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E Z I S BITE

Let Them Have Cake Brands giving us guilt-free indulgence as a balm in an era of restraint.

February 2025

Let Them Have Cake

That old adage ‘less is more’ has reigned supreme for far too long.

From Kate Moss to the Atkins diet, ‘clean girl’ to ‘75 Hard,’ the morality of discipline has been drilled into us all for years. And with the rise of Ozempic, the focus on restraint has only been turned up into a higher gear.

But in today’s challenging social, economic, and political times, we’re rediscovering a need for familiar comforts (and a little self-forgiveness).

Maybe there is a way to find a more sustainable balance between treating and temperance.

The desire to look good and all that requires is never going to go away, but taking a moment for pleasure can be a balm in complex times.

There are big opportunities for brands who aren’t afraid of a bit of excess and as the design agency for pleasure brands, we’re excited to see indulgence swinging back into style.

Let Them Have Cake

Olive Oil: Single & Fat As House & Garden magazine posits that olive oil is on its way to replacing a bottle of wine as the best gift for dinner party hosts, we’re entering a new golden era for liquid gold.

While many olive oil brands are trading on their product’s provenance or organic credentials, for Single & Fat the joy is in the name; single batch fatty oil, made for dousing not drizzling.

With a bold label flipping the narrative on millennial pink from curated restraint to joyful excess, and an industrial tin pack, the serving suggestion is clear: lots, often.

Let Them Have Cake

Chocolate: Fatso

While there is a place for the likes of bark THINS, McVities Digestive Thins, and Oreo Thins (notice a theme?), chunkier chocolate is having a moment too.

Yes, the chunks themselves are getting increasingly sizeable, but so are the number and variety of the inclusions - pretzels, nuts, nougat and more are all being packed in.

No brand embodies this spirit more than Fatso. With their fully loaded, chunky bars and retro inspired illustrated packs, Fatso is throwing out the restrained codes of premium chocolate and making something much more delicious.

Let Them Have Cake

Butter: All Things Butter Butter is pretty neat. A scrape of good butter on a slice of bread few things are better. And yet we’ve been letting poor substitutes into our homes for years. And if buying real butter, how many of us will just pick the basic private label option?

All Things Butter thinks it’s time

we treated ourselves better (butter?). Celebrating the British farming tradition, but not beholden to the status quo, All Things Butter’s range of flavours are looking to zhuzh up everyday cooking. And with their characterful packaging, there’s no way butter will be an afterthought again.

Let Them Have Cake

Soda: Swig Clearly our tastebuds are hankering for more, and it goes beyond simply full fat - we’re looking for full flavour, the weirder the better.

Think Dua Lipa’s Coke and pickle juice cocktail, McDonald’s new ‘Rogue Dip’ campaign, or even the viral (reportedly actually very tasty) Kraft Mac & Cheese ice cream.

Capitalising on our experimental era is soda-fountain chain Swig, who expanded their locations by 25% in the second half of 2024, driven by their focus on ‘Dirty Sodas’. Combining classic soft-drinks with cream, flavoured syrups, and a variety of add-ins like sweets or ice cream creates a saccharine concoction more like a dessert than a drink, served in a large cup emblazoned with a distinctive red logo. The sugar crash might even be worth it.

Let Them Have Cake

Ultimate Indulgence: Coop’s Original Hot Fudge Little is more indulgent than a big scoop of ice cream. Sweet and smooth, so frequently eaten by the tub rather than the bowl that low-cal ice creams now cater to that desire specifically.

But even by the gallon, the lighter versions don’t quite scratch the itch right; sometimes only the real deal will do.

Born in an ice cream parlour, hot fudge brand Coop’s knows that real ice cream needs toppings that do it justice. Thick and rich and made for drizzling, with a jar that perfectly describes exactly what’s inside. From the nostalgic, drizzled logo type to the unique drippy lid, this is indulgence to the max.

There’s never been a better time to be a pleasure brand.

If you’re ready to take advantage of the zeitgeist and show consumers exactly what they’ve been missing, we want to work with your brand.

Contact Andrew Mitchell, Growth Director

Andrew Mitchell andrew.mitchell@missouri-creative.com missouri-creative.com/clients