Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 27, 1994                   TAG: 9403250213
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By LINDA SHRIEVES ORLANDO SENTINEL
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPAM, YOU CAN WEAR IT

Spam, the ugly duckling of luncheon meats, would have its day. And now, Spam fans, that day has come.

The geniuses at Hormel have unveiled the ultimate in designer apparel, the kind of fashion statement that even Porky Pig would admire. That's right, Spamwear.

Yes, executives at Hormel Foods Corp. have issued an official Spam catalog, replete with T-shirts, baseball caps and watches emblazoned with the distinctive, if boring, Spam logo.

There's even, yegods, Spam sweat pants - with the word Spam strategically placed on the left hamhock. All available in traditional Spam colors - blue and yellow.

Naturally, the public is gobbling up the Spam apparel.

``We've had orders from all 50 states, Okinawa, Australia, Belgium, even the Marshall Islands,'' said Allan Krejci, Hormel's public relations director and the brains behind the Spam catalog, which debuted in January. ``We're averaging 500 to 700 requests a week for the catalog. And we're already trying to come up with items for a new catalog.''

Krejci proposed the catalog because he regularly fields calls from Spam fanatics looking for Spam T-shirts, baseball caps or anything bearing the Spam name.

The company has a small gift shop - conveniently located near the Spam museum in Austin, Minn. - where visitors can buy Spam T-shirts, sweatshirts and caps. But for the Spam fan in Florida or Alaska or New York, that was of little consolation.

Now the catalog offers everything from a Spam cap ($7.99) to a Spam mug ($4.99). There's a Spam wind sock ($11.99) and Spam golf balls (three for $6.99). There are Spam playing cards ($4.99), and coin banks made from Spam cans (two for $1).

``We think it's a mail-order dream come true for Spam fans,'' said Krejci.

But, we asked the Spam swami, why would the American public go nuts over Spam - a little block of pork shoulder and ham?

``People identify with Spam - whether they ate in it in the war or whether they like it because it's the fun food that comedians poke fun at,'' he said. ``Nothing about Spam surprises me any more.''

To order the catalog, call (507) 437-5801 or write to: Hormel Foods at 1 Hormel Place, Austin, Minn., 55912.