Food Project Art Piece
This art piece exaggerated the amount of advertising we are constantly surrounded by, and supported my thesis which claimed that food advertising is everywhere and constantly influences our eating decisions. I made this picture in Photoshop CS6 and I'm very proud of the final product.
[Place Product Promotion Here]
It's on the Saturday prime-time cartoons. It's on the billboards lining our nearest freeway home. It's on the packaging. Advertisement is in the air, and the sweet & sour aroma of companies appealing to their consumers has never been stronger. Each day, we are witnessing the miracle that is corporate advertising of modern America. The seemingly greatest of all these miracles is that of the food industry. Through direct media, companies are able to target different ages of consumers by creating appealing advertisements that will make their customers want to buy their product. Food advertising, in it's many forms and mediums, subliminally influences the eating decisions and habits of children, teenagers, and adults belonging to the modern American food culture.
For many parents who don't have much time or many options, TV is the perfect distraction for a child looking for something to do. In 2009, it was found that the average preschooler ages 2-5 saw 2.8 ads for fast food on TV daily, and children ages 6-11 saw an average of 3.5 televised ads (Philpott). In comparison to 2003, preschoolers viewed 21% more ads on TV for fast food in 2009, and children viewed 34% more of the same advertisements (Philpott). What most parents don't realize as they sit their kids down in front of the TV for a period of time is that every ten or fifteen minutes, their children are being exposed to countless advertisements for unhealthy foods. Because small children are still unable to comprehend the messages commercials are sending them, they are awed by the bright and colorful ads, and may be more attracted to that product in the long run.
Another problem faced by children who watch TV regularly is subliminally influenced eating. A study done by Yale showed that children ages 7-11 who watched shows that included food commercials ate “45% more snack foods than children who viewed shows with non-food related advertisements” (Dodson). This shows that while parents are at work or simply doing chores around the house, the kids that are supposed to be “glued to the TV” are constantly making trips to the snack drawer, eating through whatever easily obtainable food they can manage to get their hands on. The fact is that most channels feature food related ads, and it's starting to become more and more clear how children are receiving the direct repercussions of this marketing strategy.
In an interview done by Morgan Spurlock in his documentary Supersize Me, young children were shown pictures of famous figures and then pictures of popular food mascots. When presidents and historical figures were shown to the children, roughly ½ of the children recognized the faces and could name them. However, when shown pictures of mascots belonging to popular fast food restaurants, ¾ of the children showed recognition for the smiling characters (“Supersize Me”, 2004). By designing an appealing mascot, companies can easily win over the hearts of customers by establishing a brand presence that will set them apart from the competition and will be easy to recognize and remember.
With the use of mascots, companies can establish a strong brand presence in the large pool of food companies existing today. In his article on mascots, Stew Miller claims, “Ever since the early days of eye-popping packaging and, eventually, TV commercials, the animated food-product mascot has been a mainstay of the advert industry” (Miller). Popular cereal mascots such as Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, and Lucky the Leprechaun are all great examples of successful characters that can easily catch a consumer's eye from the shelves of a supermarket, and the relevance of these images in today's marketing industry must seem like a no-brainer to companies trying to increase brand awareness. After all, creating a brand logo only requires a one time start-up fee, and it can cement your product globally and in people's hearts for many years to come.
Similar to children, results showed that teenagers ages 12-17 saw 4.7 fast food advertisements on TV daily in 2009, a 39% increase from 2003 (Philpott). Because of social norms teens face today relating to beauty and weight, many companies offering fatty and unhealthy foods have to travel “against the current” when creating advertisements relating to teens. One tactic companies are starting to put into play is celebrity endorsements for popular food and beverage products. As author Jill Ettinger writes in her article on influenced purchasing related to celebrity endorsements, “...the reason we see so many celebrities in product advertisements and endorsement situations may be that marketers are keenly aware that a range of consumer-celebrity relationships conspires to allow consumers to form a personal identity that matches who they want to be” (Ettinger). Companies take advantage of teenager's want for social status and good image by reassuring customers that everything will “go their way” if they purchase products backed by celebrities or consume items that are set as props in popular movies or TV shows. Because teenagers have such an attraction to these famous figures, this method of advertising brings in a great profit for corporations, and creates an even greater bond between company and customer through the idols of the media world.
