Certain Success Stories Are Hard To Explain...

I remember when my wife, who is an early adopter for anything new, organic or that has a good story behind it, brought home a box of Melona® popsicles. It was the Summer of 2005 and we lived in Connecticut. For those who aren't familiar with Melona®, it's a green melon-flavored South Korean ice cream. Although my daughters loved the novelty, I didn't think much of it. Ok, it was very refreshing but there wasn't anything very innovative about it. No competitive advantage. No differentiated packaging idea. Almost two years later, I'm surprised to see Melona® appearing in hot spots all around São Paulo and getting a lot of PR. It's definitely the flip side of the local food movement.

In the land of so many wonderful fruits like cajú, acerola or cupuaçú and so many cool Brazilian ice cream brands like Mil Frutas from Rio or Rochinha from the São Paulo Coast, why would a Korean popsicle gain popularity?
Is it all about certain trendy consumers going against traditional brands in favor of the unusual newcomer?

I guess certain success stories are hard to explain but I have to admit there's something deliciously intriguing about this underground brand. I'm curious to see if the news will melt by the end of the summer?