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

DATE: SATURDAY, May 20, 1995                   TAG: 9505240006
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-2 VIRGINIA   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

AIR FRESHENER HAD A TOO-FRESH IMAGE

The Dial Corp., manufacturer of Renuzit Fresh Cut Flowers scent, says the pink object that to some looks like a penis is a folded tulip petal. But that hasn't stopped some stores from blushing.

``I was notified yesterday that we had some male anatomy exposed on the shelf,'' said Dennis R. Hudson, manager of the Winn-Dixie in Clarksville. He went to check, he said, but ``we were definitely sold out.''

Dial spokeswoman Nancy Dedera said the tulip was part of a picture of flowers on the cans. The rest of the tulip was nipped when the picture was cut to fit the can, skewing the image.

``It's a tulip. Nothing more.'' she said.

Kroger's mid-Atlantic headquarters in Roanoke is pulling the scent from the shelves of 119 stores across Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia and parts of Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio.

Spokesman Archie Fralin said Kroger has received dozens of complaints since late last week, mostly from customers in Western Virginia.

``It might just be perception. Many of our customers are perceiving the image to be a male sex organ. But perception is reality,'' said Fralin.

Hudson said the Fresh Cut Flowers scent is a ``heck of a seller anyway,'' and he doubts anyone noticed anything odd.

After Dial Corp. received hundreds of complaints it stopped the presses and rearranged the photograph so the tulip no longer is lost in the seam of the can.