Food Ads .vs. The Real Thing

[Jenikaye]

I was checking out a local radio station's web-site and came across this....

http://www.thewvsr.com/adsvsreality.htm

I thought I'd share.

[johnnyd]

YeeeHAAA!!!

Nice one Jenikaye!

Hat's off to the food photographers of the world!

[JanMcBaker]

What a find! Amazing what a huge difference there is between the ad pictures and the real thing.... And the photos are supposed to be of the real thing! Maybe the ones in the ads do exist somewhere, in some distant utopia... or distant hell, I guess, depending on how you feel about fast foods.

[docsconz]

Its not the photographers, its the food stylists.

[Fat Guy]

I agree, John. The photographers are just working with lighting and composition to take the most flattering possible photo. If there's any puffery going on, it's on the part of the stylists.

In that regard, it's important to note that, while the professionally styled photos on the left lean towards flattery, the amateur photographs in the right-hand column are likely less flattering than what the eye would perceive under good conditions. In addition, the statement "Each item was purchased, taken home, and photographed immediately" indicates that these photos represent post-transportation appearance, not what the items looked like when made. So, for example, of course you have to expect compression of the bread, shifting of the sandwich ingredients and melting of cheese.

In many cases, I don't think the purchased product looks all that much worse than the advertising photo:

BK omelet sandwich

BK sausage, egg and cheese croissant

McD Big Mac

McD Filet O Fish

McD Sausage Egg McMuffin

BK Whopper

In some cases, it does look worse. Probably the most dramatic example is the KFC Famous Bowl. That one is so highly stylized as to be somewhat removed from what you'll ever experience at a real-world KFC restaurant, though again the dish would look more appetizing if photographed immediately after it was made, before the cheese melted into the mix and everything became homogenized and monochromatic. I think it proves a lot less than it sets out to prove, though.

[azurite]

Are the photos on the left the actual food? I thought food photos were generally of plastic food, or individual pieces of food are varnished, etc.

Is it Denny's (or Marie Callendar's?) where the menu has photos of menu items and they rarely if ever look as good in real life as in the photos.

It's true, a few of them don't look all that different (especially if taking the differing levels of photographic skill) and if you take into account that in at least one photo the food I think the Wendy's thing), looks as though it was prepared--or arranged--much more carefully than it was in the right hand photo. Which isn't surprising.

Interesting that someone's not only noticed but cares enough to draw attention to the differences between menu photos and the real thing.

azurite

[Toliver]

I believe, in the U.S. at least, there are laws for advertising that basically state that the food in the picture has to be real and truly reprentative of the final product.

I remember hearing that in the "old days" they used to use mashed potatoes in place of ice cream in photos since it didn't melt. And soap in coffee to recreate the bubbles/foam normally found in a freshly poured cup.

[Fat Guy]

Toliver, do you have any idea where those regulations can be found? I'd be interested in seeing how tough they are.

[Toliver]

Toliver, do you have any idea where those regulations can be found? I'd be interested in seeing how tough they are.

←

Google is your friend...Here's an FTC policy statement on Deception (in Advertising). It doesn't mention product photography specifically but I think it can be applied to it.

I am still scouring the FTC site...will post more when and if I find it.

edited to add:

What I'm finding through more searches is that if there is manipulation of food in a food photograph, artificial "tweaks" aren't used if the photograph is about the food item itself. The tweaks seem to have to be edible/food themselves. For example, in one article I came across in my search, the food stylist/photographer used a Hawai'ian Punch syrup to give a sliced tomato in a hamburger a richer red color.

On the other hand, if you show someone blowing out candles on a cake and the photo is for an insurance company, the cake can be frosted cardboard. It doesn't have to be real since the photo isn't about the cake.

While I'm still looking for the regulating body over food photography in advertising (anyone know a good food stylist?) I found some interesting articles on Food Styling and related subjects:

First off, an related article by Frank Bruni on not trusting restaurant photographs:

"When Looks Deceive"

Some behind the scenes look at food styling:

"Why food won't taste as good as it looks"

Some Food Styling tricks of the trade.

A food stylist's recipe for Fake Ice Cream and Sorbet.

Now back to Google...

Edited May 18, 2007 by Toliver (log)

[dockhl]

Some behind the scenes look at food styling:

"Why food won't taste as good as it looks"

Some Food Styling tricks of the trade.

A food stylist's recipe for Fake Ice Cream and Sorbet.

Now back to Google...

←

Well, that looks like FUN ! I think maybe I want to be a food stylist when I grow up

[Pyewacket]

Ok guys, I thought I'd chime in here because, believe it or not, I am a professional food stylist and can speak with some knowledge of this issue. I've worked styling photos for many of these fast food places' ads and menu boards.

In looking at the comparison photos, the styled food does not look significantly different from the "as received" food. Of course, even the styled food would not look as appetizing after being manhandled by a minimum wage teenager, wrapped in paper, shoved into a bag, several other items jammed on top, dumped on a counter, then swung back and forth while being juggled with a 32 ounce drink on its way to being dropped on a car seat and driven to another location then dumped again onto a counter, flipped over, unwrapped and photographed with indoor light by an amatuer photographer with a "point a shoot" camera.