Food products are also beginning to make their own guest appearances in popular movies and TV shows alongside the celebrities endorsing them. Product placement typically involves incorporating brands in movies or TV shows in return for money or promotional support (Story). These props are usually placed as backdrop "props" and in some cases may even be an integral part of the script, according to how much money companies are willing to spend (Story). Although this marketing method seems quite simple, it can play a huge role in the process of pushing a new product. By seeing a certain food or drink item in a production for even a few seconds, customers are automatically more attracted to that product simply due to the fact that it has a presence in that series. In her article, Marketing Directed at Children and Adolescents, Mary Story explains, “...it was reported that sales of the peanut butter candy Hershey's Reese's Pieces increased by 65% within a month due to its placement within E.T., The Extra Terrestrial” (Story). This method has been tried and proven many times over, and is an excellent way to bring in new customers that are already sitting around enjoying their favorite shows and movies.
A second experiment done by Yale showed that much like children, adults exposed to unhealthy food advertisements on TV ate significantly more food items than those who didn't see the same commercials (Dodson). If these adults were to watch just a ½ hour of TV a day, the snacking increase being caused by food advertising would lead to a weight gain of nearly 10 pounds a year, excluding diet changes or regular physical exercise (Dodson). This shows that it's not just kids and teenagers, but adults as well that are being subliminally affected by food advertisements. With lack of parental supervision, however, adults must scrutinize media advertisements with their own perspective, and navigate their own dilemma when it comes to keeping their bodies healthy.
In the event that companies are searching for areas to maximize their advertisement potential, most look no further than low income neighborhoods, generally communities with a large population of minorities. Reports show that McDonald's and KFC are specifically targeting youth belonging to low income families with TV advertisements and other forms of direct media. One study shows that on average, African American teens view 75% more TV ads for McDonald's and KFC compared to white teens (Philpott). Although this seems unjust, it's not all about morals in the big bad world of food advertising, but instead who can bring in the most profit. Eating at a fast food restaurant is a cost effective option for most, and large corporations can easily bring in customers through 99¢ deals and delicious looking meals displayed throughout all forms advertisement.
Today, food corporations have flocked to the internet to take advantage of many avenues TV commercials can't satisfy. One of these avenues is online games and promotions, which are specifically targeted at young children. According to studies, 53% of all internet sites have TV commercials available for viewing. Many of these sites, such as Kellog's FunKtown site, offer kids stamps for viewing commercials in an online “theater”, and Skittles.com users are able to watch commercials “over and over” instead of having to wait for them on TV (Graham). By offering commercials to children in an online setting, many companies draw in young customers who are more interested in the story of a company character than an actual product.
These online advertising sites also target children with creative product promotions and sweepstakes. It has been found that 38% of sites provide incentives for users to purchase food products to collect brand points in exchange for online premiums such as behind-the-scenes or new mini-games (Graham). It's pretty obvious to see why companies would give purchase incentives online, but in reality most young children still haven't acquired any “money sense”, and all they care about is improving their online experience. Online advertising to children doesn't stop there, either. 65% of brands have promotions online in which children can participate, and many of these include “win big” sweepstakes, offering brand sponsored trips or items (Graham). By using all of these methods, companies do an extremely good job of bringing in kids through all avenues of online experiences.
