Cholocate coated in mint and cherry for holiday sales

BASKING RIDGE, N.J.-As chocolate-lovers know, their favored confection appears in many colors. And Verizon Wireless and LG Electronics Co. Ltd. appear to be banking on the near-universal appeal of the sweet and holiday color schemes to sell their new Chocolate handsets, appearing Friday at the carrier in red and green for $100 after a mail-in rebate and a two-year contract.
Actually, the two companies tried hard to make their announcement about the holidays and food-a combination that may be effective or ridiculous. The two companies use “red” and “green” in the title of their press release, perhaps to emphasize the holiday motif, yet modify that in a subhead to “mint” and “cherry,” colors that the two companies refer to as “flavors” in an attempt to further the purported connection between the plastic-and-metal handsets and the edible treat.
Analysts have credited LG with developing a halo product in the Chocolate handset, which helps distinguish the vendor’s product line from competitors. It remains to be seen whether LG can take the color game to the bank with the same success as Motorola Inc. has done with its Razr handset, which led the market with many iterations in a variety of colors, often the most obvious differentiator for the various carriers that offer it.
Verizon Wireless and LG also announced that current owners of Chocolate handsets may obtain a free software upgrade at carrier stores that provides speakerphone functionality.
Meanwhile, happy holidays and bon appetit!