From Christmas’s red and green to Easter’s pastels, St. Patrick’s Day’s green, and Valentine’s Day’s red and pink, food dye helps evoke holiday associations year-round. Companies capitalize on these associations by releasing or re-releasing products featuring these colors, such as McDonald’s “Shamrock Shake,” Raising Cane’s “Leprechaun Lemonade,” Dunkin’s pink heart-shaped donuts, Peeps, and red and green M&M’s. This strategy extends beyond color to include holiday-themed shapes and flavors, as well. Where companies can capitalize, they will, and trust, they do.
But what does this all mean? And do these colors truly influence how people perceive these products? Fear not, Hillers! The Hiller Staff is here to answer these questions and more.
Hiller Staff Writer Nathan Jones comments, “I really love the Shamrock Shake, mainly because it is a time limited thing. That makes me feel like when they release it every year, I can buy as many as I can without going broke. The green makes it feel more festive for St. Patty’s timing; if it wasn’t green, it just wouldn’t be the same.”
These seasonal color changes aren’t just for consumer enjoyment; they also benefit the companies themselves. McDonald’s reports a short-term sales increase of approximately 5-10% per store. While the Shamrock Shake boosts Q1 sales, it’s part of a broader, highly successful “seasonal” strategy. For instance, similar nostalgia-driven campaigns like the 2023 Grimace Birthday Meal led to a U.S. same-store sales increase of over 10%. The Shamrock Shake is consistently recognized as one of the most popular and successful seasonal items.
“Adding just simple food dye to products gets people in whatever spirit is going around for the holiday that they are trying to market. I think there should be more pink or red Valentine-esque drinks, it is one of the holidays that the most money is spent on yearly so it would make sense from a business standpoint,” adds Staff Writer John Bunner.
Companies also use holiday-themed shapes to market their classic products. Chick-fil-A annually changes the shape of their renowned chicken sandwich to a heart and extends the theme by offering heart-shaped nugget and cookie trays for Valentine’s Day.
Papa John’s and Pizza Hut, along with numerous local pizzerias, offer heart-shaped pizzas. Dunkin’, Krispy Kreme, Auntie Anne’s, Baskin-Robbins and Starbucks all feature various Valentine’s-themed products. From donuts to drinks, most companies leverage the concept of holidays to generate profit.
Staff Writer Aliyah Emery mentions, “I love love love when places get us in the spirit of different holidays. I think it is so fun being able to buy things in all these fun colors!”
Dairy Queen features the Mint Crunchin’ Cookie Dipped Cone, the ice cream is coated in vibrant mint-green cookie crumbles. Wendy’s recently introduced the Thin Mints Frosty, a green mint version of their classic dessert, and Sonic offers the Sour Shamrock Slush, a bright green frozen beverage – all themed for St. Patrick’s Day. And who could forget Burger King’s grotesque orange bun for its Halloween Whopper, colored with natural spices, and “Vampire Nuggets,” both in themed packaging.
Clearly, more and more companies are venturing into seasonal product variations for different holidays. So, Hillers, expect all kinds of sweet treats coming your way!
