Ms Tavian added.
Even so, there has to be some question over Capilano’s campaign slogan.
After all, “embrace the drip” could easily suggest alternative and possibly even dysfunctional interpretations to older Australians
Some might have thought the ad was exhorting customers to get intimate with the symptoms of a nasty disease, or adopt a “so what” attitude to the “nasal drip” associated with a heavy cold.
Moreover, honey infused with an additive, whether it be chilli, or something else, is hardly something new.
Flavoured honeys have always been available, but have rarely become popular or mainstream.
Examples include honey and ginseng, or honey and nuts, or honey with vanilla.
Beechworth honey even has a product infused with passionfruit in the Australian market currently.
Add to that the fact that, for many consumers, honey itself being a 100% natural product is a key factor in its appeal. Anything added is an adulteration, rather than an improvement.