As the only provider of syndicated package design data, Designalytics evaluates the top-selling and fastest-growing designs across hundreds of consumer-packaged-goods categories. We measure and analyze a wide range of design performance areas, including visibility, communication, mental availability, element-level diagnostics, and more.
Condiments may be added to meals and snacks, but for many consumers, it just isn’t the same without them. And in a crowded category filled with strong brand loyalty, even subtle design changes can make a meaningful difference. In this roundup, we look at five condiment brands that refreshed their packaging and saw an increase in consumer preference.
Category: Salsa
This salsa brand added more personality to its packaging by adding ingredient imagery, incorporating playful typography and eye-catching color, and modifying its label shape to reinforce its Vermont roots. Consumers said the updated design felt more unique, funky, and "southwestern," with the ingredient visuals helping them quickly identify what’s inside. 77% of consumers chose the new design, with one sharing, “I like that you can see what vegetables are in the product,” while another described it as “more appetizing because of the colors and real veggie imagery.”
Category: Hummus
On its face, this redesign seems solely about orientation—which it is. There were other subtle and effective changes, though, that helped the redesign increase consumer purchase preference to 70%. Consumers appreciated shifting the label from the top to the left, as the design better aligns with how consumers naturally scan packaging. Yet the expanded callouts (“gluten-free” and “non-GMO”) and more realistic chickpea imagery resonated with consumers, as well. One consumer said it succinctly: “The label looks more appetizing with the big image of cheekpeas.”
Category: Salsa
A former Designalytics Effectiveness Award winner, La Mexicana clearly understands design’s potential to drive consumer behavior. The brand elevated its packaging with a black label that contrasts with the salsa inside, and consumers felt it was easier to read, indicated higher quality, and suggested a bolder taste. One summed it up: “It looks more like a premium product.” Consumers also liked the updated heat-level indicator, saying the “spice level was immediately clear.” The result was a success: 64% of consumers preferred the new design.
Category: BBQ Sauce
62% of consumers favored the new Sticky Fingers BBQ sauce packaging. The new design included a convenient squeeze bottle wrapped in a label with clearer flavor descriptions and added ingredient callouts. Consumers liked the updated format, noting that the squeeze bottle feels easier to use, cleaner, and more practical. One noted that the “packaging seems more modern and fun, and the descriptions give me a better idea of what the product will taste like.”
Category: Mayonnaise
Hellmann’s made minor adjustments to their mayo packaging, and it paid off, as 60% of consumers opted for the new design’s simplified logo and larger typography. Respondents said the label seemed bolder, easier to read, and “modern, but retro at the same time.” The addition of Hellmann’s signature, in particular, stood out, reinforcing trust in the product. One consumer noted, “It feels like it has a significant heritage.”
You can explore these consumer insights in greater depth—and benchmark your own packaging against what’s winning in-market—with a subscription to our syndicated design research for your category. As these redesigns show, consumer-driven changes can make a big difference.