Fresh from the tree: Implied motion improves food evaluation

• The link between product movement and freshness increases the appeal of products.
• Depictions of food with implied motion lead to enhanced evaluations of food.
• This can help promote healthier food choices by increasing its appeal via implied motion.

The current research explores whether the often-used depiction of foods in motion both on packaging and in marketing campaigns helps improve consumer judgments of food products. In two studies, we show that depictions of food with implied motion lead to enhanced evaluations of both freshness and appeal. This occurs even when motion is merely implied, rather than actual. These findings shed light on the common practice of showing motion in food advertising and in food packaging design. We argue that this phenomenon may relate to an overextension of a primitive link between motion and freshness. This feature can be used to help promote healthier food choices and consumption by increasing their appeal via implied motion.