Today though they have amazingly become the cornerstone of many marketers’ annual plans. I say amazingly because, let’s be honest, they are nothing more than a new way of getting an off shelf display in the supermarket. They have little to do with brand building – in fact the reverse.

I say the reverse because if consumers really were passionate about these limited run flavour variations, then they would be part of the regular portfolio. They are limited editions because nobody really likes them. You get fooled once into trying one, realise it’s not a patch on the normal brand and never go near them again.

Of course the accountants love them. Minimum investment in kit, no extra marketing support – jobs a good’un. In reality they take almost as long to develop as a permanent line extension, clog up the R&D workload and deflect the marketing team from focusing on the long-term development of their brand.

Limited editions equals limited marketing thinking. Put the money into brand building instead.