Behind the Lens

Chapter 2

I remember when I was a child around 8 years old. I was strolling through the shopping centre and holding my mother's hand on a Friday as usual. It was on the second floor of this shopping centre in the south of Brazil that I had my first experience as a consumer.

We were in the food court and my mother asked what I would like to eat. I looked around and saw dozens of restaurants. All had the usual signs, prices, vibrant logos, but as a child nothing caught my eye. That was until I came across that beautiful image of a hamburger with two meat patties, cheese, a special sauce and golden bread... well you know the rest.

That photo called to my stomach. The bright red and yellow colours were now all I could see. In desperate need of that burger, I waved wildly at it. My mother warned that I'd struggle to eat what looked like the colossus of burgers, but I stood firm until I convinced her otherwise.

But when the burger arrived at our table, my mother smirked and didn't say anything. I, in my childhood innocence, told my mother that it was not what I asked for. With the hand of an eight-year-old boy I was able to hold that 'colossus', and that wasn't right at all. But when I realised the order was right, and that great picture was in fact the item I held, I was so disappointed. It was from that moment on that my life would be different. Whenever I would look at a food commercial, I would no longer be certain of having the same product in my hand.

Today I was flicking through a magazine and reflecting on this memory. In the times that we live in, with our closer proximity to brands and the power of social media, could this same business launch with such tactics in 2021?

Complaints are no longer restricted to an email to the manufacturer. All a consumer needs to do is post a bad review online, rant in a forum of peers, or call out the brand on social media. We are in an era where consumers expect authenticity and transparency from companies. As such, this no longer feels like something that brands can get away with.

Images are powerful, as are the expectations they create with consumers. We all know the phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words”, but it is as important to remember that “A picture creates a thousand expectations”. This is especially important when that picture is a reflection of your company, your product, or of your life story and legacy. No customer wants to feel like an 8 year old boy still waiting on his colossus.