Yesterday the BBC ran an online story on celebrity patissiers and the growing popularity of their glorious concoctions.
And, when we stopped ogling the éclairs in the picture, it got us thinking about why they seemed to hit their mark and turn their creators, in this case Christophe Adam, into superstars.
If you ask people, through research, they will always tell you they love to try something new, and there is no doubt that novelty attracts attention. However, the reality is often different. New things tempt people, but it is often only a few brave souls who actually buy them at first. Eventually, a great idea will catch on, but it can take time.
What seems to make an idea stick is when brands consider how they appeal to all the senses to get the perfect balance of familiarity and outrageousness. So these éclairs are still choux pastry and the toppings are variations of familiar sweet themes. However, the final product breaks every éclair rule – ‘mon dieu’ – and therefore gets the attention it deserves. They are vivid works of edible art, which are at once sophisticated and playful, zooming straight past our rational mind and appealing to our deeper emotions. Our eyes are given a truly novel treat, while our taste buds are still coddled in fairly safe territory. There are more adventurous flavours available, but they probably do more to make the shopper feel daring, than to actually tempt them to buy. The packaging is simple and with its gorgeous contemporary design, just begs to be opened.
The result. This Parisian brand is successful enough to warrant a mention on the BBC website and this blog.
Saatchi & Saatchi X London 