We’ve all seen the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory starring Gene Wilder and Jack Albertson– always a must-watch when it’s on TV. Remember the part when Mr. Wonka has the lucky golden ticket winners taste test his new invention of lickable wallpaper? He says, “Lick an orange. It tastes like an orange. The strawberries taste like strawberries! The snozzberries taste like snozzberries!” And the truly obnoxious Veruca Salt counters with, “Snozzberries? Who ever heard of a snozzberry?” Apparently dear Veruca was the last to know.
Wonka was a few generations before his time and truly an influencer– and he whipped all of his guests into a frenzy desperate to sample anything he had to offer– from Golden Goose Eggs made of chocolate to the Gum that chewed like a three-course meal, the forbidden Fizzy Lifting Drink to the coveted Everlasting Gobstopper. Can you imagine if any of his offerings were featured on Instagram or he made videos for TikTok? I’m guessing he would have been an immediate sell out with hundreds of millions of views and likes. Wonka certainly knew how to whet our appetites.
The power of advertising certainly does a number on all of us. Few are immune from the wanting when the influencer strikes a chord within us. I went through a phase where all I wanted was a Roomba self-cleaning robot vacuum. I thought it was sleek and small and miraculous! Sadly I own a great vacuum already so I just couldn’t pull the trigger. But I still have major vacuum envy when I see those ads.
Then there’s the amazing Oprah Effect. Have you heard about this? If Oprah Winfrey endorses or loves a product, sales completely skyrocket overnight. A bathrobe, cocktail stirrers, fluffy slippers or a kitchen gadget– if Oprah says it’s cool, American women everywhere will clamor to buy it. The Duchess Kate Middleton has the very same effect on apparel and accessories. If she wears something that any of us commoners can forage online, it’s an immediate sellout. From a Reiss dress to a Zara blazer, the public wants to dress like their favorite royal.
Then there’s the Kardashian effect. I’m not much of a follower to be honest. But I know they are all gazillionaires and add to their fortunes by hocking self-indulgent makeup brands, jeans and even underwear. I know it’s the aesthetic that so many covet but I have to say that for this one it’s a bit of a headscratcher for me. I’m more a follower of Stanley Tucci. Have you seen his show about eating his way through Italy? If you get a glimpse of his face testing some simply made but perfectly delicious pasta dishes using amazing ingredients right from the motherland, you too will crave tender sauteed eggplant with a bit of fresh parmesan tossed into al dente noodles. Oh my God! I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!
And if I whet your appetite by describing Stanley’s dreamy favorites, I guess I’m a bit of an influencer as well. I of course don’t profit from my foodie suggestions, but I’m always happy to share my top picks just the same. But don’t worry. You’ll never catch me trying to sell you a snozzberry!
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