American Code for Food:Fuel

Rapaille's findings show that Americans see food as a way of replenishing our bodies. He finds that the code for food is fuel. In the text he states "Americans regard their bodies as machines. Our machines have functions to perform and we need to keep them working"( Rapaille, 146).  In the text, the  majority of entries from Rapaille's surveys mention their experience of food having the function of  keeping them going. In multiple ads I saw that the call to action was to fuel your body for some type of event. The code was especially apparent for breakfast advertisements and healthier choice foods.

This is an ad for wheaties newer "Fuel" line of moring cereal. The code is used directly as the product name. The cereal is targeting athletes and active consumers who want a meal that can give them the needed energy to perform their energetic task.

Snickers used the code for their super bowl ad in 2010. The ad features active young people playing a weekend pick up game of tackle football. Betty White the only elderly player on the field is incapable of keeping up and dragging. The other players give her a snickers to refuel her and after eating White is transformed back into the players true identity a young energetic guy.

Jimmy Deans breakfast sandwich commercial uses the code for food in this spot to show that not eating will leave you tired and and lacking enegy. The cloud character is "low" and needs to eat food to be productive and rise up. The ending dialog directly addresses the code by telling the consumer to  "fuel your great days"