Focus group day. And the absolute nightmare scenario for anyone who works in NPD: “I’m sorry, but that’s rank.”
Maria works in R&D for a confectionery company and has “dreamt up a fresh take” on its beloved HuckleBuck bar brand: a sweet and salty miso jam filling.
Umami in a chocolate treat? As one focus group participant in Bête Noire, the second episode of the latest Black Mirror series (Netflix, available now), puts it: “Why? Why would you do that?”
Months of work down the drain. Until a focus group latecomer – recognised by Maria through the two-way mirror as long-forgotten classmate Verity – suggests the second bite is “10 times better”.
And the group agrees: “I like the saltiness” says one. “It really complements the chocolate.” What a turnaround.
Verity soon gets a job with the company, as Maria’s grip on reality begins to crumble.
Those who work in product development might recognise many elements in Bête Noire’s portrayal: the frustration of colleagues saying marshmallow when they mean mallow, an extended discussion on non-pork gelatine vs carrageenan, and the stress ahead of a CEO visit.
And hopefully a lot they won’t recognise, like Maria’s breakdown. There is some humour in the madness: an office argument explodes over who drank all the almond milk, in the context of the mass delusion – or is it? – over the existence of nut allergies.
A cracking episode that’s more psychological drama than typical Black Mirror dystopia.
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