When Labels Changed Taste
Rea,
Do we like things because we truly enjoy them, or because of what the label tells us to expect? This question might seem strange at first. After all, you know what you like, right? But the truth about how our minds work is more complicated - and more magical - than most people realize.
Our brains are constantly making predictions about the world. When you see a fancy package or a popular brand, your brain immediately starts telling you what to expect inside. These expectations are so powerful they can actually change what you experience, even when nothing else has changed.
Back in 1975, the Pepsi company decided to test this idea with something called “The Pepsi Challenge.” They set up tables in shopping malls across America and asked people to try two unmarked cups of soda and pick their favorite. For decades, Coca-Cola had been America’s favorite soda, and people were absolutely certain they could tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi.
When the labels disappeared, something unexpected happened. About 57% of dedicated Coca-Cola drinkers actually preferred Pepsi in the blind test. Without seeing the familiar red Coca-Cola logo, their taste buds made a completely different choice.
Coca-Cola executives were so worried by these results that in 1985, they changed their 99-year-old secret formula to make “New Coke” taste more like Pepsi. It was one of the biggest business mistakes in history. Loyal customers were outraged - they wanted their old Coke back, even though they had preferred Pepsi’s taste in blind tests!
Scientists later studied this puzzle using brain scans. When people knew they were drinking Coca-Cola, different parts of their brains lit up compared to when they drank the exact same soda from an unmarked cup. The label wasn’t just changing their opinion - it was literally changing how their brain processed the taste.
This discovery went far beyond sodas. Researchers found the same effect with books, music, art, and even medicine. What you see on the packaging tells your brain what to expect inside, and those expectations color everything that follows. It’s like wearing invisible glasses that change how the world looks, except we don’t realize we’re wearing them. The most powerful part? Once you know these filters exist, you can sometimes take them off and see things as they really are.
Love, Abba
P.S. Maybe we could do a hidden taste test with sushi from all of your favorite places and see if you can spot the difference?
