Oscar Mayer’s bologna face mask quickly sells out

By Jordan Valinsky, CNN Business

If the thought of using a slice of bologna as a moisturizing face mask was tempting, you’re out of luck — for now.

Oscar Mayer’s bologna-inspired face mask sold out less than a day after its release on Amazon. Kraft Heinz blamed the shortage on “unexpected incredibly high demand” and said in a statement that the product would be restocked “over the coming days.” It’s the number one new release in Amazon’s beauty and personal care section.

The new product isn’t actually a slimy piece of meat. Rather, Kraft Heinz partnered with Seoul Mamas, a Korean skin care company, to create a “hydrating and restoring hydrogel” mask that promotes skin elasticity, improves hydration and moisture retention. (Oddly, those are not among the typical side benefits associated with ingesting the sodium-filled deli meat.)

But the tan-colored masks are not actually edible. There’s a large warning on the packaging that says “do not eat bologna masks.”

The $5 skin care product was created as a “playful spin on the often serious ‘New Year, New You’ trope with its meaty take on the self-care space,” Kraft Heinz said in a press release. It’s also an homage to those oddball kids in school who would bite out eyes and a mouth on a bologna slice and put it on their face.

The nearly 140-year-old brand commonly uses off beat advertising and stunts to bring attention to its packaged products (see: the Wienermobile). In 2019, Kraft wrote down the value of its Kraft and Oscar Mayer brands by $15 billion because consumers have shifted their preferences away from processed foods.

Judging by the popularity of the face masks, perhaps a pivot into the growing wellness sector is in its future.

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