Social media has also become a big player in the game of food advertising recently. In July 2010, more than “nine restaurant Facebook pages had more than 1 million likes, and Starbucks prized it's 10 million plus fans” (Harris). With the large amount of teen users on these sites, it is easy for companies to reach out to their younger customers through personalized ads and relatable posts, all the while pushing their products. In the same study, it was found that 8 fast food companies provided smartphone apps for their customers in 2010, just in case customers wanted to keep their favorite company by their side at all times (Harris). Teenagers have moved online, so it only makes sense that food advertising would follow closely behind.
Food marketing is plowing its way to the front of today's modern advertising scene, and with a large amount of viewers, direct media relating to food is creating unhealthy food norms among people of all ages. By targeting us subliminally with strategically placed ads and good looking products, companies only have to do the half of the work, and the other half is done by us, the consumer. The TV commercials, outdoor advertisements, and brand logos are all methods companies use to develop new customers. Because food advertisements are starting to pop up in every nook and cranny of this country and others, it can be difficult to navigate eating choices, especially when the avenues in which companies can place their name and logo are increasing all the time. For that reason, it's our job to interpret advertisements as we see fit, and make healthy eating choices for ourselves. Unless we can start making decisions to eat in a different way and support our personal health, companies will keep pushing the same unhealthy products, with the same method, over and over again. You are a consumer in the modern American food culture, but you don't always have to think like one.
For many parents who don't have much time or many options, TV is the perfect distraction for a child looking for something to do. In 2009, it was found that the average preschooler ages 2-5 saw 2.8 ads for fast food on TV daily, and children ages 6-11 saw an average of 3.5 televised ads (Philpott). In comparison to 2003, preschoolers viewed 21% more ads on TV for fast food in 2009, and children viewed 34% more of the same advertisements (Philpott). What most parents don't realize as they sit their kids down in front of the TV for a period of time is that every ten or fifteen minutes, their children are being exposed to countless advertisements for unhealthy foods. Because small children are still unable to comprehend the messages commercials are sending them, they are awed by the bright and colorful ads, and may be more attracted to that product in the long run.
Another problem faced by children who watch TV regularly is subliminally influenced eating. A study done by Yale showed that children ages 7-11 who watched shows that included food commercials ate “45% more snack foods than children who viewed shows with non-food related advertisements” (Dodson). This shows that while parents are at work or simply doing chores around the house, the kids that are supposed to be “glued to the TV” are constantly making trips to the snack drawer, eating through whatever easily obtainable food they can manage to get their hands on. The fact is that most channels feature food related ads, and it's starting to become more and more clear how children are receiving the direct repercussions of this marketing strategy.
In an interview done by Morgan Spurlock in his documentary Supersize Me, young children were shown pictures of famous figures and then pictures of popular food mascots. When presidents and historical figures were shown to the children, roughly ½ of the children recognized the faces and could name them. However, when shown pictures of mascots belonging to popular fast food restaurants, ¾ of the children showed recognition for the smiling characters (“Supersize Me”, 2004). By designing an appealing mascot, companies can easily win over the hearts of customers by establishing a brand presence that will set them apart from the competition and will be easy to recognize and remember.
With the use of mascots, companies can establish a strong brand presence in the large pool of food companies existing today. In his article on mascots, Stew Miller claims, “Ever since the early days of eye-popping packaging and, eventually, TV commercials, the animated food-product mascot has been a mainstay of the advert industry” (Miller). Popular cereal mascots such as Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, and Lucky the Leprechaun are all great examples of successful characters that can easily catch a consumer's eye from the shelves of a supermarket, and the relevance of these images in today's marketing industry must seem like a no-brainer to companies trying to increase brand awareness. After all, creating a brand logo only requires a one time start-up fee, and it can cement your product globally and in people's hearts for many years to come.
