Heart Shaped Wedding Cake

Royal wedding promotions, from dolls to doughnuts

Toys R Us is selling Princess Catherine dolls that look like bride Kate Middleton . Baskin-Robbins is hawking royal wedding cakes. And Dunkin' Donuts is flaunting royal wedding doughnuts — heart-shaped, of course.

Such marketing super-silliness has become the national norm for high-profile events of political, athletic or cultural significance ranging from elections to the Olympic Games to papal visits. But a strong argument can be made that the marketing mayhem based on today's nuptials is breaking virtually all barriers.

"Nobody needs any of this stuff," says Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing. "But in marketing, perception is reality. If you perceive you're participating in the royal wedding in some small way, that's the reality the consumer is buying."

Among the royal wedding promos:

• Doughnuts. From last Sunday until this Sunday, Dunkin' expects to sell up to 500,000 heart-shaped doughtnuts — filled with jelly and iced with vanilla and chocolate — at 89 cents a pop. "This has probably been the most (media) interest we've had in one subject, ever, in the history of Dunkin' Donuts," says Nigel Travis, CEO of Dunkin' Brands, which is also parent to Baskin-Robbins.

Doughnut sales are up during the promo, but he won't say by how much. Oh, and if the doughnut looks familiar, that's because it's the same shape as the one Dunkin' promotes on Valentine's Day .

• Dolls. Toys R Us is selling the Princess Catherine Engagement Dolls made by British-based Champions of British Style — for $50 each. The dolls were air-freighted to two New York locations and will be sold, for a limited time, on the retailer's website. Toys R Us is the only U.S. retailer to sell the doll, says Lisa Harnisch, the toymaker's general merchandise manager. At about the size of a Barbie doll, it's "the mirror image of Kate Middleton," she says.

• Ice cream cakes. The Baskin-Robbins Royal Wedding Ice Cream Cake fetches a cool $29.99. The 6-inch-round dessert is made from vanilla cake and Chocolate Mousse Royale ice cream. The white and blue roses are supposed to look a bit like an English garden.

Trinity Knot Cake Topper - Heart Shaped Wedding Topper

Finish off your wedding cake in style with this classic trinity knot cake topper. This simple and elegant cake topper works wonderfully to help you celebrate your special day. A Celtic trinity knot in the middle makes this a great choice for an Irish-themed wedding or a great choice for anyone who wants to celebrate their Irish heritage. White in color, this beautiful cake topper has some wonderful detailing with small hearts inscribed along the base. If your wedding cake needs a little extra touch to make it perfect, this topper is a great way to do it!

Features and facts: Material: Hand painted porcelain Size:: 4.75" Long, 5.5" Tall, Weight: 7.

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