Entomophagy Anthropology
JULIE LESNIK
Associate Professor
Dept of Anthropology
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI
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Good things come in the wrong packages

9/18/2013

1 Comment

 
Edit 02/24/2023:  The link to the packaging is now behind a paywall. I don't remember what it looked like, but I obviously was not happy! Lesson learned to take screenshots!

I am not sure how regularly I will be posting on the blog.  I expect that I will write one or two pieces a month, but one can never predict when something will come along that just elicits comment.  Today is one of those days.

I found an article with the title "Can sleek packaging normalize insect snacks?  Designers try to make the idea of eating a bug more appealing in anticipation of a growing global population."  I was excited.  YES!  That is exactly what we must do!

I imagined that they would be taking pointers from Apple iphones or Voss water.  I was told once that the key to Apple's design success that many other companies now utilize is a focus group of 30ish year old women.  As a 30ish year old woman, I thought, that makes sense.  We have great taste.  We are going to want things to look classy and grown up and be innovatively functional.  So in my head, these insect snacks are going to be just that.  Man, was I wrong.

Yes, I waited till now to give you the link.  Now you can go and check it out for yourself.

There is no way a focus group of adults was consulted on this design.  That packaging only evokes memories of terrible generic food from our childhoods.  Even generic product packagers today have come to realize that the simple black lettering on a white label is a horrible idea.  Why would you try to promote a risky product that way? 

Terrible, terrible marketing. 


1 Comment
Derek
9/18/2013 01:48:07 pm

I might eat a bug or two, especially if they have fun flavors like Sour Cream and Onion or Wasabi, but it's distracting enough wrapping your head about eating flavored bugs without the tin making your brain think it's cat food. I might like flavored bugs... who knows? But I already know I don't like cat food, so that's another thing this packaging already has working against it.

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    Julie Lesnik received her PhD studying the role of termites in the diet of fossil hominins and has since started exploring insects as food more broadly.

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