Chinese Buying Up Apples Kissed By Stewardesses

The old adage is that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. If a regular apple has such curative properties, what benefits do you think an apple kissed by a lovely flight attendant might bring? Thanks to the efforts of the Sichuan Southwest Vocational College of Civil Aviation, you no longer need to wonder. In an effort to raise some cash, these young ladies have opened the bidding on Taobao, the Chinese equivalent to eBay.

 The viral marketing campaign began last week, with the first apples priced around $1.50. In the short span of time since they first went on sales, apples are now selling for over $20. The appeal of the delicious red fruit is that they’ve had equally lovely pairs of red lips pressed to them. As part of the sales pitch, the flight attendants include photos of themselves kissing the apples or posing suggestively with them. The descriptions for the pricier apples even include boastful claims, such as that over 500 stewardesses have kissed the same piece of fruit.

 The official purpose for the campaign, according to the vocational college located in southwestern China, is to help raise funds for a few worthy causes. Part of the money goes toward a local ‘old people’s home,’ while the rest of the money will ‘help more students realize their career dreams.’ That’s all well and good, but the real question is: What are the career dreams of these young ladies? Based on the seductive and sexually charged nature of some of the images, complaints have already started rolling in to the vocational school’s administration. So far, nothing has been done to stop the “air hostess kiss” campaign. In fact, like so many situations in which there is negative publicity, this attention has just gotten more people to purchase the apples. A representative for the flight attendants acknowledged that most buyers have been men, and if I had to wager, they’re the same type of folks as the  guys in Japan who buy curry because it comes with a fake girlfriend..

As sales continue to take flight, with over 350 apples sold so far, national fruit sellers have reached out to the stewardesses to hawk other types of produce. As a result of these new partnerships, specialty bundles of kissed apples and Ferrero Rocher chocolates can now be purchased for upwards of $100. In the competitive Chinese market, other universities and organizations have set up similar marketing campaigns featuring bok choy and sweet potatoes.

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