Advertisers and audiences are hungry for international fare. Here’s how to incorporate clickable cuisine into your campaigns.
Shutterstock’s 2022 Creative Trends report has identified six big-trending categories for imagery and video this year. “International cuisine” is one of them.
While our cravings and palettes may change on the daily, data can tell us what foods audiences are craving—or at least clicking on—consistently.
Artificial intelligence has studied it all, from fusion cuisine (Tex-Mex, for example) to classic dishes that have migrated and evolved over the centuries (hello, pizza).
By analyzing patterns in engagement data, Shutterstock.AI has identified which exact foods are a hit with advertising audiences right now.
So, which dishes should fill your prop plates? What crave-able cuisines are driving more clicks? The answers lie in data.
Consider Including Some Clickable Carbs
Carbohydrate-heavy dishes literally release happy chemicals in our brains, so it’s no wonder famished folks and advertising audiences both like them so much.
When looking at which carbohydrates have click-through rates (CTRs) that are trending up today, one carb stands out above the rest—rice.
Its clickability has risen 60% over the last two years, and its CTR is higher than any other carb measured.
There are thousands of rice-based dishes you can choose for your photos. Images via Ryzhkov Photography, Aleks Images, Fanfo, thaweerat, Matthew Yoder, and Kolombo Castro.
Beyond this classic base for several international dishes, noodles are also clickable. Their CTR has risen 31% over the same time period.
Images via gontabunta, YesPhotographers, Vivucamera, gontabunta, and Supachai Rattanarueangdech.
Another international favorite that’s trending up in clickability are dumplings. The CTR of dumpling imagery has risen 135% over the last two years.
There are seemingly endless variations on the dumpling, across each continent. This means that there are also endless opportunities for creative food curation when including dumplings in your ads.
The whole world agrees: Dumplings are delicious. Images via Indianstyle, Arkadiusz Fajer, kobbymendez, JenJ_Payless, and PAPA WOR.
There are several other stand-outs when it comes to clickable carbohydrates. Since 2020, the short list of the most engaging foods in this category include:
- Pretzels (CTR up 155%)
- Pizza (CTR up 145%)
- Bagels (CTR up 49%)
- Tortillas (CTR up 13%)
- Cupcakes (CTR up 710%)
Cupcakes are 150% more clickable than regular cakes. Images via Guajillo studio, Cabeca de Marmore, ovalagncy, Kzenon, and aastock.
The Most-Clickable Meat Comes from the Sea
Recently, AI told us that shrimp is one of the most clickable pizza toppings. Opinions on that aside, shrimp is also today’s most-clickable protein.
In fact, the CTR of shrimp in advertising has risen 290% over the last two years. Crab comes in second place, meaning that today’s most clickable meats come from the sea.
In terms of clickability, shrimp and crab are quite a catch! Images via Inizio, Kateryna Sednieva, Shaiith, KoBoZaa, and eryvall.
Outside of seafood, we see a variety of meat and plant-based proteins trending. Starting with meat, turkey is the most-clickable animal-based protein. Its CTR has risen 29% over the last two years.
Steak is also popular with audiences. It’s 4% more clickable than pork and 27% more clickable than chicken.
Turkey and steak are today’s favorites. Images via siamionau pavel, Maxim Khytra, Ekaterina Markelova, and Brent Hofacker.
As plant-based diets increase in popularity, so too have some plant-based proteins. Nuts have seen their CTR rise 69% over the last year.
In the dairy space, yogurt has seen its CTR rise 35% over the same time.
Protein-packed meals don’t have to be meat-based. Images via Foxys Forest Manufacture, Vladislav Noseek, richchy, Nelli Syrotynska, and StockImageFactory.com.
Favorite Fruits Are of Berry and Tropical Varieties
Strawberries have been an audience favorite for a while now, and advertising data tells us this trend isn’t going away anytime soon. Strawberries still hold this spot as the most-clickable fruit, with a CTR that’s risen 290% over the last two years.
Just behind strawberries, in terms of clickability, come pears and lemons. Images via Benita Kuszpit, Anna Shepulova, Lunov Mykola, Ekaterina Kondratova, KarepaStock, David Tadevosian, and beeboys.
Perhaps it’s because we’re all dreaming of a tropical getaway during the winter months, but tropical fruits are another big trend.
Over the last two years, the following fruits have seen their CTRs rise:
- Pineapples (up 42%)
- Coconuts (up 87%)
- Mangoes (up 117%)
Audiences like sweet treats with a tropical flare. Images via udra11, Liv friis-larsen, Abramova Elena, Aleksandar Todorovic, keadtisuk poonyaprayour, pada smith, Lesya Dolyuk, and Anna_Pustynnikova.
Set a Successful Table with the Right Accessories
Beyond food, data says there are specific meals, place settings, and props that increase an ad’s CTR.
First off, when it comes to meals, breakfast reigns supreme in advertising. We’ve long known breakfast as “the most important meal of the day,” and data tells us that it’s the most engaging meal in the marketing world.
Out of all daily meals and snacks, images of breakfast have had the highest CTR over the last year.
Beautiful breakfast is beloved around the world. Images via Yulia Grigoryeva, Suwit Rattiwan, Martha Graham, Monkey Business Images, and Triteleia.
When it comes to setting the table, AI tells us that knives are the most-clickable utensil. Their CTR has risen 69% over the last two years.
Napkins are also incredibly clickable accessories, with a CTR that’s risen 103% since last year.
Spoons are the second most-clickable utensil . . . but knives still have a 31% higher click-through rate. Images via Iryna Gyrych, Rawpixel.com, Sveta Y, and Africa Studio.
And finally, when it comes to drinks, milkshakes reign supreme. They have the highest CTR of all drinks measured, and their CTR has risen 229% in two years.
Beyond this sweet treat, data indicates that juice and cocktails are equally engaging. If you want to feature drinks that are either healthy or hardy, AI says to go for those.
Cheers to your next, new, clickable campaign! Images via YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV, aslysun, Anna Hoychuk, Jacob Lund, and Anna Mente.
Cover image via Pixel-Shot.
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