Maybe it is the outside that counts

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Damn, that’s a sexy-ass box.

Damn, that’s a sexy-ass box.

Is it the actual product or the packaging?

Article: Paige Kreutzwieser – Staff Writer

[dropcaps round=”no”]A[/dropcaps] University of Calgary study has proven that I am a complete sucker for pretty things.

They suggested that wrapping food in a pretty package is as likely to influence a child’s food choice as a brand name.

Well I’ll be darned, I think like a preschooler.

They tested these children by placing the same burger in McDonalds’, Starbucks’, and plain white and colorful non-branded wrapping and asked them to chose between which burger they like best.

This study claimed the children would not associate anything with the Starbucks logo, but we all know hipsters are starting to have children. So, I’d like to call their bluff on that one.

Regardless, the little tots seemed to like the food in the more decorated wrappers. They tested this with carrot sticks as well and the Starbucks sticks were just as comparable as the McDonald’s sticks.

This just reaffirms my theory of hipster off breeds but we will let that slide.

What is interesting about this study is that I decided to look into my own lifestyle and see if I was subject to this type of psychological marketing ploy.

I realized the sad truth of my existence, and I wish I could take it back.

I will start with the first thing that came to my mind after reading about this study – burgers. Did I really think I would be a fool to think packaging made a difference?

Well it did.

A&W had to be my favorite fast-food joint until they’ve decided to “go green” and change their classic foil wrapping to a bag half the size that has the durability of their napkins.

Their burgers just don’t taste the same when you can’t hold the item knowing it is going to drip all over you because their wrapping won’t contain their innards.

Although that is more of a practicality complaint, my second thought was cereal.

We all know Corn Pops tastes way better than Corn Dunks – the President’s Choice brand. It’s not because the latter may be of lesser quality, but rather because the first has exploding goodness of corn cereal coming at you.

And lets be honest – a poorly timed alley-oop by a green dinosaur just doesn’t make the cut for me.

I could go on about how it is possibly the brand name that makes the difference but it really does come down to the pretty packaging.

Many things I buy depend on the packaging – pistachios, tampons, and cream cheese to name a few. However, I am sure many of you reading this don’t want to hear about why I think floss that comes in a futuristic container that would withstand a nuclear attack is better than the stuff that comes in a plain white plastic box. They are both containing pieces of string going between my teeth.

It’s not to say that quality doesn’t matter. But sadly, what does matter a great deal to me is how something comes wrapped.

That is why when girls see a little blue box with a white ribbon they freak out. Yes, there is likely a nice piece of Tiffany’s jewelry inside, but gosh, that box sure makes it a lot more pretty.

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