benefitting from synergy

Right now, no more than a block away from my office, there stands an actual, real-life Kwik-E-Mart. No joke.

In the greatest act of marketing ever, 7-11 (no doubt with a little push from 20th Century Fox) have turned some of their stores into Kwik-E-Marts, which is in conjunction with the upcoming "Simpsons" full-length feature. Seattle, luckily, is one of the cities to benefit from this synergy. I had the opportunity to snag a Slurpee -- or Squishy -- at the recently erected Kwik-E-Mart, emblazoned with images of The Simpsons and Comic Book Guy. At the front counter stands issues of "Radioactive Man," near the door are cases of Buzz Cola (as opposed to the ubiquitous Duff Beer -- though Fox probably doesn't want to market alcoholic products with their beloved franchise) -- and the employees donning the bright lime green colors of said Kwik-E. Yes, it's Springfield in the flesh.

Though I was in the store for a few minutes, it was a pretty surreal experience, which soured slowly as the local news team started taping for a story about the synergy. All cheap marketing ploys aside, when you're obsessed with a TV show like "The Simpsons" walking into an actual physical store, based on a fictional store, which is parodying a real life store is nothing less than mindblowing. Seriously.

Edit: This photo says it all: