Sunday Sharies 10.02.22

A QUOTE

"Every time a value is born, existence takes on a new meaning; every time one dies, some part of that meaning passes away."
― Joseph Wood Krutch, American author and naturalist


A QUESTION

What does “value” mean to you?


A THOUGHT

Advertisements and packaging are my favorite cultural artifacts. I love how brands change their tune to match the trending definition of value. And how the definition of value doesn't translate from one group of customers to the next (like what ex-Apple exec Ron Johnson attempted at JCPenney).

Take the better-for-you food category. "Healthy" eating has been around since the food pyramid, but the definition changes every few years. The prevailing dogma has gone from low fat to less carbs to no food to high protein.

Here's a '90s Pillsbury ad for their Figurines Diet Bars. Notice how important it was to continue downsizing your swimsuit and your calorie intake:

Here's a picture I took the other day at Walmart of a shelf of keto bars. Notice the prominent placement of the previously forbidden 'FAT' and the dangerously effective ‘BOMB':

We used to be enticed by skimpy and restrictive diets, now we’re more open to being Stuffed and Loaded! Advertising is a caricature of the times. We’ve come a long way since Baywatch.