Flossie, a women’s lifestyle magazine, has designed something very special for single women and it is brilliantly strange.
This creative project was developed on the basis that it would be great if single men were as easy to find as a can of Coke. So Flossie had the idea of a big vending machine packed full of real live single men to satisfy women of all ages. They auditioned all the men to check they were not mental cases, think Britain’s Got Talent, but with hotties.
📰 Flossie Magazine: The Backstory
- Flossie was a bold, irreverent New Zealand women’s magazine (2006–2010) known for its feminist edge, humor, and rejection of traditional “glossy” magazine tropes.
- Tagline: “For women who don’t take themselves too seriously—but take their rights seriously.”
- It covered politics, sex, art, and pop culture—often with a satirical twist.
🤖 The “Single Girl Vending Machine” (Late 2008)
In November 2008, as a stunt for its “Single Issue”, Flossie installed a custom-built vending machine in central Auckland (outside the Flossie office on Ponsonby Road and later at Silo Park) with the tagline:
“Whatever you need – it’s on us.”
But this wasn’t a machine for snacks or drinks. It dispensed ironic, heartfelt, and absurd “essentials” for single women, curated as both art and social commentary.
💡 What Did It Dispense?
For free (or a gold coin donation to charity), users could press a button and receive one of these curated packages:
| “Emergency Boyfriend” | A life-sized cardboard cutout of a charming man (with detachable arms for hugging) |
| “Single Girl Survival Kit” | Wine mini, chocolate, bath bomb, and a note:“You’re awesome alone.” |
| “Dating Bingo Card” | Track cliché pickup lines like “Do you believe in love at first sight?” |
| “Breakup Revenge Kit” | Confetti popper, fake diamond ring, and a vial labeled “His Tears” (water) |
| “Future Wife Application Form” | Satirical “job posting” for a husband—“Must love dogs, tolerate my opinions.” |
| “Loneliness Antidote” | A coupon for a free coffee + a handwritten note from a stranger:“You matter.” |
Each item was hand-assembled, wrapped in pink paper, and dropped with a cheerful clunk—like a vending machine, but with soul.
🎯 Why Was It “Brilliantly Strange”?
- Subverted expectations: Instead of selling products, it gave away emotional support disguised as kitsch.
- Challenged stigma: It celebrated singledom at a time when media often framed it as a “problem” to fix.
- Public art + activism: The machine sparked conversations about loneliness, societal pressure, and female autonomy.
- Media sensation: Covered by NZ Herald, Stuff.co.nz, and Radio New Zealand—with lines forming to “get your boyfriend.”
“It’s not about finding a man,” said Flossie editor Kate Smith in 2008. “It’s about saying: My worth isn’t tied to my relationship status—and if I want a cardboard Chris Hemsworth to watch Netflix with, that’s my business.”
Cultural Context: NZ in 2008
- Post-global financial crisis: rising anxiety, but also a hunger for community and humor.
- Growing feminist discourse in NZ media.
- Vending machines were typically utilitarian—this one was theatrical, generous, and human.
🏁 Legacy
- The machine toured Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch for six weeks.
- After Flossie magazine folded in 2010, the original machine was donated to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa as a piece of contemporary social history (though not currently on display).
- It’s now remembered as a pioneering example of feminist design and experiential publishing.