2. The world of food and drink in 2015 is
exciting yet contentious. Consumers have
never known such an abundance of choice,
and food has probably never been so central
to popular cultureâyet its future has rarely
seemed so controversial.
The international Expo Milano 2015, with
the theme âfeeding the planet, energy for
life,â is one of many events where innovators
have gathered to ask: with the global
population projected to rise to 9.6 billion by
2050, how can the food production system
adapt and thrive?
Food Drink
FOOD + DRINK 2INTRODUCTION
Photography by David Sykes
3. FOOD + DRINK 3INTRODUCTION
In the short term, social and technological changes are transforming
our relationship with food. Technological innovations such as genetically
modified organisms (GMOs) are creating novel products while fueling
new anxieties and ethical quandaries. Consumers are gaining an
understanding of the links between childhood obesity and food policy,
bringing conversations about food into the political mainstream.
As food imagery proliferates on social media, more consumers are
âeating with their eyesâ than ever before, and raising their expectations
to match. Food events such as MAD in Copenhagen, Bitten in New
York, and SouthBites at South by Southwest in Austin have emerged
not just as industry forums, but also as venues for a broader cultural
conversation.
âFood is becoming more important to peopleâs lives and their sense of
identity,â says Sam Bompas of experiential food design duo Bompas
& Parr. âThe use of social media means that people use food to find a
sense of personal identity, and perform their identity on an ongoing
basis through photographing what they are eating.â
Food trends also race across the world faster than ever before. Brands
that might have remained local and undiscovered are rapidly brought to
attention by the Instagramming masses, forever in search of the next
novel image. A July 2015 study conducted for this report by SONARâ¢,
J. Walter Thompsonâs proprietary research and insights arm, found
that 75% of millennials say they are among the first in their families to
research and try new food trends, and 80% are more likely to share
photos of food if it is interesting and unique.
Photography by David Sykes
5. FOOD + DRINK 5INTRODUCTION
Food Politics
Public awareness of the politics of food
and nutrition has slowly built in recent
years, fueled by the success of films such
as 2008âs Food, Inc. and public initiatives
including Michelle Obamaâs Letâs Move!
campaign. Today, a grassroots movement
against unhealthy eating has acquired the
sort of urgency that in previous decades
characterized the seeking of cancer cures
or reducing smoking.
In the UK, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is spearheading Food Revolution
Day, âa global campaign to put compulsory practical food education on
the school curriculumâ that held its first worldwide event in May 2015.
Two months later, Tesco made a public declaration of its stance on the
health risks of added sugars for children, banning lunchbox-size packs
of Capri-Sun and Ribena drinks.
The 2014 documentary Fed Up, narrated by news anchor Katie Couric,
reflects growing public skepticism about the effects of conventional
branded foods on childrenâs health. Our SONAR⢠survey found that
81% of US millennials believe large food brands pursue policies that
make Americans less healthy.
Food innovators are challenging the assumption that healthy food
must be expensive and time-consuming to prepare. Noted chefs
Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson have announced plans for a chain of
fast-food restaurants called Locoâl, delivering healthy burgers with a
delicious umami flavor for only $4. The first location will open in the
Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts, and the second in San Franciscoâs
Tenderloin. As many as 28 additional locations are planned by 2017.
Photography by David Sykes
7. FOOD + DRINK 7INTRODUCTION
Healthy Indulgence
In the previous decade, diners revolted
against low-fat orthodoxy, especially when
dining out, as âdietâ foods were discarded
in favor of rich meats and calorie-laden
preparations. But in the 2010s, healthy foods
are back, without the subtext of self-denial.
Health and indulgence increasingly coexist in the minds of consumers.
El Rey Coffee Bar & Luncheonette in Manhattan serves vegan
chicharrones locos, a fried Mexican street snack that has been
reinvented as a healthy and delicious salad. At Los Angeles restaurant
Sqirl, lines form around the block for chef Jessica Koslowâs unique take
on breakfast food, which uses Mediterranean and Asian spices to make
irresistibly light versions of classics. âThis is food whose time has come,â
declared New York Times food critic Mark Bittman.
London food-blogging duo Hemsley + Hemsley extol the virtues of
coconut oil for rich-yet-healthy desserts like their Paradise Bars,
made with creamed coconut, raw honey, and dark chocolate. And the
small brand Unreal Candy is reinventing bite-sized chocolate from the
ground up, with less sugar, no corn or soy, and natural dyes.
Photography by David Sykes
9. FOOD + DRINK 9BY NUMBERS
X
By Numbers
Millennials consider food
to be an important part of
personal identity.
They follow food trends closely, especially in the
United States, and consider going out to eat to be a
cultural experienceâsigns that âfoodieâ behaviors
have gone mainstream.
