A lot is happening in the food sector. Our white paper "Edibles - tasting the future of food and drinks" describes the most relevant shifts within the food industry at this moment. This whitepaper not only introduces you to the concepts of phygital flavors, ethical appetites, elevated animalistics and habitual hijacking, but also shows their impact on your brand. Whitepaper by Fitzroy Amsterdam

1. EDIBLES
TASTING THE FUTURE OF FOOD AND DRINKS

2. 2 3
“Food… I’m kind of stressed out about it. On a daily basis I
find myself cussing and cursing in the isles of the
supermarket, trying to make the right choice.”
Barbara, 28, Amsterdam
If discussing the impact of these changes is not already on the
agenda within your organisation, they should be.
The list of important changes is long: The merging of virtual and
physical worlds. Cultures and traditions making way for new
rituals. The rejection of binary structures. The mix of high and low
culture and the rise of remix culture. Better informed and more
health conscious consumers. The breathtaking pace of life. High
consumer expectations. But how do you know which changes
matter to your brand?
This whitepaper taps into 4 societal changes currently influencing
the food and drinks industry. A ten minute read will provide
insight into emerging mindsets that follow these changes,
aspirational cases and food for thought. Roll up your sleeves and
get ready to find out what Phygital Flavours, Ethical Appetites,
Elevated Animalistics and Habitual Hijacking mean for your
business.
What, when and how
we eat has changed.

3. 4 5
Phygital Flavors 6
Elevated Animalistics 12
Ethical Appetites 18
Habitual Hijacking 22
Consider: Fitzroy’s brand takeouts 29
CONTENT

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1.PHYGITAL
FLAVORS
Consumers want on-demand lifestyles, ongoing feedback loops and brands that turn
data into hyper-personalised service.
Simply taking extra supplements doesn’t cut it
anymore. Modern consumers expect brands to
apply new technologies to improve the nutritional
properties of food, offer more personalised food and
drinks and to be more sustainable in the process.
Merging the physical and digital worlds, is no longer
just a matter of enriching consumer experiences but
may offer solutions to urgent problems related to
waste, health and natural resources. Come to think
of it, the microwave may be the most exciting thing
we’ ve seen in a long time - and that was shortly
after World War 2. However, at the rate we’re going
now, we expect that 3D food printers could very well
become a common kitchen appliance in both home
and professional kitchens within 10 years.
The global food and drinks industry is feeling
pressure from a new cohort of consumers, who want
more natural and less processed products.
How are you currently tapping into new technologies
to provide hyper-personalized food experiences in
the phygital world?

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“The most interesting
innovations are those that
draw inspiration from
different industries and
thereby transcend categories.
The hybrid playing field
is one in which art meets
science.”
Mads, 28, Copenhagen

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SPACE10 is a research and design lab initiated by IKEA. Online they facilitate dialogue concerning
how we live and eat. Offline they host events that dive deeper into the same themes through
entertaining experiences. Highlights include a future proof take on the iconic hotdog and meatballs.
By using ingredients such as insects, lab-grown meat and spirulina-micro-algae these babies pack 50
times more iron than spinach and more protein than a “real” hotdog.
IKEA also created hydroponic farms which grows tons of microgreens without soil. Instead, crops are
grown in water that contains the perfect amount of nutrients. Various sprouts and herbs were grown
in the hydroponic farms and served up in the salad buffet. The phygital, experience based community
offered by SPACE10 is a benchmark for what brand engagement and consumer co-creation should
be all about.
Case: Bugdogs and Neatballs
Hydrophonic Farming Photography by Rory Gardiner
Nestle, the world’s largest food company, has tapped into the phygital trend in a big way. Their
Wellness Ambassador App blends together consumers’ desire for personalised nutrition and their
obsession with instagramming food. It allows users to send pictures of their food, in return they
receive recommendations for lifestyle changes and specially formulated supplements. A home kit
provide samples for DNA testing to identify ailments like high cholesterol or diabetes. A year supply
of nutrient-rich teas, smoothies and other vitamin-fortified snacks will set you back about $600. The
program will be rolled out in Japan first, where health problems associated with food and nutrition
have become a big issue.
Case: DNA for Supplements

