Minis!

As a culture, we tend to be drawn to things that are miniaturized. Once we become acquainted with the regular size of any certain item, we like it even better when it is released in a newer, much smaller form. Food is one huge genre of items we like to see shrunken down; it started with individual, "fun size" bags of candy, which progressed into the empire of M&M's Minis, tiny Ritz crackers, mini muffins, and the infamous 100 Calorie snack pack. The 100 Calorie pack has gone above and beyond making little bitty chips, pretzels, cookies, and crackers, and they are a hit. Let's not forget the Mini Cooper-a great automobile, compressed to take up only half a parking spot. Another thing we love to see minis of are pets; who doesn't love any dog breed that begins with "miniature...,"mini horses, or dwarf hamsters. Yet another area we miniaturize are toiletries; travellers love to buy baby sized toothpaste, shampoo, and shaving cream. I have even been given a set of mini office supplies once as a gift; it was from my grandparents, and next year I just asked for the fifteen dollar check. My set included a little stapler, bite sized highlighters, and a foldable ruler that must have been used by ants. The funny thing about mini products, is that usually they cost more than a normal sized version. Why does a dollop of toothpaste cost almost as much as the entire tube? Is it because you are paying for convenience? Or are we just paying for the appeal of a cuter, smaller product? Recently, Burger King re-launched its mini burgers, which they introduced first in 1987. The first commercial is more about the fun aspect of having multiple, little burgers, rather than the sheer cuteness of the food. However, the latest commercial (not yet available on YouTube) definitely focuses on the cuteness of the minis, as practically the whole commercial is a bunch of girls gawking over the little bitty burgers.