Fast food commercials are known for their mouth-watering visuals that make you crave a juicy burger and crispy fries.
However, upon unwrapping your food at the restaurant, you may be disappointed to find a soggy burger, less-red tomatoes, squished buns, and unmelted cheese.
You may wonder how they made the food look so good in the ads. These some of the secrets about fast food advertising.
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Unfortunately, the truth is the food shown in commercials is not actually edible.
A great deal of effort and time goes into making the food look perfect on screen, while in reality, fast food workers quickly assemble your food in under a minute.
According to food stylist Ellie Stern, she prefers to photograph food that is not fully cooked.
Undercooked burgers appear plumper and juicier than well-done ones.
Stern also uses pins to keep the toppings in place and make the burger appear taller than it really is.
But it’s not just burgers that require such treatment.
Antacids are added to soda to make it appear fizzier, and the steam is often from a heated cotton ball placed behind the food.
In photo shoots, glue substitutes for milk because it lasts longer, wax is added to sauces to enhance their color, and ice cream is typically made from Play-Doh or mashed potatoes so it doesn’t melt.
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Making fast food look good is a form of art and even after all of these elaborate measures are taken to make the food appear more enticing than it is, the photos are usually retouched.
The end result may not be as appetizing as it seems.
If you want your fast food to look as good as it does in advertisements, you might be better off making it at home. Just be sure to cook the burger properly and remove any pins.
Discovering the secrets that food manufacturers don’t tell you may also change the way you eat.
