FIESTA WARE

The power of choice. Improving one's day by choosing a particular color of Fiesta dinnerware to use is admittedly an assertion of minimal power limited only to the sphere of the domestic. Yet, from consumer or economic theories to psychology, sociology or even public policy, the beneficial values of autonomy and self-determination remain undisputed; the concepts of control and intrinsic motivation are seen as essential for individuals’ psychological and even physiological well being.

I happen to like Fiesta ware but I might be advocating its use because I emotionally connect its bold color and design to happier days of childhood. Manufacturers are well aware that consumers bond with the products of their youth, hence the immense amount of advertising dollars spent marketing to a younger demographic. Nostalgia sells products.

Sheila Tucker knows this. Her popular website Hometown Favorites carries hundreds of products to satisfy the cravings of childhood nationwide.

According to the NY Times, regional companies are also beginning to cater to the demands of consumers trying to track down items no longer on the shelves at their local supermarkets. "Unable to find their favorite foods anymore in the big box stores, consumers are desperate, admits Richard Bella Barba, the president of the company Taste of Philadelphia. "Business has tripled since we hit the Internet in 1977."

"And then there is Tastykake, the Philadelphia-area line of Hostess-style baked goods. ''Someone took it upon themselves to call Philadelphia International Airport and do a report on the X-ray machines,'' said Kathy Grim, the director of corporate and community relations for the manufacturer. ''They asked, 'What do people take with them most?' And the answer was Tastykake.''

And so I wonder about my Fiesta ware video manifesto. Am I guilty of nostalgically spreading brand propaganda while mistakenly thinking I was sharing a love for color?