âFOOD IS A MAJOR PASTIME FOR MEâ (US/UK)
100 %
75%
50%
25%
0%
MILLENNIALS
(18â34)
74% 64%
GENERATION X
(35â49)
45%
BOOMERS
(50+)
âI CONSIDER GOING OUT TO EAT
TO BE A CULTURAL EXPERIENCEâ (US)
100 %
75%
50%
25%
0%
MILLENNIALS
(18â34)
81% 68%
GENERATION X
(35â49)
53%
BOOMERS
(50+)
10. FOOD + DRINK 10BY NUMBERS
âI AM AMONG THE FIRST OF MY FRIENDS AND
FAMILY TO RESEARCH AND TRY NEW FOOD TRENDSâ
100 %
75%
50%
25%
0%
MILLENNIALS
(18â34) US
MILLENNIALS
(18â34) UK
75% 57% 60%
GENERATION X
(35â49) US
50%
GENERATION X
(35â49) UK
39%
BOOMERS
(50+) US
31%
BOOMERS
(50+) UK
US UK
11. FOOD + DRINK 11BY NUMBERS
âI WOULD LIKE TECHNOLOGY TO OFFER ME MORE
ASSISTANCE IN PLANNING AND COOKING HEALTHY MEALSâ
âI USE TECHNOLOGY (E.G., APPS, WEARABLES)
TO HELP ME MAINTAIN A PROPER DIETâ
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
MILLENNIALS
(18â34)
57% 38%
GENERATION X
(35â49)
MILLENNIALS
(18â34)
77% 58%
GENERATION X
(35â49)
37%
BOOMERS
(50+)
19%
BOOMERS
(50+)
Millennials believe technology should
play an important role in helping them
make healthy food choices, and they
frequently share images of food and
drink on their social media profiles.
12. FOOD + DRINK 12BY NUMBERS
âI AM MORE LIKELY TO SHARE PICTURES OF MY
FOOD OR DRINK IF IT IS DIFFERENT AND UNIQUEâ US/UK
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
MILLENNIALS
(18â34)
72% 52%
GENERATION X
(35â49)
22%
BOOMERS
(50+)
âI SHARE PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
OF FOODâŠâ US/UK
100 %
75%
50%
25%
0%
MILLENNIALS
(18â34)
MILLENNIALS
(18â34)
52% 48% 35%
GENERATION X
(35â49)
31%
GENERATION X
(35â49)
11%
BOOMERS
(50+)
11%
BOOMERS
(50+)
âŠI HAVE PREPARED FOR
MYSELF AT HOME
âŠI ORDER AT A
RESTAURANT
13. FOOD + DRINK 13BY NUMBERS
US consumers believe that high-
protein products are healthiest,
while low-fat claims are more
compelling for UK consumers.
Consumers think that sugar is less healthy than
carbohydrates in general, and small yet significant
minorities of consumers believe that products high
in âgood fatsâ are healthier than any of the above.
32%
33%
25%
4%
7%
9%
22%
UKHIGH IN PROTEIN
LOW IN FAT
LOW IN SUGAR
LOW IN CARBS
HIGH IN 'GOOD FATS'
OTHER
25%
5%
9%
10%
18%
US
âTHE HEALTHIEST SOUNDING NUTRITION CLAIM FOR ME IS...â
14. SAMPLE TREND 14FOOD + DRINK
Cube by Lernert & Sander. Commissioned by de Volkskrant, 2014
Awash with food imagery on social
media, consumers are gravitating towards
unexpected images that are aimed at the
mind rather than the stomach.
Food imagery on Instagram has lost some of its novelty: at press
time, 196 million photos on the platform are tagged as #food and nearly
64 million as #foodporn. Along with the ubiquity of food imagery, an
inevitable backlash is emergingâsimple shots donât cut it any more.
âThereâs a bit of #foodporn fatigue. People arenât maybe as interested in
seeing what their friends have eaten for lunch or dinner that day, but are
really interested in seeing food in unconventional images,â says Linyee
Yuan, co-editor of Mold, a food design editorial platform. âItâs kind of set
up in a way that you wouldnât necessarily see on a plate.â
Feasts For The Eyes
15. SAMPLE TREND 15FOOD + DRINK
Foodography by Carmel Wineries, Israel, 2015
The Instagram account of designer Marta Grossi (@bananagraffiti)
features photos of bananas intricately painted with patterned imagery.
In May 2015, Instagrammers were captivated by a single photo of
identically sized cubes of 98 different foodsâthe work of design
studio Lernet & Sander. Moldâs own account (@thisismold) recently
featured watermelons precisely cut into pyramids, toy soldiers posed
for battle in a donut maze, and a replica of Moscowâs Saint Basilâs
Cathedral made of soft-serve cones.
