To despise twee food packaging which talks about itself in the first person?

[Esker]

Just opened a packet of Ella's Kitchen baby rice and it says the following things about itself:

"I'm organic" (fair enough, I suppose)

On the back: 'Hello. I'm an organic banana, maize and quinoa baby rice. I'm super scrummy at any time of day.'

Instructions: 'Store me in a cool, dark place. I'm best used within 28 days of opening me.'

I blame Innocent smoothies, as they are the first company I recall doing this.

Why this cutesy, twee, first-person chat? AIBU to find it patronising and beyond irritating? Or am I just a grumpy killjoy? I get that their marketing concept is to suggest that they are in some way addressing the babies who will consume the product, but why does this need to follow through to storage instructions and nutritional info on the back of the packet?

[PinkHeart5914]

I like it on children’s products

[steff13]

Scrummy? YANBU.

[Snailo]

I'm so glad you posted this - I hate it!! It's even on food that isn't aimed at kids. Eg I got my DH a pie that was labelled with "eat me up by..." whatever date. It makes me cringe! (Also, why would food ask to be eaten anyway - surely that's the last thing it would want?!)

[Calic0]

It's just plain weird. Why on EARTH would I want something that I'm about to eat and digest (and subsequently eject) to talk to me? It's a bizarre marketing strategy.

[Esker]

Steff Yes def agree the vocabulary choices like 'scrummy' are part of the problem. If the packet was a person, I wouldn't like it.

Snailo Maybe the pie regards being eaten as part of its destiny?? But how annoying to find on a product that isn't even aimed at children!

Fair enough Pinkheart

[thenewaveragebear1983]

I hate all the ridiculous text on everything. Pointless, wasteful excessive. Bought some chicken breasts the other day and they have a sticker on them that says 'ideal in a curry' on them- what, as opposed to that other chicken that's completely unsuitable for curry??? Yes, it's only fractions of pence, but the consumer is buying that sticker, which then immediately becomes A waste product to be disposed of. Everything has it, suggestions of how to eat Greek yogurt, cheese, eggs....

And yes, I agree it's innocent smoothie and it's ilk who have created this. I'm sure there's actually a word/name for this 'voice' and the way it's used. It's got that hideous bantering tone- the packaging equivalent of someone saying 'I'm mad, me'

I hate hate hate it.

[IToldYouIWasFreaky]

I totally agree. I hate all the "Caution, I'm hot!" crap. What's wrong with "Cation, hot contents" etc?!
I also blame Innocent. It seemed quirky and fresh when they started doing it and then everyone jumped on the bandwagon and it's just fucking annoying. I even see signs in other places, like on buses "I run on environmentally friendly fuel!" etc etc like it's a character in Thomas the Tank Engine.

[TheVanguardSix]

I'm American. I've been here 20 years and I STILL imagine this is how all British mothers speak to their children at home: All twee and calm and and perfect and balanced. I know for a fact IABU but still...

It's very 'British' this sort of packaging/marketing. But I kind of like it because it's everything I am not.

[thenewaveragebear1983]

www.mycustomer.com/community/blogs/cormac-reynolds/how-innocent-drinks-used-tone-of-voice-to-win-customers-hearts

It's a real thing

[Snailo]

Lol at pie destiny!!
I agree re pointless text on everything. I got a red pepper from Sainsbury's a couple of years ago with a sticker on it saying "As seen on TV"!!! A pepper!

[BabyOrSanta]

Full disclosure: 30 weeks pregnant

If stuff has things like this written on it, I can't eat it as it makes me cry...

[BertramTheWalrus]

Yanbu! I hate it too. It was moderately funny the first time, now it just grates. I bet it'll be totally out of fashion in a few years though because it really is everywhere.

[Esker]

thenewaveragebear That link Shuddering to think of the legions of people in business school who have bene taught that this is the way forward. Heaven help us.

"Instead of coming across as a company, remote and disconnected from the customer’s experience, it sounds more like a friend who has just made you a smoothie and is eagerly waiting for you to try it. By starting with the line, “This recipe is a bit special”, the tone is instantly very conversational, and the brand comes across as being down to earth and not speaking down to its customers."

'Not speaking down to its customers' lol

[DressageNut]

I agree. It's patronising and infantilising.

The "serving suggestions" which appear on packaging are sometimes pretty daft too. We don't need to see a load of biscuits dumped on a plate, or cornflakes in a bowl with some milk and a spoon strategically placed beside them.

[Nazdarovye]

I often see this on bags:
I am big and sturdy
Use me several times
Recycle me
I was hand made in Indonesia
Wash me at 30 degrees and hang me to dry

[Veronicat]

Oh god, I'm imagining my steak pie having an existential crisis in the fridge now.

[theconstantinoplegardener]

It's called "wackaging" (wacky packaging) & according to DH, consumers will pay up to 20% more for products that are marketed this way!

[paxillin]

Not just twee food packaging. Spicy food sometimes has this embarrassing tough-guy-I-can-do-it attitude.

Bunsters popular "Shit The Bed" sauce is now available in the UK. Heat 12/10.

[Montacute]

why would food ask to be eaten anyway - surely that's the last thing it would want?



I don't blame Innocent Smoothies although they are certainly enthusiastic perpetrators of this twee nonsense but the original perpetrator is surely Lewis Carroll and all the Eat Me and Drink Me signs in Alice in Wonderland.

[Daffodil397]

Argh yes I hate it! Pret A Manger does this too. Was in the city a while back taking a quick coffee break and the serviette was covered with chatty nonsense about how it loves to be put in the bin or something- felt irrationally angry that I was being forced into small talk with a bit of packaging!!
It’s extremely irritating and I blame innocent too.
But sorry Vanguard American advertising can wind me up too. Those ads on the tube for Jack Daniels trying to make out that ‘Lynchville’ Tennessee is a cute friendly place where people have been having a lovely time brewing whiskey for centuries and it’s all one big happy community- er hello- the town is called ‘Lynchville’!!!!

[ArcheryAnnie]

If I read something like "super scrummy" on packaging, I immediately put it down.

I did this in a health food shop the other day, and was annoyed with myself, because I really wanted the food, but just couldn't bring myself to buy it.

[MontanaSkies]

THANK YOU OP. This bullshit is so widespread that I was starting to think I was the only joyless old shrew who didn't like it.

I only have a smoothie occasionally, but make sure I buy own-brand ones when I do, as I hate the feeling that I'm paying more to be talked down to by a mashed banana.

The worst thing is when they stay in wacky "character" for the legal text and you get stuff like "Now for the boooring nutritional info"; "Here comes the serious stuff!"; "Those dull legal bods in suits made us put this here... nothing for you to worry about!!" etc.

[Sparklingbrook]

.

[woollyminded]

Hell yeah. Can't stand stand it either and then I get even more annoyed that I have allowed myself to feel irritated by the thing in the first place. I get images of Apprentice wannabe wankers pretending to be mummies, talking in silly gwirly voices and then I want to hunt then down and crush their stupid juice/pie/beans into their rididiculously groomed faces. Gives me the right hump!

[Snailo]

wackaging
[keels over]