How to create an advert that makes you hungry
“You’ve got to wrap ‘em up in newspaper, not brown paper or white.”
How about this newspaper ad for a fish and chip shop? The lime segment is one I haven’t seen before. Lemon, yes, but lime? It even makes me think this particular chip shop is a little different to normal ones. First they show you a clever ad, then they introduce lime juice with your meal.
The “chips” component of “Fish and chips”
American-style “french fries” typically have a slimmer shape than their British counterpart “chips”; thicker “fries” sometimes appear on US menus as “steak fries”. These still do not have the thickness of British “chips”, which typically measure ⅜ to ½ inches square in cross-section.
Most traditional fish and chip shops in Britain make their own chips from fresh potatoes.
Why newspaper? I hear you ask. Well…
Packaging and wrapping
Fish-and-chips shops traditionally wrapped their product in an inner white paper wrapping and an outer insulating and grease-absorbing layer of newspaper or blank newsprint, though nowadays the use of newspaper has largely ceased on grounds of hygiene, and establishments often use food-quality wrapping paper instead – occasionally printed on the outside to emulate newspaper. However, many feel as though newspaper enhanced the mouthwatering smell of fish and chips and that, hygienically, it is perectly safe to use. A supporting point to this would be that midwives / the emergency services often suggest the use of newspaper when delivering a baby in an emergency if nothing else is available.
For a full run-down of all things fish and chips, including such things as history, variants and accompaniments, check out Wikipedia’s fish and chips page.
The ad was brought to you first by Fred at AdGoodness.
Related posts on this site
10 spot-on reader comments to “How to create an advert that makes you hungry”
What are your thoughts?
Simply fill in the form below. All comments are moderated so you may experience a short delay before your comment appears. Comments should be respectful of other voices in the discussion. I reserve the right to edit or delete comments at my discretion.
I used to have a lot of fish’n chips back when I was living in the UK.. I think the lime there is just to add a little of color to the ad.
PS. Frederik’s Ad Goodness is an excellent site. I had him in my RSS for a long time ;)
It’s a lovely idea.
Infact I had to resist buying fish and chips tonight and went for healthier Cous Cous instead.
I remember fish and chips in newspaper with print. Years ago we were better at recycling. Drinks came in glass bottles, as did milk that was washed and reused. And Old Newspaper was used for wrapping fish and chips. It kept it warm too. The fat and vinegar from the chips helped it biodegrade in landfill once it was thrown away.
Sometimes we should learn from the past. But great Ad dave…I often have a look at your site for inspiration.
You’ve made me hungry!
Cool ad though !
Lee, thanks for the kind words and I’m glad you find something of interest here on my site. It’s unfortunate that our local councils aren’t doing more in the recycling push.
More plastic bags, tin cans etc. than ever before. Too many people just want it easy nowadays.
I hope the cous cous was a match for the battered fish.
Glad you like the ad, Mat.
I grew up in Halifax Nova Scotia. When we went for fish ‘n chips, they were put it in a rectangular cardboard bowl, wrapped in brown paper and sealed with brown paper tape.
In England were they simply wrapped in paper - no container? When I saw this ad I immediately thought of garbage. Directly on the paper looks unappetizing to me. I guess it’s all in the packaging and what you’ve been brought up with.
Although all this chatter about fish ‘n chips does make one hungry.
There certainly wasn’t any container for the packaging. In fact, even today most British chip shops don’t use any container. There’s one on the corner of my street and if you buy food from them they wrap it in a few sheets of paper.
This ad is obviously targetted at the British market.
I would like to wrap my chips up with the newspaper advert ! Can I buy these prints ??
Regards Terry
Great Add! and really good article… I am hungry now…
Just to let you know, one year later I read this post and will clarify your doubts… that is a lemon not a lime, and down here in Bolivia, South America, it is often to serve fish with a piece of lemon, it is supoused to enhace the fish flavour when you drop some on the fish, then the fries taste better… it is like a “tequila effect”.
Regards!
Here in the UK it is also common to have lemon with fish. The reason I thought the advert shows lime is because it looks green, but perhaps it was altered.