5 Brands Taking Popcorn Packaging to the Next Level

Popcorn
When we think of popcorn, we may conjure up memories of seeing our favorite film for the first time in a theater, munching on that crunchy, buttery snack, creating an experience for all senses.

Or maybe we’re taken back to a time when our favorite sports team knocked it out of the park, inspiring the crowd to rise from their seats, snacks flying out of their hands and around the air like confetti. Food has the power to link our present with our past, the scents and aromas serving as time machines that connect us to days of yore. We return to these delicious treats we love because they remind us of those times, connecting adults with their childhood and young ones with those role models who took them to their first movie or game.

Though popcorn may seem like one of those snacks that is always available and generally consistent in taste, today’s brands are knocking down these preconceived notions with imaginative flavors and even inventive ways of growing the crunchy crop. When it comes to inspiring consumers to select their particular product, these companies know they have to shock and awe from the moment the shopper sees the popcorn packaging to the very first bite of the snack. Whether customers prefer to buy kernels to whip up a fresh batch of popcorn themselves, or purchase already-popped flavor variations, the following companies are shining examples of using their packaging to build their brand, set themselves apart, and show off their popcorn in the very best light.

1. Tiny But Mighty Popcorn

In an effort to bring back the way popcorn “should” taste and be grown, Tiny But Mighty Foods introduced their ancient heirloom popcorn in the 1990s. TBM’s kernels are noticeably smaller than the standard ones you’d see in stores, but for good reason. Small kernels create a crisp texture without the annoying outer hull that can get stuck in your teeth or harm your digestive system. The smaller kernels also boost flavor without artificial ingredients or additives. TBM sells both un-popped kernels and pre-popped flavors like sea salt, kettle, and classic butter.

To set their brand apart, owners Farmer Gene and Lynn Mealhow knew they had to select packaging that would reflect the sustainable practices that go into cultivating the product, as well as show off the small, unique kernels while keeping them fresh and protected from outside elements. Tiny But Mighty’s team chose flexible popcorn packaging from StandUpPouches.net that is recyclable, landfill friendly, and made of food-grade materials that maintain the clean label, organic properties of this special popcorn.

Selecting stand up pouches for their un-popped kernels allowed TBM to feature custom-printed designs and certification labels while still allowing plenty of space for a clear window to give consumers a good look at the small kernels. The pouch's bottom gussets ensure no kernels escape the packaging, while the reclosable zipper allows users to return to the kernels time after time.

2. J&D’s and The Oatmeal

Writer and illustrator Matthew Inman started his blog, The Oatmeal, in 2009 as a space to show off his humorous web comics. The site became extremely successful, prompting Inman to partner with other brands to create a line of merchandise featuring his creative work. He teamed with J&D’s Foods, a brand known for catching customers’ eyes with its sometimes odd and imaginative products. The brand’s snack packaging bags boast names of bacon and Sriracha-flavored treats, and its founders are notorious for their unconventional marketing techniques, including creating social media profiles for their products and holding a wrestling match where participants wrestled in 6,000 pounds of mayonnaise.

Off-the-wall products and advertising techniques caught the attention of Inman, who helped J&D’s create Sriracha Rooster Sauce Popcorn, “a crunchy firestorm for your face,” according to its packaging. The creators chose a clear stock stand up pouch for their pre-popped Sriracha-flavored popcorn, allowing the product to remain well protected and visible to consumers. The bold red label on the front – designed by Inman – is consistent with The Oatmeal’s branding, featuring a character illustration overcome by madness from the deliciousness of the snack.

3. Pop Art Popcorn

Created by two artists inspired by the pop art movement’s “ability to transform the common and everyday object into a work of art,” this popcorn brand introduces creative flavor combinations to otherwise standard popcorn in an effort to appeal to eccentric, adventurous food lovers. Pop Art Snacks began using kraft stand up pouches for its popcorn packaging, allowing the products to stand upright on shelves while sealing in the taste and bite of the offbeat flavor combinations the team came up with. The pouches featured vibrant labels that reflected the color and shape of ingredients like Thai coconut curry, rosemary truffle, and nori sesame.

The brand switched to full-color, custom-printed flexible snack packaging bags as the company grew and more flavors were introduced to their product line. The lightweight bags each feature one bold color as its primary hue, making each flavor easy to locate and assisting with building brand recognition. Like different shades of paint on a palette, Pop Art Popcorn is adding a splash of color to store aisles and creative consumers' pantries.

4. 479 Degrees Popcorn

With the discovery that 479 degrees Fahrenheit was the perfect temperature for popping corn, Le Cordon Bleu alumna Jean Arnold developed her popcorn brand for sophisticated consumers. Her organic snacks feature sleek, elegant packaging designs, using a lot of white space to convey the clean, simple, minimal qualities that make popcorn to appealing. Her flexible snack bags each feature a realistic image of a popped kernel, along with colors that reflect gourmet ingredients like black truffle, fresh garden herbs, and toasted coconut.

Each bag also features a label on the front of the bag with large numbers that indicate how many calories are in one cup of that particular flavor option. This helps educate consumers, build transparency, and establish 479 as healthy alterative to other snack products as well as a refined food option for savvy consumers.

5. Pipcorn

Featured on ABC’s hit show, “Shark Tank,” Pipsnacks brother-and-sister founders Jeff and Jen Martin won an investment for their line of popcorn called Pipcorn. The tiny, whole grain popcorn comes in a variety of flavors, and as the brand has grown, it has also undergone a packaging evolution. Previously contained in kraft bags with stamped logos on each pouch, the popcorn now comes in larger bags that keep the same natural-looking color scheme as the old kraft pouches while introducing new hues and small illustrations that set each flavor option apart from the rest. Pipsnacks is a great example of a brand that continues to grow and strategically use flexible packaging to highlight the advancement of the company and its product line.