The Instagram account @symmetrybreakfast, which has 366,000
followers, is the work of boyfriends Michael Zee and Mark van Beek. It
features photos of two virtually identical breakfasts, arranged as mirror
images. This slightly offbeat visual makes Symmetry Breakfast feel
less like a source for cooking inspiration and more like a meditation on
relationships. In July 2015, the founders even teamed up with Guardian
Soulmates to hold a breakfast speed-dating event in east London.
16. FOOD + DRINK 16SAMPLE TREND
Symmetry Breakfast by Michael Zee and Mark van Beek, London
Another aspect of #foodporn 2.0 is a renewed focus on tableware,
by both restaurants and consumers in general. In April 2015, the Israeli
company Carmel Wineries produced Foodography, a series of dinners
and workshops with dishware specifically designed to provide a
flattering backdrop for smartphone food photography. At Stockholm
Design Week, designer Sofia Almqvist presented her Umami Table, a
scalloped surface for bespoke tableware that offers a particularly
artful backdrop for otherwise conventional foods.
âFine dining has always been very focused on tableware,â says Yuan,
âbut what weâre seeing now is that consideration being taken at more
casual restaurants as well. For young restaurateurs and chefs, itâs not
negotiable any more. Anyone watching Food Network is going to know
what you mean by plating and have high expectations for how dishes
are presented.â
Implications: With the proliferation of online food photography,
consumers now expect food to get the high-end visual treatment.
Consider fashion retailer Farfetchâs recent collaboration with
Assouline, Farfetch Curates Food, a book exploring the intersection
between art, graphics and food.
17. FOOD + DRINK 17SAMPLE TREND
Thereâs a new awareness and
importance around tableware as a
visual aspect of eating.
LINYEE YUAN
COFOUNDER, MOLD
Umami Table by Sofia Almqvist, Stockholm, 2014. Photography by Petter Brandt
18. FOOD + DRINK 18SAMPLE CASE STUDY
Launched in Amsterdam in April 2015, The Roast Room is a forward-
looking restaurant for the 21st-century meat-lover. While the barbecue
joints of the 2000s indulged dinersâ carnivorous appetites with large
quantities of rich meat, The Roast Room instead emphasizes quality
and transparency.
âPeople are likely to eat less meat in the future, but with higher quality,â
says Michiel Deenik, the owner of the restaurant. âQuality over quantity,
this is exactly where we can meet the needs and wants of the guests.â
The design of the restaurant, by the Dutch interior design practice
Studio Modijefsky, brings the role of the butcher to the fore. Previously
hidden away from squeamish diners, the butcher is now celebrated as a
skilled artisan, and works in full view, in a glass-fronted butchery with a
modern-industrial aesthetic.
The Roast Room
The Roast Room, Amsterdam. Photography by Maarten Willemstein
19. FOOD + DRINK 19SAMPLE CASE STUDY
âThe butchery is an open area with a lot of glass where guests can
dine as well,â explains Deenik. âThere is nothing that we hide. When we
explain the menu to the guest, we really go into detail about where the
beef comes from and how the life of the cow influences the structure,
color, taste, and amount of fat in the meat.â
Implications: The future of meat is increasingly contested. Reassure
worried consumers by emphasizing quality and transparency, and think
beyond conventional, low-cost meat and poultry.
The Roast Room, Amsterdam. Photography by Maarten Willemstein
20. FOOD + DRINK 20CASE STUDIES
The Innovation Group is J. Walter Thompsonâs futurism, research and
innovation unit. It charts emerging and future global trends, consumer
change, and innovation patternsâtranslating these into insight for brands.
It offers a suite of consultancy services, including bespoke research,
presentations, co-branded reports and workshops. It is also active in
innovation, partnering with brands to activate future trends within their
framework and execute new products and concepts. It is led by
Lucie Greene, Worldwide Director of the Innovation Group.
The Innovation Group is part of J. Walter Thompson Intelligence, a platform
for global research, innovation and data analytics at J. Walter Thompson
Company, housing three key in-house practices: SONARâ¢, Analytics and
the Innovation Group. SONAR⢠is J. Walter Thompsonâs research unit that
develops and exploits new quantitative and qualitative research techniques
to understand cultures, brands and consumer motivation around the world.
It is led by Mark Truss, Worldwide Director of Brand Intelligence. Analytics
focuses on the innovative application of data and technology to inform and
inspire new marketing solutions. It offers a suite of bespoke analytics tools
and is led by Amy Avery, Head of Analytics, North America.
Contact:
Lucie Greene
Worldwide Director of the Innovation Group
J. Walter Thompson Intelligence
lucie.greene@jwt.com
Report editor: Shepherd Laughlin
Visual editor: Emma Chiu
Cover photography: David Sykes
Contributors:
Graeme Allister
Hallie Steiner
Hannah Stodell