Proof that Sugar is No Villain

It just all depends on the right kind of sweetener. While dolling up our Americano at Starbucks this morning, we snapped the above photo. Raw sugar appears to be the popular choice next to its out of favor counterparts. When given the choice between artificial sweeteners and the real deal, consumers are increasingly grabbing the raw stuff.

We wonder what would happen if Starbucks offered up agave and stevia alongside Sweet’N Low and Splenda.

Want more sweet stuff?

Check out our infographic on sugar and join us on August 4th (that’s next Thursday!) for our free webinar on trends in all things sweet, from candy to baked goods and beyond. Sign up here today!

The Psychology of Comfort Food

Away from home, we seek the foods of home.

A thought-provoking article on the what ties us to comfort foods over on Gilt Taste:

When you begin to eat, your eyes, hands and mouth start the chain of command. Then the brain kicks in.Sugar and starch spur serotonin, a neurotransmitter known to increase a sense of well-being. (It’s what makes Prozac work.) Salty foods spur oxytocin, aka the “cuddle chemical.” …Mice unable to taste the difference between regular and extra-high-calorie food in a recent study preferred the high-calorie kind, which suggests that fattening food appeals simply because it is fattening. Which makes sense, given how much fuel our prehistoric ancestors burned crisscrossing savannahs, fleeing carnivores and chasing prey. Fat is a good balm for the fear of starvation.

Read more.

Absolut’s Mile-High Club

Domestic carriers fall far short of many overseas competitors in terms of creature comforts. Case in point: Korean Air A380 has risen mile high above tiny bottles of in-flight booze and sad cups of ice by partnering with Absolut and installing three bars in business and first class.

You heard us right. Real bars with real bartenders.

To see more, head over to Core77.

Selling a Feeling: Functional Chews

No doubt you’ve noticed beverages – like vitamin-flavored water or energy drinks – that pitch a feeling (relax, energize, calm) rather than a flavor. Why just yesterday we sampled some Neuro Bliss (tastes like happy!) to calm our curious minds. While we would argue that Neuro isn’t necessarily the best name for a beverage (perhaps too reminiscent of brains) brands like Vitamin Water have helped consumers become accustomed to reaching for a functional beverages promising feelings.

Now, the functional-foods-flavored-with-feelings trend has reached gum. Trident recently released the Vitality line, featuring three flavors each with their own functional properties. Now you can Vigorate, Rejuve, and Awaken (note: only one of the aforementioned actions is an actual word). Wondering what those feelings taste like? Apparently orange, peppermint and white tea.

Are feel-good yogurts next?

Friday Fun: Creative Bar Codes

We’re suckers for great packaging and unique attention to detail. Imagine our delight when we came across artful bar codes recently profiled in the Wall Street Journal.

Companies like Vanity Barcodes are turning tired UPCs into extraordinary pieces of art. But who is adopting these playful barcodes? WSJ lays out a timeline on their mainstreaming:

Nestle has gradually included vanity barcodes when redesigning packaging or launching new products. The company started in 2008 with smaller brands and those that don’t come in many flavors (and therefore require fewer barcode variations). Nestle’s Juicy Juice Sparkling Fruit Juice Beverage, which comes in three flavors, has bubbles rising up from its barcodes. Its Skinny Cow low-calorie dessert line is currently rolling out barcodes shaped like a cow’s spot.

For a gallery of artful codes and more, go here. 

Happy Birthday, Wienermobile!

Your new word of the day? Hotdogger. As in, “hotdoggers have been tooling around in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile since 1937.” In celebration of the big 7-5, do yourself a favor and check out the Hotdogger blog with updates from the road.

After all, where else would you go to find photos of wiener dogs at the Wienermobile straight from the drivers themselves?

Qream with a Q Celebrity Liqueur

Too bad we already presented our beverage trends webinar last week. Pharell just came out with a lactose-free liqueur for the ladies!
 

“Inspired by royalty, I created this silky drink to celebrate the beautiful, independent and sophisticated women of today. It is a truly elegant experience for the modern day queen and her court of friends.” Pharrell’s new alcohol, a 12.5% ABV, 95% lactose-free cream liqueur that comes in both strawberry and peach flavors, “can be served on the rocks, chilled in a martini glass or deliciously baked into cupcakes, pastries and more.”

He definitely should’ve added some probiotics into the mix. Queen Latifah could promote it. As Qream LaKefir, perhaps? We kid, we kid.