Fruit is an Experience

If I were to take a bite out of a Japanese peach and one from a US farmer's market, my guess is it would be hard to taste a difference. That's never going to happen, though, because you don't bag a random peach at a supermarket, take it home, and bite into it. Rather, your peach comes lovingly cocooned in its own styrofoam case, painstakingly peeled and cut by your host mom (or wifey, where applicable), and presented with a bowl and fork perfectly sized for the fruit.

I wrote about luxury fruit in Japan before, but I think I missed something- fruit here is about an experience more than a food, and the experience is pretty darn tasty. It's just a peach at its core, but on the inside, an Apple computer isn't too different from a Dell. It's the experiences we have with products, from the purchase to the packaging to the consumption, that define our relationships with brands.

Comments

[Joe]

Individually wrapping fruit seems incredibly wasteful

[David]

Sure, but we individually wrap plenty of stuff that doesn't need it.

On Sun, Jul 12, 2009 at 5:23 AM, TypePad

[Josh]

First time I ever saw "Christmas cake," in Tokyo I was like, "dang, piece of this high-class cake is only $4?!" Picked one, them boxing/ribbon took nearly five miuntes, I opened up the box and at it right there in the train station, think that's called a faux paue or something.

[David]

Haha, I've been there. Get some sweets or something at a department
store, watch them wrap it like it's a present for the emperor, then
feel bad about unwrapping it and eating it right after you get it. If
I remember fast enough, I just have them give it to me unwrapped-
"sono mama de ii"

On Sun, Jul 12, 2009 at 12:35 PM, TypePad

[Amy]

Wow, I love the idea that fruit is more like an experience---it's so delicious and sweet. Kind of a cool idea. Thanks for the glimpse at a different way of life!