“K.I.S.S.”
- It’s time to go left field rather than safety-first
- “Fashion or for keeps?”
- “New year and new possibilities”
- “What is in a name?”
- “The art of shopping”
No one places as much store by a fortuitous acronym than those toiling in the creative departments of advertising agencies. Nothing convinces a client like a handful of carefully chosen words that have been transformed into a neat sales aid
K.I.S.S. is a particular favourite and is exceptional in that it makes some sense. Many earnest creative directors stress its importance to young copywriters and art directors. But ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid’ shouldn’t be the sole preserve of marketeers in Ad Land, it should be part of the DNA of every shop, deli and New Product Development Department.
In a world that pays much too much lip service to new products simply because they are new, the idea that there are advantages to keeping things single-minded is a welcome blast of fresh air. For example, look at what the street food folk have done with the humble cheese toastie. At outfits like the Cheese Truck and the Kappacasein stall at Borough Market, they sell cheese toasties that touch a chord with even the most quality obsessed foodie. How about Keen’s Cheddar, Ogleshield & Onion Mix (£4.50) or Cropwell Bishop Stilton, Bacon & Pear Chutney (£5.50), both from the Cheese Truck. Meanwhile, Kappacasein has been refining its cheese toasties for over a decade. Poilaine bread, Montgomery’s Cheddar, Ogleshield, Comté; some say Kappacasein has worked out the perfect combination of cheeses to deliver the ultimate in flavour, aroma and texture. Which is why you’ll have to join a queue to sample an epic cheese toastie. The old kitchen principle of starting with the very best ingredients and not spoiling them too much holds good, but keeping the cheese sandwich simple doesn’t mean that it cannot be sophisticated.
All too many chefs, and sadly all too many home cooks, think that the route to success starts with a complicated dish. A ‘grandstand dish with numerous elements scattered across the plate flanked by blobs, smears and implausible garnishes. It is said of Albert Roux that in his heyday at Le Gavroche, whenever he had to assess someone who wanted to work in the kitchens he would wait until the end of their trial shift and then ask them to fry him an egg. A tough call, and one where K.I.S.S. would resonate. No salt on the yolk (it leaves a white mark); white pepper on the egg’s white rather than those flecks of black; no browning of the egg white frills; just the right amount of those frills (dependent on the temperature of the pan); must use a fresh egg. Cooking the perfect fried egg to M. Roux’s liking was a formidable challenge, and the apparent simplicity of the task conveniently overlooks the minutiae. God may be in the details, but he also commends simplicity.
The strength of K.I.S.S. isn’t only a question of simplifying each plateful; man cannot live by cheese toastie alone. All well-made products should have a simplicity that makes them accessible. They are also likely to have simple packaging and honest pricing. But in that first important moment when the customer asks about a particular item, having a simple response is key. At one time, not so very long ago, the idea of paying £5.50 for a cheese sandwich would have sent a shiver down even the bravest spine, but now, (at least in London’s Borough Market), that’s a fair price, and there’s ongoing communication between buyer and seller that emphasises the value. Keep it simple if you can… it’s stupid not to.
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