In some segments, just the lips or eyes are shown, not unlike the focus on body parts in much pornography. Second, the actresses’ faces, particular facial features and expressions are all shot in extreme close-up. These associations are what make the ads work-so that it is almost believable that women are enraptured by eating the romantic chocolate-covered pattie or the high fat chip. In the popular imagination women have long been linked to chocolate as a prelude to romance (think Valentine’s day) and to junk food of all kinds as a sinful indulgence (think dieting). I have to wonder if this is because ads depicting men in food porn fashion just aren’t as effective-if men lusting after candy and chips appears comical instead of sexy and alluring. I have never actually seen it on TV, although I have seen three of the four Peppermint Pattie ads that feature women on TV. But I’ve only ever seen it on You Tube, as a result of searching for examples of ads to link to this post. To be fair, there is at least one Peppermint Pattie ad that I know of that features an attractive white male. First, since these ads are meant to be playfully evocative of sex, it is no surprise that most feature women. Two things set the modern Peppermint Pattie and Lay’s commercials apart from their predecessors: their heavy reliance on women, and the sharp focus on the faces of the actresses. These commercials didn’t take themselves too seriously and that was part of their charm. The narration always went something like this, “When I bite into a York Peppermint Pattie I get the sensation of…” This was always followed by the main character describing some extraordinary physical and emotional fantasy experience like being launched off an Olympic-style ski jump or luge, or winning a figure-skating championship. I have to admit that I much prefer the old Peppermint Pattie ads, the ones featuring ordinary people in ordinary circumstances who comically describe the fantastic sensation they get when they bite into the candy. The narration and text at the end of the commercial claims, “one taste and you’re in love.” ![]() Like the Peppermint Pattie commercial, there are plenty of sexy close-ups of the chips as well as the actress. ![]() Close-ups of the actress’s facial expressions as she slowly procures the chip evoke a flirtatious courtship ritual: she bats her eyes demurely, smiles coyly, and bites her lip in anticipation of the salty goodness she is about to partake. The sexier of the two features Al Green’s soulful “Let’s Stay Together,” while the other more playful version is set to Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” Both feature an attractive white woman holding a Lay’s bag, slowly opening it, and removing and then consuming a single chip. The video is the same in both ads, but set against different pieces of music, the effect is very different. There are at least two versions that I’ve seen. There are two others featuring white actresses, one with short hair and one with a bob, and one featuring a woman of color.Īnother recent example is a series of commercials for Lay’s Potato Chips. York Peppermint Pattie–get the sensation.” The current ad is only the latest in a series of similarly styled ads, each one featuring close-up shots of different, but equally attractive, actresses passionately eating the candy. The sultry female voice over coos, “The chill of peppermint, the rich dark chocolate. ![]() ![]() Complete with ‘money shots’ of the candy itself, it has all the makings of food porn including close-ups of the actress lustfully anticipating the first bite, slowly opening her mouth, and licking her lips in satisfaction. It features an attractive young white woman tearing open a Peppermint Pattie, breaking it apart, biting into it, and relishing in the ecstasy that follows. The latest one I’ve been repeatedly subjected to is a television commercial for York Peppermint Pattie. I don’t know about you, but I’m really tired of television commercials modeled after pornography-food porn, that is.
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