How food ads trick your brain: The unseen artistry behind delicious imagery

Complaining that the food served to us does not look the same as in the pictures doesn’t make much sense. Up to a certain point, this is entirely natural; individual products have every right to take on different shapes, so the effect of the chef’s work on our plate may significantly differ from what was recently prepared for a photo shoot.

The problem starts when the chefs are not "cooking" in front of the camera. Oh no, this task must be handled by someone with a much greater... sense of style. And knowledge of what consumers want to see in food advertisements. After all, we are creatures whose subconscious is easily influenced by various stimuli.

According to marketing specialists, a picture of food is supposed to show us the product's appearance and trigger processes in our brains that recall the taste and smell of the specific dish. Since a bit of help is needed for happiness (and sales), ad creators often decide to use substances that are not entirely edible.

The most famous example of "beautifying" dishes in ads is inserting toothpicks into burgers to elevate the sandwich spectacularly. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Few people know these same burgers also contain makeup sponges to fluff up the dish. Of course, everything is hidden behind lettuce leaves or tomato slices. Want more? Check out other examples of similar "manipulations":

• Painting strawberries with red lipstick for a vibrant colour
• Heating tampons in a microwave for a smoke effect
• Mixing mozzarella with glue for truly stretchy cheese on pizza
• Adding washing-up liquid to beer for better foam
• Placing pieces of cardboard between pancakes for better presentation
• Spraying fruits with hairspray for shine
• Using glue instead of milk in cereal advertisements

You have to admit, the creativity of ad creators is immense!