The purpose and function of these photos is to visually communicate to the customer each individual ingredient contained in the dish they plan to order AND of course, to encourage the customer to buy something they may find appetizing. This is so the minumum wage counter person does not have to memorize each ingredient in every offering and recite it to each and every customer.

As a rule, we use real ingredients and in cases like this, are provided with all the ingredients by the company. Stylists take a lot of care to find and choose buns that have not had their tops crushed, burgers that are evenly formed, cheese slices without tears or wrinkles, tomatoes that are bright red and lettuce that is crisp, fresh and green. We cook and preserve burgers and meat to show texture and browning and make sure to stack the ingredients in such a way so that the consumer can easily see what is there. As far as "plastic food" I've never seen it or use it nor have I seen any other food stylist use it. Ever.

Even ice cream, for the most part, is real ice cream. We just super freeze it in dry ice, so that it melts extremely slowly. I do occasionally make fake ice cream, but only for situations where it must stay on a set for long periods of time when I cannot change it out with a fresh scoop, or where budgetary reasons do not allow me to use multiple containers of ice cream (usually satellite media tours where we shoot 20 live food demos back to back).

I don't know where to find any particular governmental regulations, other than general truth in advertising ones, that dictate specifically what can and cannot be done to food in what particular scenario. However, professional ethics required by our clients and agreed upon by credible, experienced food stylists require us to use real food and enhance appearence by using only real food products (like dabbing a little vegetable oil on a dull, dry spot). If we are advertising (selling) ice cream, we use real ice cream made by the particular company that is employing us. If however, we are selling the chocolate syrup that is poured over the ice cream we can employ fake ice cream to make the day go quicker and reduce the number of sundaes we must build. There are food stylists out there, and I know a few, who are very taken with using cheap tricks to make food look a certain way. My belief is that they do this to make their skills seem mysterious, inflate thier own sense of importance and make up for a lack of cooking skills. For the most part, those stylists are kind of old school and are definately in the minority. But in my experience, using all those styling tricks is much more difficult than choosing the most beauitful and appealing raw materials and preparing them with a lot of care and attention.

Many people like to complain to me that their food never really looks the same as what they see in ads or in magazines. My reply is to encourage them to take their food next to a sunny window, touch thier nose to the edge of the plate and look at it closely from the same angle as the photo they saw (usually 0-20 degrees).

Food always looks great in real sunlight and close up.

I can't conclude this without a nod to the artistry of the photographer. Their expertise is truly remarkable. The human eye can discern over 300 different grades of light- a camera only 9-15. The skill a photographer has in controlling light and how it falls on and illuminates food is still alchemy to me. I'm always bowled over by what some of my photographic colleagues do with white cards, mirrors, sheer curtains, glass and other items to create a beautiful food picture. It's also very interesting to see how challenging shooting food can be for photographers who don't specialize in it (ie high paid fashion photographers).

For any of you who are great cooks and think this is a line of work that would be easy and fund to do, here are a few realities to consider:

1-every shoot is a location shoot. You must pack and transport everything you might need including knives, pans, work tables, dishwashing bins (and sometimes water), portable stoves and refrigeration in addition to all your raw materials.

2-most jobs are freelance. There are very few places that have on-staff food stylists.

3-you are part of a team; the other members of which you usually meet for the first time on the day of the shoot. Your work is only as good, in the eyes of the client, as the weakest member of that team. The team is made up of art director, the ad agency rep, the photographer, the prop stylist and the food stylist. Any one of those people can make your work day a joy or a living hell.

4-there are many reasons for your phone to stop ringing with calls from prospective clients. The ad market (remember 9/11/01? I had three months of upcoming work cancel on 9/12/01), your attitude and flexibility, your ability to schedule at the last minute among myriad others.

5-There are only a few places in the US where there is significant demand for stylists. New York, Los Angeles and the areas surrounding Chicago to Minneapolis where the large food corporations have their headquarters.

6-This is the BIG one. You must buy all of your equipment and raw materials up front out of your own pocket AND a stylist doesn't usually see any pay for his or her work OR EXPENSES! for 60-90 days after the job is done.

If you are still interested, email me. I am always looking for a good assistant.

[Dignan]

Great post, Pyewacket, and keep on makin' that food look good.

[Toliver]

Thanks for chiming in, Pyewacket. Being a Food Stylist may sound like an easy job but as you've pointed out, it's not. It's quite involved, as it should be, to guarantee a great looking end product.

Are Food Styleists self-regulated? I was trying to find the specific guidelines for what can and cannot be done and, also, what are the repercussions to not following the guidelines?

I find it to be a fascinating profession. Again, thanks for your input.

[Pyewacket]

Your question about self regulation is interesting. I guess we are mostly regulated by the market. By that I mean that our work is judged on a job by job basis by groups of people that can influence whether we are hired again or recommended to others looking for our services. Those people can be photographers, ad agency execs., media triainers, on screen talent, art directors, food editors, photo editors and studio managers. If you do good work, try to bring out the best in all the team members, and behave ethically your career continues to grow. If not, no one recommends you or calls back.

