The Autumn Takeover
The second September hits, pumpkin spice becomes unavoidable. Lattes, candles, cereals, pretzels, potato chips, even dog treats (please don’t subject your dogs to this nonsense), pumpkin spice has infiltrated every aisle of the grocery store. And while marketers would have us believe it’s the essence of fall, let’s be honest: pumpkin spice isn’t festive. It’s lazy marketing.
Here’s the truth. It’s all by association. When Fall comes around, three things should immediately come to mind. Ready?
- Leaves
- Halloween
- Pumpkins
We associate Pumpkins with Fall/Autumn: the color, activities, and, in some cases, the flavor/scent. This makes it easy for companies, no matter if they are food, perfume, or candle companies, to market towards the common folk. We want to bring in the new season, and companies shove “Pumpkin Spice” into everything because they know that we welcome the Fall season with…you got it, pumpkins.
Flavor of Fall or Flavor of FOMO(Fear Of Missing Out)?
Pumpkin spice isn’t even pumpkin. Sorry to break it to you, pumpkin spice lovers. It’s a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and sometimes ginger, basically the supporting cast of apple pie. But slap “pumpkin spice” on the label, and suddenly it’s limited-edition magic. The urgency is fake, the flavor recycled, and the nostalgia hijacked.
Trend setters, social media bloggers, vloggers, and everyone out there trying to make money do not want to be left out of this limited-time “flavor”. So, they hop on the bandwagon and suddenly, pumpkin spice is everywhere once again.
Seasonal Shortcut
Fall is rich with flavors worth celebrating: roasted apples, mulled cider, maple, pecan, caramel. Yet most brands skip right past those and take the shortcut: pumpkin spice everything. It’s not about celebrating autumn, it’s about exploiting it.
Sure, there are candles and scented pinecones with the scent of “Apple Cinnamon”, but nowadays everything is pumpkin spice. Why not celebrate with apple cinnamon, maple, or caramel pecan? They’re just as much a part of Autumn as pumpkins are.
Pumpkin spice is the lowest common denominator of seasonal marketing. Easy, cheap, guaranteed to sell. And consumers keep falling for it.
The Cult of Pumpkin Spice
It’s not just food. Pumpkin spice has become an aesthetic. Social media feeds are flooded with it: cozy sweaters, orange leaves, a latte in hand. It’s less about flavor and more about signaling “I’m participating in fall.” Pumpkin spice isn’t just a taste anymore. It’s a cultural costume.
Final Thought
Pumpkin spice isn’t evil; it’s tasty, comforting, and nostalgic. But let’s stop pretending it’s festive. It’s not the soul of autumn, it’s the mascot of lazy marketing. Fall deserves better than the same recycled flavor shoved into every product.
So maybe this year, skip the pumpkin spice potato chips and go rake a pile of leaves(and jump in it). That’s the kind of fall flavor you won’t find on a store shelf.
