They say art imitates life, but it seems that more and more often life is beginning to imitate art. Case in point: the phrase used in the title of this post, "defictionalized products": it refers to items used in books or movies that became so popular among fans that it was created in real life (hence, no longer fiction). People have become so enthralled with entertainment that we get super excited when what was once imaginary comes to reality. One of my favorite stories of art creeping over into life comes from the 1993 film
Demolition Man with Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock. The movie is set in 2032, in the city of San Angeles, which was created by combining San Diego and Los Angeles after a massive earthquake in 2010. Apparently only one restaurant chain survived the post-earthquake Franchise Wars and went on to become the fanciest place to go for a meal: Taco Bell. In the 90s when this movie was made, the Taco Bell logo looked like this:
The logo was redesigned for the movie to make it look like it was from the future, and appeared like this:
And the pink-and-purple logo was so well-received that the company actually changed their entire branding to that look, leaving us with the current logo:
Straight from fiction to real life! I love it when that happens. But enough about Taco Bell - below are my favorite products that made the leap to the real world.
5. The Batphone
In the classic
Batman TV show starring Adam West, Commissioner Gordon would call the caped crusader on his private line, ringing in to a red blinking phone. Now you can actually
buy this phone - which doesn't call out but blinks on incoming calls - for a mere $125!
4. Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans
As Harry Potter fans know, Every Flavor Beans literally come in every flavor - and I don't just mean the traditional fruit and spice varieties, but also such favorites as grass, fish, earwax, and vomit. When the films started to be released, this tie-in product was also released in stores. I had some in 2005, when I went to a midnight showing of
Goblet of Fire with a group from college. No one was brave enough to eat more than one.
3. Red Swingline Stapler
In the cult classic
Office Space, underappreciated character Milton constantly complains about others taking his red stapler from his desk. He gets so frustrated that he threatens to burn down the company - and does. Fans loved the quotable Milton so much that not only did his oft-repeated phrase "I believe you have my stapler?" make it onto officer vernacular but the company Swingline received so many requests for the red stapler that they released a limited edition one at office supply stores in 2002. For the filming of the movie they just took a regular stapler and spray-painted it.
2. Nike Mags
In the second installment of the
Back to the Future franchise, Marty McFly travels to the year 2015 and wears a pair of awesome sneakers with automatic shoe laces. They became so popular that Nike released a pair that looked similar to them in 2008, and even inspired a guy to invent his own self-tying laces. Then in the fall of 2011 Nike released the Mags - an exact replica of the shoes worn by Michael J. Fox in the film, complete with LED lights. The shoes were auctioned off on a special Ebay account with all proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox foundation, supporting Parkinson's research.
1. Wonka Candy
In 1964, British children's author Roald Dahl published the book
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the story of a poor little boy who gets to tour the fantastical candy factory of the eccentric Willy Wonka. It was later adapted to film in 1971, considered to be the classic favorite featuring Gene Wilder as Wonka, and again in 2005 directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp as the chocolatier. The book and films featured amazing edible treats, including fizzy lifting drinks, chocolate rivers, and hot ice cream for cold days. With the release of the first film in 1971 The Willy Wonka Candy Company began selling Wonka Bars and created other types of popular candy, including BottleCaps, Nerds, SweeTarts, Pixy Stix, Laffy Taffy, Fun Dip, Runts and Spree. Bought by Nestle in the 1980s, now all packages of Wonka candy include a reference to the original book and author Roald Dahl. Other products inspired by the film include the recent release of
lickable wallpaper installed in a London elevator. (I also believe that Extra's line of dessert gums featuring flavors like strawberry shortcake, key lime pie, and orange creamsicle and apple pie were influenced by Wonka's whole meal in a single piece of gum, and keep hoping they'll come out with a blueberry pie flavor so I can say, "You're turning violet, Violet!" - although I'm not sure I'd chew it for fear of plumping up like Violet Beauregarde and having to be rolled to the Juicing Room).