Regarding advertising ethics and that kind of regulation, this is controlled by the client company's legal department. If you are working for a company like McD's, Kraft, or Unilever there is usually a representative from the company at the shoot to assure visual adherance to the reality of the food they produce.

There is a lot more attention given to this issue than there used to be. This stems from a law suit (several others too) from about 20 years ago. It's kind of an interesting story. There was a large food company that was shooting an ad or packaging for some kind of chunky soup. The food stylist placed marbles in the bottom of the soup bowl to lift the ingredients in the soup to the surface, leaving the visual impression that there was a higher ratio of veggies and meat to broth than there really was. The food company was sued and had to pay a multi-million dollar fine and stop using the ad. You can't completely blame the stylist here. The ad agency and the client accepted the photo and chose to use it. For all we know, he or she was asked to manipulate the food in that way and was going along to keep the client happy. After that suit and several others, companies and food stylists are keenly aware of the need to truthfully represent the food.

Smaller companies are not so vigilant about the reality of how they represent their product. I have been asked by clients to do all kinds of crazy stuff (especially by some who are fond of finding out what all our weird "tricks" are). Usually, if I gently let them know about their liability in such a situation, they back off. Some really don't care and insist I give them what they want, eventhough the photographer and I both know that their ad will not be that effective anyway. They are usually the clients that at some point go cheap on you anyway and muck everything up by their persistent meddling.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy my work and my clients. I have the luxury of some experience so now I can forsee and avoid the nightmare shoot scenarios (for the most part). Besides, they are really just a small percentage of the jobs I get.

[johnnyd]

Illuminating posts, Pyewacket. Another reminder of the wealth of talent among our membership, thank you very much!

The job sounds like the nomadic life of a freelancer in many fields, you are in demand such as the market dictates. I take it there is no union representation then?

Many here have had a whack at the eG foodblog project and I have to say, some of the shots I took for mine were a big time PITA! I tip my hat - again - to you and your colleagues.

[TAPrice]

Pyewacket,

How does food styling for movies and television differ from the work on ads? I assume that no one cares if authentic food is used on a movie set. Are tricks and such more likely to be used in this situations?

[phaelon56]

The Egg Mc Muffin with sausage and Cheese actually looked better to me in the non-stylized version. It had a less manufactured look - more rustic and appetizing.

I remain amused by the Chinese take-out resaurants that continue to multiply in my area. The old-school ones that have been here forever rely on the same old red ink on white paper menu that appears in all such places. But the newer generation complements that with a huge backlit menu board. Conveniently numbered - it has luscious looking photos of the most popular dishes (or the ones they want to push). Needless to say - the exact same photos appear in multiple independent and non-affiliated shops and the food looks nothing like the photos.

I wonder..... does this result in higher sales volumes for the targeted dishes and faster processing at the counter when an ordering line develops?

[Pyewacket]

Thanks Johnny D.

Regarding the question raised by TAprice about styling for television and movies. As with most questions about food styling, the answer is usually, "it depends."

It depends what kind of tv you are shooting. If it's just a prop on a sound stage that actors move around and maybe eat, you usually just cook the food and plate it as you normally would at home. If it is for a TV food segment or cooking demo, we take a lot more care into finding beautiful ingredients and using props and arrangements that show off the food and make the demonstrater look knowlegable and competant.

Now if you are shooting a TV commercial for a food product or venue, that is completely a horse of a different color. Many, many versions are made and switched out over many takes to get just the right image to edit in.

For film, the food is usually used to set a mood for a scene and a lot of care is taken in getting it just right, but again, it depends on the movie. "The Age of Innocence" has some sumptuous and historically accurate food presentations, but the food in "Dirty Dancing" is hardly noticable and is not really necessary for driving the story or setting a mood.

Generally, though, film and video tends to be rather forgiving because the camera usually just scans the food for a second or two and then moves on. Budget is really tight on most of these projects and it's really just cheaper to have a stylist prepare real food beautifully than to manufacture fakes.

A funny quirk about our business though, in advertising and editorial realm, we are known as food stylists. In the video and motion picture biz we are known as home economists. Go figure.

[hathor]

Thanks for sharing all that information Pyewacket. Home economist? Who knew!

A thought occurred to me while reading this. How different is the photo of a model in a dress different from the view of you in that same dress in your mirror at home? It's a parallel universe of the same sort.

[FistFullaRoux]

Cool info. I do know that a lot of video/film shoots that involve bar or restaurant scenes use plastic or silicone ice in the glasses. They're quieter and make the sound engineers far less cranky. The clanking can aways be added back in later, with the proper reverb and multiple effects that the scene requires. As seen here.

I've also heard rumors of plastic or acrylic "splashes" for soda ads. I would like to learn how to make those. That would be super cool to know.

eta: another link with some interesting info regarding shooting food.

Edited June 7, 2007 by FistFullaRoux (log)