Similar to children, results showed that teenagers ages 12-17 saw 4.7 fast food advertisements on TV daily in 2009, a 39% increase from 2003 (Philpott). Because of social norms teens face today relating to beauty and weight, many companies offering fatty and unhealthy foods have to travel “against the current” when creating advertisements relating to teens. One tactic companies are starting to put into play is celebrity endorsements for popular food and beverage products. As author Jill Ettinger writes in her article on influenced purchasing related to celebrity endorsements, “...the reason we see so many celebrities in product advertisements and endorsement situations may be that marketers are keenly aware that a range of consumer-celebrity relationships conspires to allow consumers to form a personal identity that matches who they want to be” (Ettinger). Companies take advantage of teenager's want for social status and good image by reassuring customers that everything will “go their way” if they purchase products backed by celebrities or consume items that are set as props in popular movies or TV shows. Because teenagers have such an attraction to these famous figures, this method of advertising brings in a great profit for corporations, and creates an even greater bond between company and customer through the idols of the media world.
Food products are also beginning to make their own guest appearances in popular movies and TV shows alongside the celebrities endorsing them. Product placement typically involves incorporating brands in movies or TV shows in return for money or promotional support (Story). These props are usually placed as backdrop "props" and in some cases may even be an integral part of the script, according to how much money companies are willing to spend (Story). Although this marketing method seems quite simple, it can play a huge role in the process of pushing a new product. By seeing a certain food or drink item in a production for even a few seconds, customers are automatically more attracted to that product simply due to the fact that it has a presence in that series. In her article, Marketing Directed at Children and Adolescents, Mary Story explains, “...it was reported that sales of the peanut butter candy Hershey's Reese's Pieces increased by 65% within a month due to its placement within E.T., The Extra Terrestrial” (Story). This method has been tried and proven many times over, and is an excellent way to bring in new customers that are already sitting around enjoying their favorite shows and movies.
A second experiment done by Yale showed that much like children, adults exposed to unhealthy food advertisements on TV ate significantly more food items than those who didn't see the same commercials (Dodson). If these adults were to watch just a ½ hour of TV a day, the snacking increase being caused by food advertising would lead to a weight gain of nearly 10 pounds a year, excluding diet changes or regular physical exercise (Dodson). This shows that it's not just kids and teenagers, but adults as well that are being subliminally affected by food advertisements. With lack of parental supervision, however, adults must scrutinize media advertisements with their own perspective, and navigate their own dilemma when it comes to keeping their bodies healthy.
In the event that companies are searching for areas to maximize their advertisement potential, most look no further than low income neighborhoods, generally communities with a large population of minorities. Reports show that McDonald's and KFC are specifically targeting youth belonging to low income families with TV advertisements and other forms of direct media. One study shows that on average, African American teens view 75% more TV ads for McDonald's and KFC compared to white teens (Philpott). Although this seems unjust, it's not all about morals in the big bad world of food advertising, but instead who can bring in the most profit. Eating at a fast food restaurant is a cost effective option for most, and large corporations can easily bring in customers through 99¢ deals and delicious looking meals displayed throughout all forms advertisement.
Today, food corporations have flocked to the internet to take advantage of many avenues TV commercials can't satisfy. One of these avenues is online games and promotions, which are specifically targeted at young children. According to studies, 53% of all internet sites have TV commercials available for viewing. Many of these sites, such as Kellog's FunKtown site, offer kids stamps for viewing commercials in an online “theater”, and Skittles.com users are able to watch commercials “over and over” instead of having to wait for them on TV (Graham). By offering commercials to children in an online setting, many companies draw in young customers who are more interested in the story of a company character than an actual product.
These online advertising sites also target children with creative product promotions and sweepstakes. It has been found that 38% of sites provide incentives for users to purchase food products to collect brand points in exchange for online premiums such as behind-the-scenes or new mini-games (Graham). It's pretty obvious to see why companies would give purchase incentives online, but in reality most young children still haven't acquired any “money sense”, and all they care about is improving their online experience. Online advertising to children doesn't stop there, either. 65% of brands have promotions online in which children can participate, and many of these include “win big” sweepstakes, offering brand sponsored trips or items (Graham). By using all of these methods, companies do an extremely good job of bringing in kids through all avenues of online experiences.
