In Defence of the Harrod's Pot Noodle: A Guest Post by Emma Gold
Harrods and Pot Noodle have gotten together to create the Harrod's 'Poulet et Champinon'. All the proceedings of the £30 snack will go to the charity 'Action Ag
ainst Hunger'.
I've heard a few people's unthought-out response of 'Urrgh, that's so stupid, rant rant rant The Government rant rant rant', but I think it's an extremely clever piece of design.
In design, you have a 'value perception spectrum', with one-use plastic disposable stuff that is cheap and cheerful (or cheap and nasty depending on your perspective) including brands such as Aldi on one end; and the other end being items of very high value, including brands such as Harrods.
Combining the two is an an instant 'WTF' for most people, but I think it's wonderful to take a concept like Pot Noodle (which used to market itself as 'The Slag of Snacks') and make it absurdly posh. You are getting some rather expensive stuff for your £30 - the ceramic pot it comes in is hand-finished with Gold Leaf and - I think - an expensive green velour. It also comes with a cloth napkin and a metal fork. Combining two completely contradictory design ideas into one product is unique and innovative, and I'd buy one of these as a collector's item.
Only a hundred have been made, so I will probably not have a chance to get my hands on one. :(
Nevertheless, I salute both Harrods and Unilever (the blokes wot make Pot Noodle) for getting together and doing this. It won't raise too much money - if all 100 sell, that's £3,000, so that my guess is that it's only about £800 profit, plus admin fees and all that bollocks). I hope more people will do wacky things like this as well as go skiing under water and clipping pegs on their faces and all other manner of activities in the name of A Good Cause.
Emma Gold
ainst Hunger'.I've heard a few people's unthought-out response of 'Urrgh, that's so stupid, rant rant rant The Government rant rant rant', but I think it's an extremely clever piece of design.
In design, you have a 'value perception spectrum', with one-use plastic disposable stuff that is cheap and cheerful (or cheap and nasty depending on your perspective) including brands such as Aldi on one end; and the other end being items of very high value, including brands such as Harrods.
Combining the two is an an instant 'WTF' for most people, but I think it's wonderful to take a concept like Pot Noodle (which used to market itself as 'The Slag of Snacks') and make it absurdly posh. You are getting some rather expensive stuff for your £30 - the ceramic pot it comes in is hand-finished with Gold Leaf and - I think - an expensive green velour. It also comes with a cloth napkin and a metal fork. Combining two completely contradictory design ideas into one product is unique and innovative, and I'd buy one of these as a collector's item.
Only a hundred have been made, so I will probably not have a chance to get my hands on one. :(
Nevertheless, I salute both Harrods and Unilever (the blokes wot make Pot Noodle) for getting together and doing this. It won't raise too much money - if all 100 sell, that's £3,000, so that my guess is that it's only about £800 profit, plus admin fees and all that bollocks). I hope more people will do wacky things like this as well as go skiing under water and clipping pegs on their faces and all other manner of activities in the name of A Good Cause.
Emma Gold
