Zipper it, baby

A skull and crossbones says "poison" in any language, and a female silhouette calls out "ladies room." But when it comes to alcoholic beverages, there is no universal symbol.

Brian Pearson is out to change that. If he has his way, a baby's face with a red line through it will be appearing on beer, wine, and liquor bottles worldwide. "There is no international symbol for alcohol," he says. "To somebody under age, alcohol could be considered dangerous. Why not come up with an international symbol for alcohol so that no matter what language you speak, no matter where you are from, you will know there is alcohol in there?" he asks.

Pearson is president of BPNC, Inc., a young, Toledo, Ohio-based firm that markets Zippers gelatin shots, the only commercially produced version of that trendy barroom staple Jell-O shots. Zippers packages carry a picture of a baby with a circle and a red line through it as part of the government warning about the dangers of consuming alcohol. "We're the first and only company in the United States to put a toddler warning on the package," Pearson says.

'See the picture'

He's met with the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) about expanding the use of his warning label. "We're working with DISCUS to see if maybe we can launch a nationwide campaign to try and coerce everybody into putting this little baby on all alcohol forever," Pearson says. "That way you wouldn't have to read the label. All you would have to do is see the picture."

The baby on the package was chosen by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and came about as part of BPNC's negotiations with the agency to get the product approved. "The ATF asked me to do it. They forwarded me the picture of the baby. They said they couldn't force me to put it on because that was not the law, but they asked me to do it. We tried to go beyond the call of duty," says Pearson, a 27-year-old former Marine who once did a detail guarding President Clinton.

He founded BPNC with his best friend, Nick Costanzo, who is company v.p., after his mother suggested he go to the store and buy Jell-O shots for his sister's 21st birthday party. She was shocked when he told her no such commercial product existed, and the idea for a hot new product was born. Zippers are currently for sale in 26 states and the United Kingdom. Pearson recently met with Mexican officials as part of a U.S. Chamber of Commerce trade mission, so he is developing a Spanish-language package. He has also received interest from Japan and other Asian countries.

Zippers are available in lime Whiskey Drop, lemon Tijuana Tease, orange Vodka Splash, and cherry Rum Rush flavors. In mid-August, vodka-based Zippers Cocktails were launched in Fuzzy Navel, Blue Hawaiian, Purple Hooter, and Melon Head flavors. "There are 3,000 recipes for gelatin shots. We have just begun," says Pearson. Zippers come in eight-packs of 50 ml foil-sealed plastic containers. Each is 12 percent alcohol by volume and 24 proof, about the same as a glass of wine.

Still, the ATF was skittish about approving Zippers until Pearson pointed out that gelatin shots are illegally made in bars across the country. "A bar making their own is not legal. They would have to have a manufacturing license, and they don't," he says. "That's why they make mixed drinks in front of you and not in the back room. Gelatin shots can't be made in front of patrons because they need time to set and cool off."

While Zippers are sold only in liquor departments and have a price tag that goes up to $9.99, the product has been marked with controversy. The company had to shut down its Web site because consumer watchdog groups were afraid Zippers were being marketed to children and, according to published reports, BPNC's offices were raided by Ohio's liquor control board over charges the firm was distributing and promoting liquor without a license. A co-packer manufactures the product.

Pearson says he is addressing the concerns. "We're helping to regulate a market that already existed. We don't want people rolling cigarettes in their back yard, and we don't want them making gelatin shots without safety lids on them. Ours are clean, sanitary, and exactly 12 percent/24 proof," he says.

They also offer retailers 33-percent margins, while the markup in bars is more than 400 percent. "The bars buy them for about 70 cents each and sell them for $3. Cotton Eye Joe's in Knoxville, Tenn. sells about 10,000 of our shots a month," Pearson says.