Bold and Colourful Flavours
Stand out in a crowded market
Why colourful flavours appear across applications
It is a cliché often remarked that “we feast with our eyes before our mouths.” The colour of food and beverages plays a crucial role in shaping our consumption decisions. Today’s bold and loud packaging goes beyond being merely eye-catching—it is innovative, sleek, and pushes boundaries further than ever before. Beneath these striking designs, vibrant coloured products emerge to stand out, differentiate, and make a splash in crowded categories.
In 2024, the Colour of the Year was Peach Fuzz. That same year, PepsiCo launched an “Electric Blue” soft drink, and Prime introduced a fluorescent “Glowberry” beverage. Pink, orange, and other bright colours continue to captivate with their vibrant and attractive allure.
In 2020, Del Monte Fruits introduced a Pink Pineapple, a product that took over a decade to develop. It wasn’t long before the first pink pineapple-flavoured and coloured CPG products appeared on American shelves. Meanwhile, in Sweden, Pressbyrån—a popular convenience store chain—launched sales of Dole’s Red Banana, offering consumers another visually striking and innovative product.
Inspired by fantasy and sentiments.
In the FMCG industry, competition for consumers’ attention is fierce. Market leaders and big brands are constantly innovating to meet consumer needs and adapt to ever-shifting market dynamics and megatrends. Brightly coloured products naturally draw attention, whether it’s a dark green beverage with functional benefits and a healthy halo, or a bright blue drink or popsicle aimed at younger consumers.
The “eat with your eyes” trend is more relevant than ever, creating opportunities for both natural and artificial colours. Confectionery products like Nom Noms Marshmallows utilise natural colours from beetroot and spirulina to attract health-conscious consumers. However, natural food colours are often more expensive and can lack stability when exposed to heat, light, or certain pH levels.
As a result, artificial colours remain a viable solution for brands and manufacturers looking to appeal to adventurous consumers.
%
37% of consumers globally are looking to boost their mood with an edible or drinkable treat over the past year.
%
of US consumers look for new foods/flavours to try all or most of the time.
%
of US consumers seek out new flavours.
The categories with the highest use of food colours are sports and energy drinks, where
%
of global launches contain a food colour.
Mintel I Patent insights: emerging food colour innovations
Innova I Fantasy Flavor Trends
Tastetomorrow I The rise of fantasy-flavored foods
Package 7 Designs I 2022 edition, Taschen
Colour flavours
