The Allure of Tide Pods: Why They Look (and Smell) Good Enough to Eat

They’re vibrant, juicy, and look delectable. They look like everything we associate with delicious food. They’re reminiscent of the fruit our ancestors looked for and plucked from trees for sustenance and look like the gummy candy we couldn’t get enough of as kids (I’m looking at you, Fruit Gushers). They also garner their popularity from the power of the “hive mind” of the Internet (specifically Twitter). One person said they looked good enough to eat. As a result, no one could think of them as just laundry detergent anymore. Turns out, it’s other influences that could be making our brains short circuit and view these dangerous pods as delectable treats.

Consumer Psychology Influence

Tide Pods were designed to be irresistible, according to Dimofte, Haugtvedt, and Yalch (2015). When Tide launched it’s Pods, the marketing directive was to “make Tide Pods irresistible and the resulting campaign used pop art and color to make the brand appear fun, cool, and convenient.” In a world of social media influence, brands want to create a conversation around their products so that they will be continuously present in consumers’ minds.

Unfortunately, the other marketing aspects of Tide Pods made them a bit too successful. Rather than generating a conversation about their performance as a product, they were too similar to gummy candies and fruit, making consumers want to eat them rather than use them as laundry detergent.