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2.ELEVATED
ANIMALISTICS
Consumers want elevated, sensory experiences to reconnect their primal self. Give them a
break from visual infoxication and provide physical engagement that provides a great story
to tell.
Consumers these days are suffering from
infoxication and infobesitas. Overwhelmed by
information overload they feel paralyzed and
unable to make the right decisions. How then
do brands stand out in an overly crammed
shelf without becoming obnoxious? One trick
is give the eyes a rest and think in terms of 5
dimensional branding. That means, consider if
you can trigger other senses than just sight.
Case in point, the trending phenomenon of snake
massage. Yes, you read correctly; actual pythons
slithering all over face, neck and body. “The
snakes tone and stimulate the vagus nerve in our
body that releases endorphins and oxytocin,”
explains the brains behind the service.
This scaly therapy is yet another manifestation of
the paradox of our time: we are hyper-connected
to digital devices and to strangers across the
globe, yet disconnected with ourselves. The vast
amount of slime videos on Instagram and the
huge success of ASMR (Autonomous Sensory
Meridian Reaction) films on Youtube indicate
that consumers are on the lookout for sensory
experiences. If you think this is a weird niche
thing, think again. Take for example the Michelob
Ultra beer campaign that made its debut on the
Super Bowl this year, done in ASMR style.
If consumers have really lost touch with their
primal self, then how is your brand helping to
rekindle that connection?

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“Combining technology and interactivity needs a measured
approach, considerate of the relationship between human
and computer.”
Enya Moore, Frame Magazine
“We can travel to outer-space and 3D print human body
parts but try finding bread without unnecessary sugars, or
deciphering the meaning of the Dutch animal welfare stars.”
Andre, 34, Amsterdam

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Case: Cheesy Hip-Hop
Do you prefer a creamy, soulful kind of cheese or is your flavor more outspoken and bold? And what’s
your favorite song, because since recently you can play it for your cheese to enhance the flavor. For a
duration of 7 months, Swiss researchers exposed a selection of cheese wheels to a 24 hour playlist.
The point? To see if the microorganisms that are responsible for the flavor of cheese responded
differently to varying frequencies. Different music was directed into each wheel—including Mozart,
jazz, and hip-hop—with one cheese being kept in silence as a control for the experiment. The result?
Cheese experts concluded that the hip-hop cheese had a distinctly “stronger, fruitier” taste and scent
than the other samples.
Case: Food is Foreplay
Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Roxanne Brennen, has created a range of dining tools
designed to encourage a way of eating that she claims helps to trigger the same brain activity as
sexual foreplay. A series of irregularly shaped vessels, plates and utensils make up the Dining Toys
collection, which Brennen presented during Dutch Design Week.
The objects are each designed to enhance the pleasure of eating by releasing endorphins, the same
way as sex does. This concept has been picked up by high end retail and travel as a way to help
VIP’s unlearn “boring” etiquettes and help them reconnect with their primal selves.
Dining Toys Collection by Roxanne Brennen
Getty Images by Fabrice Coffrini

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3.ETHICAL
APPETITES
Conscious consumers want legislative brands that are willing to help reinvent how we view resources.
For the “Woke” cohort - feeling good is doing good - so they are ready to break a few taboos.
Hyperconnected consumers are becoming
increasingly conscious of the impact that food
production has on the environment. Additionally
consumers are becoming more educated with
regards to personal health and wellness. This
entails a more critical view on processed foods,
sugar intake and alcohol amongst other things.
To combat this, consumers are prioritizing holistic
wellness and actively seek out for brands that
go out of their way to offer a sense of calm, and
provide multiple health benefits at the same time.
An ever-growing group of consumers believe
that on top of all of this, a brand must take
responsibility for both its social and environmental
impact. Especially with the young generation that
wants to be part of creating a more ethical and
sustainable world. Millennials even have a word for
it: WOKE which means being culturally and socially
aware of various urgent issues in the world.
The time has come to think beyond cleaning up
the plastic soup. Being truly woke, means being
prepared to challenge status quo, even if that
means revisiting existing ideas about resources.
If done right, some of the most provocative ideas
may end up rally catching on, as you’ll read in the
cases below. Certain brands are already catering
to this conscious mindset.
How are you helping the woke to live more ethical
lives?

