Are marketing labels intentionally deceptive?

Decaf, dairy-free, sugar-free, nicotine-free and non-alcoholic all fall under this umbrella.

Chemically, it doesn't matter to the customer whether these altered compositions have the same effect as the products they originate from. What they care about, like any consumer, is that they're having something called "coffee".

It's the name that matters, rather than the nature or make-up of the "lite" product itself.

What's in a name?

This extends beyond material products. It includes cultural products, too, that perhaps have no culture other than the name we know them by.

However, before we delve into this distinction, it's worth asking: What drives consumers to buy lite goods, even when they are aware of their dishonesty, and even though they often come at a higher price point than "regular" products?

The answer is usually religious, moral or health reasons. Although this answer seems convincing in some cases, it does not apply to everything: What health advantages do you think there are in drinking Cola Lite, for instance? Do the perceived benefits truly outweigh all else?

Ultimately, it seems that "lite" products help consumers feel like they are not being deprived.

As long as society is able to create new forms of goods through the right advertising, it will be able to meet the "desires" of the consumer. Here, any person has the right to access all names, just like everyone else, and should be allowed to drink soda and beer, eat jam or smoke a cigarette, in one way or another.

It's as if the "lite" label creates a kind of "consumer justice" under which everyone is equal. Perhaps not equal before the products themselves, but before their names, and that's what matters.

A sensory experience

In today's age, cultural products are characterised by the dominance of "image-mediated social relations." In simple terms: appearance is everything, and it impacts how we relate to one another and to the world.

Instead of experiencing things in their actual form, we encounter them through representations and images. Every aspect of human life becomes a spectacle. Tangible reality is overshadowed by a collection of surreal images that go beyond mere social embellishments.

These images become the primary means of defining and portraying life, emphasising the sensory experience above everything. Consequently, the significance of things is replaced by the power that is held within their names.

The cultural product, of course, mirrors its physical counterpart. Its target audience is not individuals with specific desires and moral needs, but rather the "masses" seeking ways to occupy their free time. Its purpose is not to uphold cultural well-being or transmit enduring values across generations.

Instead, it focuses on promoting "lite" products, disseminating what is considered socially acceptable or culturally popular, and establishing household names that give the illusion of accessible knowledge, thought, and creativity for all.

This leads to a saturated cultural market that caters to consumers' appetites and allows them to get closer, perhaps, to a world of intellectuals, writers, and celebrities.

It offers them access to all products, presenting them as easily attainable, even if, at the end of the day, individuals are content to engage solely with their images and names.