The Complete Package

Energy drinks have one chance to create a good first impression

When you’re browsing through the soft drink aisles at the local supermarket it’s pretty easy to spot the energy drink section. Most are packaged in dynamic and colorful cans and bottles that grab your attention with images of crazed animals – that’s one mad Red Bull – as quickly as possible.

Packaging, in any industry, is all designed to grab the consumer’s attention, and energy drinks are no different. The cans and bottles are designed to identify with the consumer in a way that will have them buying the product and coming back for more. We see it all the time with Red Bull and vodka, a drink that says to observers that the guy who drinks this at a night club is trendy and has money to burn. And why is that? Because we see celebrities like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake swilling the cocktail in magazines.

Eye-popping packaging will call out to the buyer. It will say “I can make you run faster!” to an athlete, and it will ooze “I can make you an animal in bed!” to the middle-aged guy with the shattered libido. Energy drinks, because there are so many to choose from, need to radiate positive feelings and allow the consumer to make assumptions about what they will do for them. We all know that first impressions are key and, when there are so many to choose from, energy drink packaging is based on vibrant, shock value. What do the red bulls symbolize on a can of Red Bull? Brute strength, machismo, competition, fierce warriors…you get the drift.

Obviously, depending on its target audience, an energy drink will use different packaging to specifically target extreme sports enthusiasts, successful business types, teenagers, players, computer gamers, night clubbers, young executives or valley girls. While the people who swig on these drinks are typically excited by speed, energy, flash and quick thrills, you probably won’t catch a millionaire business tycoon swilling a flamboyant pink can of Go Girl.

Another thing that spells super-fast, sleek and dangerous to drink consumers is the container itself. Most energy drinks are packaged in thin, silver metallic cans. Kind of reminds you of a bullet – doesn’t it? The more athlete-specific sports drinks are packaged in plastic bottles that sort of resemble sport squeeze bottles in containers with vivid colors, graphics and logos. Basically, the drinks are packaged very distinctively so their target buyer can pick them out a mile away.