How to present insect images on packaging? The impact of aesthetic design on the acceptance of insect food

Although entomophagy has gained increasing attention over the last years, low consumer acceptance remains a significant barrier to the promotion. Consumers frequently rely on food images on packaging to guide their food judgments and purchase decisions. However, the role of the presentation style of insect images on packaging has received limited attention. This study addresses this issue by investigating how the classical aesthetic presentation of insect images on packaging increases the acceptance of insect food through three experiments. The results indicate that high classical aesthetic presentation of insect images on packaging can increase consumers' purchase intentions for insect food. This effect occurs because the classical aesthetic presentation increases perceived purity, which in turn enhances perceived healthfulness and ultimately elevates purchase intentions. This study further reveals that this effect disappears when consumers are primed with a hedonic food consumption motivation. The findings emphasize the effectiveness of classical aesthetic presentation of insect images on packaging in enhancing insect food acceptance, offering practical insights for food marketers and policymakers.