Social media has also become a big player in the game of food advertising recently. In July 2010, more than “nine restaurant Facebook pages had more than 1 million likes, and Starbucks prized it's 10 million plus fans” (Harris). With the large amount of teen users on these sites, it is easy for companies to reach out to their younger customers through personalized ads and relatable posts, all the while pushing their products. In the same study, it was found that 8 fast food companies provided smartphone apps for their customers in 2010, just in case customers wanted to keep their favorite company by their side at all times (Harris). Teenagers have moved online, so it only makes sense that food advertising would follow closely behind.
Food marketing is plowing its way to the front of today's modern advertising scene, and with a large amount of viewers, direct media relating to food is creating unhealthy food norms among people of all ages. By targeting us subliminally with strategically placed ads and good looking products, companies only have to do the half of the work, and the other half is done by us, the consumer. The TV commercials, outdoor advertisements, and brand logos are all methods companies use to develop new customers. Because food advertisements are starting to pop up in every nook and cranny of this country and others, it can be difficult to navigate eating choices, especially when the avenues in which companies can place their name and logo are increasing all the time. For that reason, it's our job to interpret advertisements as we see fit, and make healthy eating choices for ourselves. Unless we can start making decisions to eat in a different way and support our personal health, companies will keep pushing the same unhealthy products, with the same method, over and over again. You are a consumer in the modern American food culture, but you don't always have to think like one.
Food Project Reflection
When standing in front of a research topic as vast as the food industry, one could be very overwhelmed when looking for a place to start. With so many sides and arguments, I myself was lost at first when we began this project and were deciding on what areas we wanted to research. Although it seemed simple in the beginning, diving into the vast ocean of the food industry and researching its various sides was more work than I believe many of us were ready for. Because of the large amount of perspectives that could be taken during this project, we were really able to get to know our topic inside and out, and I feel like this provided some really well-polished papers and art pieces in the end. Because of the extensive research we had to do, each student was really able to get to know about their topic area, and in a way became an “expert” on that subject. This project enabled students to learn more about what they put into their bodies, and that they can make their own decisions when navigating daily eating choices.
One way that I was able to connect to this project was through research and “detective” work. Learning new information about a topic I was unfamiliar with was very interesting for me, and being able to gather evidence from articles and sources that were well thought out and written was a hard but fun task. One particular instance I can think of was during the time when the food project first started. For this part of our research we took a short trip to City Market and recorded different facts from common food labels and products. This was interesting for me because we got to gather information from a store that most of us shop at, and we were able to put a spotlight on the food products we usually just look over or ignore. A food goal I hope to keep in the future is to make healthy eating choices as often as I can, and keep an eye on the ingredients that go into my food. This project helped me get closer to this goal by giving me the opportunity to do an extensive amount of research and connect with my food, and in turn, to my body and health.
A difficulty I had during this project was forming a solid opinion about a issue, or in general, finding and issue to write my opinion about. Because I have always been interested in media, I had no trouble writing about food advertising, but even in the final draft I just felt like something was missing. I realized that the issue I was writing about intrigued me, but it didn't give me nearly a enough of a reason to fight for a particular side. This could have been an error in the development of my thesis and the general idea for my research, but the truth of the matter is I feel like I could have said more with less. Too much evidence. Not enough soul. Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of my final product, but looking back now, if I could change one thing, I would find a particular issue that I was angered or worried about, and use that as fuel for my essay. But the past is the past, and I have to start making decisions for the future. Just because I didn't write a paper about CAFO's or GMO's doesn't mean I shouldn't take a stance when when looking at those subjects, because it's my job to be an informed eater no matter how hot or cold I am when it comes to various issues.
