A recent study examined 2,500 product packages to see which colors are being selected to appeal to consumers.
Have you ever wondered how brands go about deciding what colors to use in their packaging? If they’re smart, they don’t simply go with the CEO’s favorite color. The psychology of color is fascinating, and our friends at Packaging Digest recently looked at how color is being used in packaging to influence customer attitudes and buying decisions.
The article examined a recent color analysis of nearly 2,500 grocery products across 10 categories from Walmart’s online grocery service. That study used an algorithm to analyze colored pixels in the product images, and it calculated the top three colors in each image.
The top color used across all those cookies, chocolate, soda drinks, and ice cream—light gray. Probably not the first color to jump to mind, but this was the primary color used in the packages of 20.6% of the products analyzed.
The study seems to indicate that less vibrant packaging colors is a trend in the industry now. Black actually came in second in the study, followed by dark red. The least-used colors were lime green, blue, and light purple.
Less than one-fourth of the packages tended to have only one dominant color, though. Light gray was usually complimented by a shade of blue on cookies and ice cream, while shades of red were most likely to be brought in on coffee, cereal, and potato chips. Soda was an outlier in terms of the muted palette trend, with more vibrant golds and greens being popular.
You can read the full article on Packaging Digest’s website here.
What do you think about this trend toward more subtle colors in packaging? Is it because brands think that sleeker, cleaner designs are more attractive to today’s consumers? Given everything we’ve dealt with over the past couple of years, maybe this is the aesthetic that best resonates with potential customers!
If you haven’t thought about your packaging design for a while, maybe it’s time for an update. AMGRAPH can help! We’ll not only help you design a look that meets your branding requirements, but we’ll also show you how to make your packaging as sustainable and earth friendly as possible. Contact Us today to learn more!
