From Tony the Tiger to Chuck E. Cheese, food companies have been using cartoon animals in their branding for decades to attract kids to their products. If the packaging is fun, it will speak to younger consumers.

Mascots and characters of this nature are memorable, and children associate them with their favorite foods, making them more likely to choose those products time and time again. A wide range of industries that make products for kids have found great success using this kind of marketing technique, which we’ve learned can now be used for healthier products traditionally marketed to adults.
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While snacks like yogurt, fruit, and granola are sweet and easy to eat, they typically don’t have the bold colors or fun shapes that make candies and sugary cereals appeal to children. Instead of refreshing the product, companies can focus on making their health food packaging more appealing to children. According to a new study from Frontiers in Psychology, children were more likely to grab healthy snacks packaged in containers that boast cartoon characters and enticing product names, rather than those in plain health food packaging. Kids also determined the cartoon-branded products were tastier than those in the plain health food packaging.

It’s clear that kids will gravitate toward health food packaging with fun designs and graphics, but food and beverage companies must also play close attention to the safety and structure of the container. Parents are concerned with the wellbeing of their children and want to make sure products are not only nutritious, but also safe from harmful contaminants. Health food packaging, like stand up pouches or flexible box bags, keeps products protected from puncture, moisture, odor, and other hazards. Products stay fresh and hold a longer shelf life than snacks and drinks packaged in boxes or flimsy bags.

Stand up pouches for health food are made of strong, high-quality food-grade film that is FDA approved. These packages also use water-based inks, so companies that make the smart move to market their healthy treats to kids with colorful cartoons can be sure the packaging is safer for little ones. Stand up pouches also lend well to bold colors, so companies can use the same enticing shades that less-healthy food companies are using to win the younger crowd’s approval.

Working with a supplier that is able to provide the very best health food packaging to meet your products’ needs, and assist in the detailed design process, will help companies develop a fresh, exciting brand that appeals to kids and parents alike. It’s notoriously difficult to get children to choose healthy fruits and vegetables over sugary candies and salty snacks, but with the right health food packaging designs in place, brands can help change that. Learn more about health food packaging options that are healthy for your business.