One thing that I learned about my writing process during this project is that I'm very linear. When we were assigned note taking techniques, I learned that I worked best when I kept all of my information in one place and easily accessible. Because I kept all of my information very organized, I was able to access it and use it whenever needed during the construction of my paper. Looking back, one thing that I would have changed in my writing process is the outlining of my paper. My outline was not as well planned out as I originally thought, and this made it so that I had to go back later and re-arrange paragraphs so that my overall paper made more sense. To improve my future planning for my writing, I'm going to have a teacher check over my outline and see if they have any comments on how it's arranged. If I could improve my outlining process, I feel like arranging essays would be a lot easier, and would make my linear writing format even more stream-line.
If I were to give someone one piece of wisdom I learned during the food project it would be this: the more information you have, the easier it is to navigate eating choices. You see, in this day in age, knowledge is everything. It doesn't matter if it's reading a daily blog or at shopping around at a local farmers market, putting research into your food is essential. Unfortunately, another fact I discovered during this project is that many American consumers are uninformed when it comes to healthy eating choices, and so many have no way of navigating their food consumption dilemmas. For this reason, it is the job of the few that posses this knowledge to spread the information and share it with others who may be uninformed so that we can create a healthy eating environment for all. Because health is simple, and all it takes is the ideas of the few to improve the health of many.
One way that I was able to connect to this project was through research and “detective” work. Learning new information about a topic I was unfamiliar with was very interesting for me, and being able to gather evidence from articles and sources that were well thought out and written was a hard but fun task. One particular instance I can think of was during the time when the food project first started. For this part of our research we took a short trip to City Market and recorded different facts from common food labels and products. This was interesting for me because we got to gather information from a store that most of us shop at, and we were able to put a spotlight on the food products we usually just look over or ignore. A food goal I hope to keep in the future is to make healthy eating choices as often as I can, and keep an eye on the ingredients that go into my food. This project helped me get closer to this goal by giving me the opportunity to do an extensive amount of research and connect with my food, and in turn, to my body and health.
A difficulty I had during this project was forming a solid opinion about a issue, or in general, finding and issue to write my opinion about. Because I have always been interested in media, I had no trouble writing about food advertising, but even in the final draft I just felt like something was missing. I realized that the issue I was writing about intrigued me, but it didn't give me nearly a enough of a reason to fight for a particular side. This could have been an error in the development of my thesis and the general idea for my research, but the truth of the matter is I feel like I could have said more with less. Too much evidence. Not enough soul. Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of my final product, but looking back now, if I could change one thing, I would find a particular issue that I was angered or worried about, and use that as fuel for my essay. But the past is the past, and I have to start making decisions for the future. Just because I didn't write a paper about CAFO's or GMO's doesn't mean I shouldn't take a stance when when looking at those subjects, because it's my job to be an informed eater no matter how hot or cold I am when it comes to various issues.
One thing that I learned about my writing process during this project is that I'm very linear. When we were assigned note taking techniques, I learned that I worked best when I kept all of my information in one place and easily accessible. Because I kept all of my information very organized, I was able to access it and use it whenever needed during the construction of my paper. Looking back, one thing that I would have changed in my writing process is the outlining of my paper. My outline was not as well planned out as I originally thought, and this made it so that I had to go back later and re-arrange paragraphs so that my overall paper made more sense. To improve my future planning for my writing, I'm going to have a teacher check over my outline and see if they have any comments on how it's arranged. If I could improve my outlining process, I feel like arranging essays would be a lot easier, and would make my linear writing format even more stream-line.
If I were to give someone one piece of wisdom I learned during the food project it would be this: the more information you have, the easier it is to navigate eating choices. You see, in this day in age, knowledge is everything. It doesn't matter if it's reading a daily blog or at shopping around at a local farmers market, putting research into your food is essential. Unfortunately, another fact I discovered during this project is that many American consumers are uninformed when it comes to healthy eating choices, and so many have no way of navigating their food consumption dilemmas. For this reason, it is the job of the few that posses this knowledge to spread the information and share it with others who may be uninformed so that we can create a healthy eating environment for all. Because health is simple, and all it takes is the ideas of the few to improve the health of many.