How the Jonas Brothers' Popcorn Popped on Shelves - Shelf Standout

This month's shelf standout is from our Senior Project Director, Erin Bernaciak!?

Refreshing your package, especially in a dramatic way, always poses a risk. However, for some small brands, it can produce the catalyst to move from another floater in a sea of sameness to a brand of note. For Jonas Brother-backed popcorn brand, Rob’s Backstage Popcorn, the risk has paid off. The brand made a significant departure from an all-brown package to a package showcasing pictures of the Jonas Brothers on tour. The new packaging is differentiated enough in the category to have stopping power and draw appeal which earns it this month’s shelf standout.?

Seen?

Dominated by a few large brands, the popcorn aisle can be challenging to break into.?

Rob’s Backstage Popcorn took a show-stopping approach with their redesign. Rather than highlighting the product, they placed real-life photos of the Jonas Brothers front and center. Whether you’re a JoBro fan or not, the refreshed Rob’s Backstage Popcorn is sure to stand out, even when placed on the bottom shelf like it was when I spotted it.?

Understood?

Rob’s Backstage Popcorn took a packaging risk and rather than quickly communicating what the product is, they’re leaning heavily into the brand story.?

The brand strategically makes “Backstage Popcorn” the largest writing on front of pack, to communicate that this is popcorn. They also de-emphasized “Rob’s” in favor of in communicating what the product is. ?

While we know consumers are more likely to look at images rather than read words, the package smartly positions the flavor of the popcorn as the next largest set of words, making it clear and easy to understand what you are purchasing. There are still some questions about the product such as what “Backstage” popcorn is, but this is one of those situations where the questions produce motivating intrigue vs. friction to purchase.?

Wanted?

While not a JoBro fan myself, I’m a fan of delicious popcorn. The Jonas Brothers' endorsement does feel relevant. The intrigue of the photos and the “backstage” lead me to a strong sense of attraction that feels worth the $4 gamble. If it’s good enough for the Jonas Brothers to put their faces on it, it must be delicious enough I need to try it. And I can attest after seeing, understanding, and wanting to try it – it does live to up to my expectations of delicious popcorn.?

What does the Nerd-in-Chief think?