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Harlequin Mills & Boon files patent for the Essential Romantic Kiss to encourage more kissing this Valentine’s Day

Announcement posted by Harlequin Enterprises (Australia) Pty Ltd 11 Feb 2011

Kiss & Tell Survey - Australia 2011

Harlequin Mills & Boon, the global leader in series romance and one of the world’s leading publishers for women, has submitted a patent application for the “Essential Romantic Kiss” to the United States Patent and Trademark office.

Harlequin M & B has created an online, interactive kissing creation tool allowing members of the public to create and share their own kissing styles this Valentine’s Day. They are hoping the online kissing tool will expand the standard kissing repertoire beyond common kisses such as simple pecks, the dated French kiss or the lovable butterfly kiss. Using the kissing creation tool, two people can reciprocate their romantic feelings towards one another in a manner that deepens attachment, provides pleasure and promotes physical and emotional well being – The Essential Romantic Kiss. You can submit your kiss which will be added to the online kissing vault at www.patentyourkiss.com

As Mae West said, ‘A man’s kiss is his signature’. "We’re looking for people to put their signature on kissing by patenting their very own kiss”, said Cristina Lee, Sales and Marketing Director Harlequin Enterprises. “With more than 60 years experience publishing Mills & Boon women’s romance, no one knows the kiss quite like Harlequin,” said Lee. “This patent is the first step in celebrating the kiss and bringing romance back to kissing.”

“It’s time to stop thinking of the kiss as a mundane, everyday form of affection,” says Lee.

KISS AND TELL: HARLEQUIN’S SURPRISING SURVEY RESULTS

During the development of the patent, Harlequin M & B in Australia and the US conducted a survey amongst men and women to gauge public opinion towards kissing in the era of digital romance[1]. Surprisingly, Australians are still very traditional when it comes to kissing with 67% of those surveyed believing a woman should not initiate a first kiss. (This compared to 53% in the US).

But while we might prefer old fashioned romance down under, let’s not confuse this with being chaste. Almost one third of surveyed women (29%) would fail to tell their partner if they kissed an ex, saying: “what my partner doesn’t know won’t hurt them”.

Other survey highlights include:

  • 25% of respondents have kissed someone off-limits, such as a friend’s significant other or spouse;

  • In an arrow through the heart of romantics everywhere, most of us have used kissing as a weapon: 45% have kissed someone to get what they wanted; 21% to make their current squeeze jealous; 31% to make their ex jealous; 16% to make someone else’s ex jealous; and 54% have kissed someone just to tease them;

  • Australians maybe more principled than our US counterparts, or simply more badly behaved. 73% of surveyed Aussies have regretted kissing someone, compared to just 41% of Americans;

  • Tough love: If a potential lover’s kissing wasn’t up to scratch 42% of us would give them another chance, 38% would give them a lesson, 14% would do nothing and 6% would tell them to hit the road;

  • 40% of surveyed people have kissed a co-worker and 44% have kissed an ex.

  • 29% have been so embarrassed about kissing someone that they hid it from their friends.



[1] Survey conducted by Harlequin via email December 24 – January 20

For more information contact: Debbie at DMCPRMedia

Tel: 02 9550 9207 | Mob: 0412 818 071 | Debbie@dmcpr.com.au

www.millsandboon.com.au