11. 20 21
Some say that eating bugs will help save humanity and Wataru Kobayashi, the creator of BUGBUG,
agrees. With a major food crisis pending for 2050, it’s time to change our eating habits and the
cutlery that goes with them. BUGBUG, is a picnic cutlery set to promote the consumption of insects.
While eating insects is quite common in Latin America, Africa and Asia, the Western world is lacking
behind and can’t seem to get over the “yuk factor”. Well, these fancy little helpers might change that
perception because this futuristic cutlery has a super stylish look and feel. Considering that insects
only take ten percent of the resources needed in comparison to the production of meat, getting use
to a crunchy diet may be more urgent than marketers in the food and drinks industry realize.
Case: Bug eating kit
Bug Eating Kit by Wataru Kobayashi
Case: Serving up animal blood
German designer Basse Stittgen addresses the issue of global food waste with a series of tableware
objects, made solely from animal blood. His project ‘Blood Related’ breaks with taboo, by suggesting
that we serve up our bloody steaks on plates made from slaughter house animal blood. Animal blood
from cows and pigs are dangerous chemical waste and a very difficult to destroy in a responsible
way. Stittgen found a way to process this blood into a material which has plastic like characters.
He created tableware including plates, cups and even an LP with the sounds of animals being
slaughtered just to bring home the message.
Consumers are all too eager to tell others about their conscious choices. Ideas like this are sure
to get people to reflect on their ideas concerning natural resources. We hope Stittgen succeeds in
getting this series mass produced. In the meantime, his concepts are sure to create a buzz around
any brand bold enough to collaborate with him.
Blood Related by Basse Stittgen

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4.HABITUAL
HIJACKING
Overwhelmed by life in the fastlane, homebodies are reinventing ceremonies and coming up with
short-cuts that put the extra in extraordinary. Whether in-home or on the go, this trend is all about
practical hacks that deliver on functionality without compromising on taste.
While many products already cater to the urban
nomads on the go, there is still room to tap into
the new needs that are rising as consumers
reinvent the role of their homes in this mobile age.
This trend is not only on the rise amongst families,
who are always racing against the clock, but also
amongst Millennials. This restless generation first
invented the term FOMO (fear of missing out). Yet,
now they seem weary of keeping up appearances
in the perfectly curated fast lane. Hence the shift
from FOMO to JOMO (joy of missing out).
Keep in mind that staying in is not necessarily
synonymous with being passive. For example, the
Danish trend “hygge” has grown into a world wide
trend the past few years. This indicates a collective
need for a sense of belonging. Across the
globe a new cohort of homebodies are creating
homespun cosiness, dressing up to stay in and
ordering luxurious home delivery services. Casual
gatherings around finger foods and all sorts of
new drinks are becoming more elaborate while
traditional 3 meals a day are shrinking.
Aspirational on- demand platforms support this
lifestyle with deluxe food services and a diversity
of D.I.Y. products. They provide consumers with
a sense of agency and control to create a little
magic on their terms, without necessarily breaking
their budget. If opting to stay in is becoming a new
status symbol then surely this new behaviour has
to be leveraged.
What kind of smart hacks are you offering the new
cohort of ‘practical idealists’ on the home front?

13. 24 25
“Life would be so dull without
the occasional cheat day. I
love the #BeYourOwnHealer,
because I’m always on the
lookout for ways to biohack
my own system, without
having to go to the doctor.
Sam, 25, Berlin

14. 26 27
Impossible Food started with the question: What if we could make meat better? Their approach:
understanding exactly what people love about meat, dairy and fish and then exploring the plant world
for specific ingredients that recreate those experiences- the flavor, the texture, the juicy sizzle. With
burger pictures that look exactly like real beef and by positioning their product as ‘burger’ instead of
‘veggie burger’, they succeeded in targeting the real meat lovers.
With this alternative it is okay for meat eaters to cheat on beef. This april Burger King even started
selling an Impossible Food Whopper that promises to taste and look exactly like the original
Burger Whopper.
Case: Meat cheaters
Impossible Foods
Recess is a sparkling water drink infused with hemp extract and adaptogen. Both are natural
ingredients that reduce stress and help to achieve a balanced state of mind. Recess is a perfect
example of a product that condoles with the desires of Millennial consumers.
The website, product and social media all read ‘Cool, calm, collected’ with entertaining examples that
emphasize on our hectic lifestyle. The design is chick and luxurious, their Instagram fun and cool and
their community is one we’d love to be apart of.
Case: Not tired. Not Wired.
Recess
Recess

