French Fry Diary 701: Trader Joe's Ode to the Classic Potato Chip

Okay, I confess. I'm a victim of semi-clever marketing. The new issue of Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer arrived the other day, thankfully a booklet again rather than the ugly and unwieldy folded one-sheet it was for a while. On the front page, a ten ounce bag for only $1.99, was Trader Joe's Ode to the Classic Potato Chip potato chips.

Waxing poetic, like a J. Peterman catalog entry, the chips are described as plain and simple classic chips, made from chipping potatoes, sunflower oil, and salt. The ad
words maintain that if one remembers traditional potato chips from their childhood, these are those chips. Yeah, I fell for it. I couldn't wait to open them and see if I'd been tricked or not. I had my fingers crossed, but sadly it didn't help.

There was nothing really special about these chips other than the ad copy. They were neither spectacular nor nostalgic, and if I'm being honest, they were more than a little greasy. These were just okay potato chips, and I am just a sucker as a consumer. I'll remember not to fall for this trick again.