The Airheads Underwater Vending Machine Costs $7000

Forget a swim-up snack bar. This summer, Airheads is bringing its candy poolside with a completely submerged underwater vending machine.

The candy company is debuting what it calls a “first-of-its-kind underwater vending machine” — a waterproof, full-sized swim-up snack machine they’ve essentially tossed in a pool for swimmers to grab a sweet treat while they’re taking a dip.

We’re guessing you might have a few questions, the first of which might be how exactly can one purchase things from a vending machine that’s at the bottom of a pool. Well, rather than pulling a wet dollar bill out of your swim trunks or testing your phone’s water resistance with Apple Pay, Airheads has opted to use “fun” as a form of currency to pay for candy out of the machine.

Essentially, when you approach it and request a treat from the machine, it will ask you to perform a task in front of its camera, like “have a tea party” or “do a backflip” to pay for it. When you complete whatever action you’ve been tasked with, it will shoot a piece of candy at you through its “projectile candy hatch.” That’s right, you perform for a vending machine in the hopes that it will shoot candy at you while you’re completely underwater.

Airheads’ vice president of marketing Craig Cuchra says the promotion is targeting adults who have “nostalgic memories of savoring Airheads at the pool on a hot day,” although we’re guessing they don’t have a ton of memories of having Airheads shot at them through an air propulsion system.

The company landed on the promotion after a recent survey found that close to three-quarters of adults don’t swim as much as they did when they were kids. The company hopes that projectile candy is what it’s going to take to get Mom and Dad back in the water.

The unique candy machine can be placed at depths of up to eight feet, making it an option for most backyard and neighborhood pools. And if you have a pool and want one of the machines, Airheads is also making it possible for you to snag one of your own, because what’s more practical than an underwater vending machine randomly submerged in their pool?

Sales of the machines kicked off on Memorial Day, “the official start of pool season,” on Airhead’s website. The price tag? $7,000.

The good news is if you do buy one of the machines, it comes with a lifetime supply of Airheads for you to fill it with. Don’t have space in your backyard pool for a whole vending machine? You can also purchase an Airheads pool float to lay on while you toss candy at your friends’ heads from above water instead.