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CONSIDER
Wondering how your brand can leverage these changes? We’ve got your back. Fitzroy believes in the
show don’t tell principle, so we’ll go ahead and share how we’ve tapped into these changes to help
our clients stay relevant. Here’s 4 applications for you to consider.
“I’d rather eat seasonal strawberries and know where they
come from than an avocado from the other side of the
world.”
Dean, 35, Rotterdam

16. 30 31
In our latest phygital campaign for Doritos we put blue tongues in the spotlight. The aim of the
campaign was to draw attention to the new Roulette Blue product, featuring super spicy chips that
make tongues go blue.
First, social media hints at a conspiracy amongst influencers who have been spotted with a blue
tongue. Additionally, the blue tongue effect and the extremely spicy Dorito’s cause multisensory
experiences and hilarious scenarios IRL. With this campaign we played with the idea of “unbranded
branded content” and made the blue tong part of the daily conversation between influencers and
their supporters.
1. Turn phygital experiences into
online conversations
2. Reconnect people with their
inner animal
The Kornuit JAJEM beer has a slightly sweet, fresh taste and contains 5.9% alcohol. It’s the ideal
session drink during parties, festivals and on a terrace in the sun.
Leveraging what we know about information overload - and how important it is to filter rather than
flood - we decided to literally filter out visual noise by creating a can that comes into its own only
when everything else has been blacked out. How?
The invisible UV ink that glows in black-light (UV lighting) makes this striking can a real eye catcher.
The feedback we received at the launch says it all: “It instantly reminds me of the sweaty, loud dance
floors at festivals.” To all the Millennials hitting the festivals this summer, you’re welcome.

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3. Feed ethical appetites but
don’t be a buzzkill
Our sustainable Fitzroy navy rum is our important message in a bottle, packaged in a way that is
true to who we are and how we work. The story goes something like this: When Coca-Cola bottle
wrappers washed up on the shores of Holland, Fitzroy immediately saw the opportunity to get
wasted, in a highly altruistic way. The plastic waste was collected and melted into beautiful bottles
caps with a sophisticated marble look.
From the same beaches, glass was sourced to create the sustainable bottles. Furthermore, Fitzroy
decided to wrap the bottle instead of branding it, making it even more desirable for drinkers to
repurpose the flask once the bottle is inevitable empty. So, there you have it; from waste to wasted -
cleaning up the oceans one sip at a time. Read the full story about our navy rum here.
4. Piggyback on consumer
behaviour with habitual hijacking
How your product can integrate into the everyday lives of consumers? By seamlessly offering benefits
without changing behaviour.
Based on the insight that there were no actual breakfast cookbooks out there to inspire breakfast
time, we decided to fill that gap for Quaker breakfast porridge. Together with influencers, we collected
recipes from real breakfast lovers on Instagram. We then launched the Quaker Breakfast Book, which
features 70 inspiring recipes and all sorts of creative hacks for true breakfast enthusiasts.
While drawing inspiration online, this case ultimately succeeded in “hacking” into a habitual moment
in peoples homes. People loved the little practical hacks that helped elevate everyday routine. Oh,
and the book sold out within 4 days.

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TAKEOUT
The innovations that consumers embrace anno 2020, tick one or more of these boxes: Made for
phygital, ethical and with clear purpose, appeals to multiple senses, and provides practical hacks
that benefit convenience and health. If this checklist aligns with your current innovation pipeline, then
you’ve probably invested great effort to grasp the spirit of the times. If not, then perhaps it’s time to
open up the dialogue with your brand savvy customers. Trust us, they are more willing than ever to
collaborate, if you involve them in the right way.
Keep in mind that consumers are paralyzed by the amount of content that they have to digest daily.
On a mission to lead frictionless and clutter-free lives, they are looking for brands that filter rather
than flood and that engage rather than interrupt. Interaction and co-creation are essential tools for
marketers, who want to help consumers navigate through the clutter.
Want to adapt to change?
We hope you enjoyed this little taster. Needless to say, there is much more to consider in the world
of food and drinks. We offer 4 new services that can help you unlock the potential of these changes:
Bespoke trend presentations, market scans, co-creation sessions and validation. Get in touch with
the zeitgeist.
Get in touch with pernille@fitzroy.nl to learn more about how we can tap into relevant changes for
your brand.

19. www.fitzroy.nl
Disclaimer: The content contained in this white paper is provided solely for general information and is not to be shared with third parties. Fitzroy does not
own the rights to the images in the case studies, other than our own cases. All other images have been sourced from Unsplash.