Visual Research: Proper Corn Kids

ProperCorn’s sub-brand: ProperCorn Kids is an excellent example of a healthy brand marketing towards children. The ethos of the brand is that there is ‘no junk’ in their products: meaning that there’s no refined sugar, whole grain corn is used, and they use natural seasonings that you could find in your cupboard at home. Their website page states all of the great reasons why the snack is a great alternative to sweets and unhealthy, processed food, stating that their snack packs are “Perfect for... active kids that are always on the go! Our handy snack packs provide a great source of slow-release energy, making them perfect for lunchboxes and after school.”

So, ProperCorn’s product is ethically good and they’re using great marketing techniques, similar to those used by fast-food giants, to steer their healthy snacks towards children. They’re doing this in many ways, some more subtle than others; firstly, the colour scheme for the packaging of their two flavours features warm-toned colours such as yellow, pink and orange. This works at appealing to people as warm colours create both appetite and urgency. Furthermore, they’re bright and eyecatching - key features when it comes to kids. Secondly, the use of characters has been utilised to bring in a story/ play element to the brand. ProperCorn Kid’s story is of a remote island called ‘Poptopia’ which inhabits creatures called ‘Cornivores’ - kids can read about the illustrated story on the box of the multipacks and then collect the Top Trump style cards featuring the creatures. Similar to McDonald’s legendary Happy Meal, this is an incredibly successful technique for engagement with kids and encouraging re-purchasing.

The key elements to take away from ProperCorn Kids is the heavy illustration element that are used across the packaging, website etc. to create fun and engaging designs. The possibility of creating some kind of game element is strong also, as this is utilised across many brands.