Marketing vs reality: how food ads trick you

The Food Ad You Can’t Escape

A child on TV drinks a chocolate health drink, and suddenly he’s taller, stronger, sharper.

A family in a juice ad smiles brighter than sunshine - because “no added sugar” juice keeps them healthy.

A fitness enthusiast bites into a protein bar and instantly looks shredded.

Sounds familiar? That’s the reality of food marketing in India. It’s not about nutrition. It’s about emotion, manipulation, and profit.

👉 Behind every glossy ad is a carefully crafted illusion - designed to make you buy what you don’t need, and eat what you shouldn’t.

Why Food Marketing Works So Well

Food ads don’t sell ingredients. They sell feelings.

• For kids: cartoons, superheroes, catchy jingles. (“If you drink this, you’ll grow tall like your hero.”)
  
  

• For parents: guilt manipulation. (“Good mothers choose this for their kids.”)
  
  

• For youth: fitness and fun. (“This energy drink = confidence + strength.”)
  
  

• For older adults: safety. (“Low fat, sugar-free, cholesterol-free = healthy heart.”)
  
  

👉 They’re not selling food. They’re selling identity and trust.

Trick 1: The Health Halo

Ads use words that sound scientific and safe:

• “No added sugar” → but full of fruit concentrates and syrups.
  

• “Digestive” → but packed with palm oil and sugar.
  

• “Low fat” → but with extra sugar to make up for taste.
  

• “High protein” → but more sugar than protein.
  

Reality: The “health halo” hides the poison.

Trick 2: Targeting Parents’ Guilt

Parents want the best for their kids - and brands know it. That’s why:

• Health drinks promise growth and immunity.
  

• Biscuits show kids studying better, playing better, smiling brighter.
  
  

Reality: Most kids’ products are sugar bombs. Growth, immunity, and energy don’t come from packets. They come from real food.

Trick 3: The “Desi & Natural” Scam

Brands use India’s trust in tradition.

• Jaggery biscuits marketed as “ayurvedic.”
  

• Honey drinks marketed as “immunity boosters.”
  

• Brown sugar products sold as “healthier.”
  
  

Reality: These are marketing masks. Jaggery, honey, and brown sugar spike blood sugar just like refined sugar.

Trick 4: The Fitness Illusion

Protein powders, energy bars, zero-calorie sodas - all marketed as “fitness-friendly.”

Reality:

• Protein bars often contain more sugar than chocolate.
  

• Zero-calorie sodas disrupt gut bacteria.
  

• Energy drinks overload you with caffeine + sugar.
  
  

The gym body in the ad didn’t come from that bar. It came from real training and nutrition.

Trick 5: The Celebrity Trap

Bollywood stars, cricketers, influencers - all sell food that they don’t eat themselves.

• Would an elite cricketer drink the same sugar-loaded cola he promotes? No.
  

• Would a Bollywood actor binge on “digestive biscuits” daily? No.
  

• But the public trusts them anyway.
  
  

Reality: You’re not buying the food. You’re buying the celebrity’s face.

Trick 6: The “Immunity Boosting” Fear Play

After COVID, “immunity boosting” became the hottest marketing phrase.

• Juices, biscuits, even namkeen now claim “supports immunity.”
  

• Usually achieved by adding a sprinkle of vitamin C or tulsi extract.
  
  

Reality: The same products are loaded with sugar - which actively weakens immunity.

The Psychological Weapons of Ads

Food marketing uses proven psychology:

1. Colors → Red and yellow trigger appetite (see chips packets, burger brands).
   

2. Jingles → Catchy tunes kids can’t forget.
   

3. Animation → Mascots that make food “friendly.”
   

4. Words like “healthy” and “natural” → Create instant trust.
   

5. Lifestyle association → Drink this, and you’ll be confident, fit, successful.
   
   

👉 These ads don’t just sell food. They rewire how you think about food.

Real-World Examples (Indian Context)

• Juice Box Ad: Family happily drinks “real fruit juice.” Reality: 25 g sugar per glass - same as cola.
  

• Health Drink Ad: Child grows taller, mother looks proud. Reality: 12 g sugar per serving - disguised as nutrition.
  

• Digestive Biscuit Ad: Elderly man promotes it as “good for digestion.” Reality: Maida, palm oil, sugar = constipation, not digestion.
  

• Protein Bar Ad: Young athlete eats bar post-workout. Reality: More sugar than protein.
  
  

Why This Matters

This isn’t harmless exaggeration. It’s public health manipulation.

• Ads convince parents to feed kids sugar daily.
  

• Ads convince diabetics that jaggery is safe.
  

• Ads convince fitness lovers that sugar bars = protein fuel.
  
  

👉 Every ad that sells a lie is another brick in India’s diabetes and obesity epidemic.

How to Defend Yourself

1. Mute the ad in your head.
   

2. Flip the pack. Front = marketing, back = truth.
   

3. Look at the first 3 ingredients. If sugar, syrup, or palm oil show up, stop.
   

4. Per 100 g check. If sugar >10 g, it’s not healthy.
   

5. Teach your kids. If they learn to question ads, you’ve already won.
   
   

EPRA Farms: Why We Refuse to Play This Game

At EPRA Farms, we don’t rely on marketing tricks.

• Our monk fruit sweetener has only monk fruit + erythritol.
  

• No jaggery disguised as health.
  

• No “immunity” gimmicks.
  

• No celebrity faces hiding the truth.
  
  

We believe trust is built on transparency, not advertising slogans.

Conclusion: Don’t Buy the Lie

Food ads are not entertainment. They’re calculated weapons. They use emotion, tradition, fear, and aspiration to trick you.

👉 Marketing says: “This will make you stronger.”

👉 Reality says: “This will make you sick.”

The only defense is awareness. Flip the pack. Read the truth. Question the claims.

Because once you stop believing the ad, you start saving your health.