Food Commercial Tricks We All Fall For Every Time

Every food commercial you watch from the comfort of your couch has one goal in mind: get you hungry as heck so you venture out to whatever chain just aired a 60-second spot to buy the product that (hopefully) had you drooling over. That juicy, perfectly stacked Big Mac stares at you from the television screen, beckoning you to the nearest Golden Arches. Or, you gawk at the most recent Cracker Barrel commercial as it flaunts platters of pancakes and sausage, urging you to drop everything and make the trip. We don’t often think about it as television viewers, but so much work goes into food commercials in hopes they entice our appetites enough that we fork over our hard-earned money the soonest chance we get. 

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Now, as delicious as all that onscreen food initially appears, there’s a big caveat that most people aren’t privy to: So much of the food that’s tantalizing their taste buds isn’t actually food at all (gasp!). That’s right, folks. Those commercials are as crafty as they come, implementing a ton of tricks to make the food appear absolutely decadent, when in reality the stuff in front of the camera is all just Hollywood fakery. Ever wonder why that Whopper you order from Burger King doesn’t look as plump as the commercials? It’s because the commercials are big fat liars. After learning a handful of the tricks used for television, we guarantee you’ll never look at those tasty camera shots the same way again.

Burger Styling Tricks

Every time a fast food commercial airs, you can almost guarantee a burger will be shown. But, before you get too excited, let’s break down how those onscreen burgers are constructed. Notice how all those toppings are perfectly placed? Well, that’s the help of toothpicks to keep everything in place. That juicy burger patty? It’s brushed with oil beforehand so it appears to glisten on camera. Condiments are applied with a syringe to get the perfect drippage, and sesame seeds are glued on the bun for a uniform look. Now imagine taking a bite of that burger. Yikes!

Mashed Potatoes Galore

You’d be shocked to learn how often mashed potatoes are used in commercials that have absolutely nothing to do with the creamy spuds. For one thing, every time you see ice cream on the screen, you’re actually staring at scoops of mashed taters. Actual ice cream would instantly melt due to the heat from television lights, whereas mashed potatoes stay firm the whole time. Mashed potato injections are also frequently used to bulk up roast meats, and it’s even used in pies to create the illusion of a sturdy dessert.

Cereal Milk Trick

Because commercial shoots last for hours at a time, when filming a bowl of cereal, crews can’t use milk since the cereal bits will turn soggy quickly. Instead of constantly refilling the bowl of cereal, glue is used in place of the milk. An empty bowl is filled with white glue, and then the cereal is sprinkled on top, giving it the appearance of resting in the liquid. This allows commercial shoots to last for hours without sogginess ever ruining the camera shot.

Create Steam In A Pinch

You can’t show a hot dish on camera without steam, plain and simple. No one’s appetite is going into full gear if the plate of pasta looks cold. But, hot food doesn’t stay hot forever, so there’s a genius trick that keeps anything looking like it was prepared seconds before it hits the screen: damp cotton balls. Food stylists will heat up damp cotton balls and place them directly behind whatever dish they’re filming, and clouds of steam will erupt from behind, making any dish appear super fresh.

Pancake Syrup

A stack of pancakes in the morning sets any day right. Sure, it’s basically like eating cake for breakfast, but who cares? They’re delicious! Commercials know exactly how to get your appetite raring to go when they show a stack of pancakes with golden syrup drizzling down each layer. But, that golden syrup you’re drooling over is actually a bottle of engine oil. Syrup has a nasty habit of becoming runny under heat lamps, whereas engine oil stays the ideal consistency throughout a shoot.