Butter Not Miss This! Popcorn Packaging at its Best

Chances are good that you either received or consumed some kind of popcorn over the holidays. Whether it’s a delicate gourmet situation, big plastic bags of the spicy kind, or the traditional three-way tins, popcorn remains an American favorite during any time of the year.

While the popcorn variety of maize was domesticated by South American indigenous people thousands of years ago, it didn’t make its way east of the Mississippi to its current “Corn Belt” home, the U.S. Midwest, until the 1800s. The first “pop” didn’t hit the scene until the 1820s. And Daniel Browne introduced the first popping recipe in the 1840s, which included corn, lard and a frying pan. Popcorn preparation and presentation has come a long way since then!

Today is National Popcorn Day and the only thing that rivals its amazing buttery and crunchy deliciousness is the array and variety of its packaging. As you know, we at Ernest revel in creative food packaging. Here are some of our top picks for the absolute best in popcorn packaging design.

This comic strip-inspired design à la Roy Lichtenstein:

Anni Nykanen’s award-winning, origami-focused built-in pop-up bowl:

“Madame Zamora” from Carny Corn reveals popcorn flavors in this outstanding packaging design for popcorn kernels. The inner wheel holds four different flavors, which slide out and pour easily from a slot.

A colorful and clever student design for Kmart:

A fun design the kids are sure to love from Paulina Arzillier:

We love this design by Sarah Yechen for Starbucks. It doesn’t exist yet, but it should. It’s fantastic and completely pick-up-able.  

This flat-out adorable packaging for “This Corn” by Peter Gregson:

And our favorite of the bunch: Angie’s Kettle Corn redesign by Sam Soulek. Simple, bright, fun and informative:

With 1.16 billion pounds of popcorn sold annually, the large variety of popcorn packaging is no surprise. Next time you’re munching on some popcorn, take a good look at the bag or box. Does it accurately represent the scrumptiousness you’re enjoying? Cape Seasonings learned how to use packaging to get more attention on grocery shelves. Find out how here.

Why not keep your own company’s packaging poppin’ fresh? To learn more about creating the most creative packaging to tell your brand’s story, contact Ernest Packaging Solutions today!