The little souvenir looks very attractive
In its pretty blue packaged box
Cunningly displayed in the airport departure lounge
The design is one unified package, the box and souvenir making up the whole
Tempting one to buy it (as it was always designed to do)
As a memento.
Problem: When you take it back to your room
And come to pack it again
You don’t have room to put THE WHOLE PACKAGE in your luggage –
The box takes up valuable space
Which you can’t afford.
When you take the souvenir out of the box
It is greatly diminished in effect
It doesn’t look as good
It is still a good central core design, attractive standing alone
But NOT as good as THE WHOLE PACKAGE.
In frustration,desperation and disgust
You throw away the useless box
And accept that needs must.
In the last resort, when push comes to shove,
Something has to go.
You wrap the souvenir in plain newspaper
And fit it into your tightly packed bag.
So when you reach home
You display a souvenir which brings back memories
And it looks nice
But not as you remembered it when you first saw it.
Not what originally attracted you to it.
And you feel slightly taken in – but by what?
By clever marketing and display techniques?
Or by my own selfish desire as a tourist?
But whatever – it is NOT THE WHOLE PACKAGE.
C. Tim Taylor 2012