10 Times Companies Took 'Creative Packaging' Too Far

3. Just M&M, Not M&Ms

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Should you enjoy ice cream sandwiches and M&Ms, there is no guilt in buying this mouthwatering M&M Ice Cream Sandwich. The M&Ms will, after all, accentuate the mouthwatering taste of ice cream sandwiches. On the other hand, this photo shows you lucky if you get more than two M&Ms on every ice cream sandwich. Look on the We: at least you can enjoy the taste of the basic ice cream sandwich free of M&M additions. Though we realize, the sandwich will most likely still be great. You should better acquire the M&Ms as you expected them. We figure you'll probably have to purchase an M&M bag separately. This case of deceptive packaging addresses a more general problem in food marketing: the implication of plenty by brand names. When a well-known candy brand like M&Ms is conspicuously displayed on a product, people naturally expect a notable concentration of that ingredient. The dissatisfaction here arises from the sense of dishonesty as much as from the absence of M&Ms. It begs issues regarding the morality of such marketing strategies as well as the thin line separating creative advertising from dishonesty. Furthermore underlined is the need of closely examining ingredient lists and product descriptions instead of depending just on brand names or packaging images. This encounter may inspire consumers to be more discriminating in their purchases and maybe even inspire them to make their own ice cream sandwiches at home, where they can control the add-ins amount.