Blue packaging can be found on a variety of different foods in the grocery store. Brands often choose blue for food packaging because it conveys a sense of trust, security, and dependability. Blue also has associations with cleanliness. Let’s explore some of the most common food items that come in blue packaging.
Breakfast Foods
Many popular breakfast cereals and oatmeal come in blue boxes or containers. Some examples include:
| Breakfast Food | Brand |
|---|---|
| Cheerios | General Mills |
| Corn Flakes | Kellogg’s |
| Special K | Kellogg’s |
| Instant Oatmeal | Quaker |
The shade of blue varies between brands, but the familiarity of seeing these breakfast staples in blue packaging creates a sense of reliability and timelessness. The blue boxes hearken back to simpler times and appeal to consumers’ nostalgia.
Canned Foods
Flip through any grocery store aisle and you’ll see plenty of canned vegetables, fruits, beans, and other foods packaged in iconic blue cans. Some examples include:
| Canned Food | Brand |
|---|---|
| Corn | Del Monte |
| Green Beans | Del Monte |
| Peas | Del Monte |
| Black Beans | Goya |
| Chickpeas | Goya |
The bold blue cans stand out on shelves and convey the freshness and quality of the contents inside. They also evoke a nostalgic, old-fashioned feeling that appeals to many shoppers.
Beverages
Some of the most iconic beverage brands use blue for their packaging and branding. Examples include:
| Beverage | Brand |
|---|---|
| Sports drinks | Gatorade |
| Seltzer water | LaCroix |
| Flavored water | Propel |
| Energy drinks | Red Bull |
The electric blue coloring makes these drinks stand out and implies the energy, hydration, and refreshment inside. Blue inspires thirst and compels consumers to reach for these beverages.
Frozen Foods
Walk down the frozen food aisle and you’ll notice blue packaging on many convenient frozen meals, vegetables, and more. Some examples include:
| Frozen Food | Brand |
|---|---|
| Frozen dinners | Hungry Man |
| Frozen pizzas | DiGiorno |
| Frozen vegetables | Birds Eye |
| Frozen fruit | Wyman’s |
The cool blue packaging implies the frozen temperature inside. It also elicits feelings of reliability in these recognizable frozen food brands.
Chips and Snacks
Beloved snack foods like chips, pretzels, popcorn, and more tend to come in blue bags or packaging. Some examples include:
| Snack Food | Brand |
|---|---|
| Potato chips | Lay’s |
| Pretzels | Snyder’s |
| Popcorn | Orville Redenbacher’s |
| Crackers | Ritz |
The blue bags promise delicious, satisfying snacks inside. They catch the eye against shelves of other snack options.
Dairy Products
Milk cartons and yogurt containers are often packaged in shades of blue to convey a sense of coolness, freshness, and dairy purity. Recognizable dairy items in blue include:
| Dairy Product | Brand |
|---|---|
| Milk | Horizon Organic |
| Yogurt | Yoplait |
| Cottage cheese | Breakstone’s |
| Butter | Land O’Lakes |
The blue implies the chilled temperature needed to keep dairy products fresh. It provides a visual cue about what’s inside the container.
Baked Goods
Blue packaging can be spotted on bread bags, cookie containers, cracker boxes, and other baked items. For example:
| Baked Good | Brand |
|---|---|
| Bread | Arnold |
| English muffins | Thomas’ |
| Cookies | Keebler |
| Crackers | Nabisco |
The blue implies freshness, even after baked goods have been processed and packaged. It also evokes a sense of comfort and familiarity.
Miscellaneous Foods
Beyond the major food categories above, you may notice blue packaging on miscellaneous foods like:
| Food | Brand |
|---|---|
| Boxed macaroni & cheese | Kraft |
| Canned soup | Campbell’s |
| Instant rice | Minute |
| Food coloring | McCormick |
The diversity of foods in blue packaging speaks to the universal appeal of the color. It feels familiar, comforting, and fail-safe for all types of grocery items.
Why Blue Food Packaging?
Now that we’ve explored many common food items in blue packaging, let’s discuss why brands are drawn to this color.
Reasons for blue food packaging include:
- Conveys reliability and trustworthiness
- Implies freshness or cool temperature
- Creates brand recognition and nostalgia
- Catches the eye on crowded shelves
- Feels clean, secure, and comforting
- Distinguishes food or beverages by category
Blue is universally appealing and appropriate for all types of foods. Its familiarity and positive associations make it a safe choice to win over consumers in the grocery aisle.
Conclusion
Blue food packaging has become standard for good reason. It taps into so many positive emotions and associations for shoppers. Blue conveys stability, refreshment, comfort, and brand recognition. Food brands know they are choosing a crowd pleaser when opting for different shades of blue packaging.
Next time you peruse the grocery aisles, take note of just how many iconic food items come in trusty blue packaging. It provides visual cues about what’s inside and reminds consumers of their favorite brands.