Double Bag It

We all rely on something to feel that surge of dopamine or numb ourselves during difficult times. Diving deep into an American culture founded on epidemics – pharmaceuticals, consumerism, psychological manipulation, contaminated childhoods – candy and packaged snack food is a canonical American symbol of consumption. The iconic UTZ girl (an American snack food icon) is the ultimate symbol of infinite consumption; her hand always in the bag, alluding to appetites that can never be satiated. The fact that the UTZ mascot is a child begs the question: who is the advertisement really targeting? Whatever one’s opinions on capitalism or the current obesity and prescription drug epidemics are, these topics are polemic and provocative.