Auchan: Colorfood
Auchan tasked TBWA\Paris with addressing the growing public health crisis of childhood obesity in France. The client needed a solution that would encourage children to diversify their diets away from processed, monochrome foods. The goal was to create an engaging, educational initiative that would drive healthier eating habits while reinforcing the brand's commitment to nutrition and family well-being.
Creative Idea
A color-coded plate system turns balanced nutrition into a playful, visual building game.
Auchan addressed childhood obesity by replacing the monochrome 'beige diet' of processed foods with a color-coded, modular plate system. By gamifying nutrition through visual food groups, they empowered children to build balanced meals, turning healthy eating into an engaging, educational experience.
Turning Beige Into A Rainbow Of Health
From Clinical Warnings To Playful Plates
The production team faced a significant challenge: how to translate complex nutritional guidelines into a visual language that children could instantly understand. Working alongside nutritionists, the agency moved away from traditional, anxiety-inducing health warnings. Instead, they developed a modular plate system that functions like a building game. By gamifying the act of eating, the campaign successfully shifted the focus from "dieting" to "creating," effectively rebranding healthy food as a vibrant, desirable alternative to the dull, monochromatic palette of processed snacks.
The Plaisir Pilot Program
The physical activation was piloted at the Auchan hypermarket in Plaisir on February 4 and 5, 2026. This in-store experience was designed to be immersive, allowing families to interact with the color-coded food groups in real-time. The campaign utilized a specific six-color system, where each hue represents a vital nutrient group: Pink for protein-rich meat, Blue for omega-3-packed fish, Yellow for calcium-heavy dairy, Green for essential vegetables, Orange for fiber-rich grains, and Red for vitamin-dense fruits.
Addressing A National Health Crisis
The urgency behind the project was driven by a stark reality: 20% of French children aged 6 to 17 are currently classified as overweight, with 5.4% suffering from obesity. By targeting the "beige food" phenomenon—the tendency for children to gravitate toward processed, high-fat items like nuggets and chips—Auchan positioned itself as a proactive partner in public health. The initiative serves as a blueprint for how large-scale retailers can leverage design-led thinking to influence consumer behavior and improve long-term wellness outcomes for younger generations.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
As a major retailer, Auchan leveraged its physical store footprint and supply chain to distribute a tangible, nutritional design tool.
Category
Retailers typically rely on price-based promotions or generic health claims rather than providing structural tools to change consumer behavior.
Customer
Parents felt overwhelmed by the difficulty of ensuring their children ate balanced meals without constant conflict or mealtime stress.
Culture
Rising public health concerns regarding childhood obesity created a demand for proactive, non-clinical solutions that integrate into daily life.
Company
As a major retailer, Auchan leveraged its physical store footprint and supply chain to distribute a tangible, nutritional design tool.
Category
Retailers typically rely on price-based promotions or generic health claims rather than providing structural tools to change consumer behavior.
Strategy:
Transform a complex health challenge into a simple, interactive physical ritual to drive behavioral change.
Customer
Parents felt overwhelmed by the difficulty of ensuring their children ate balanced meals without constant conflict or mealtime stress.
Culture
Rising public health concerns regarding childhood obesity created a demand for proactive, non-clinical solutions that integrate into daily life.
Strategy:
Transform a complex health challenge into a simple, interactive physical ritual to drive behavioral change.
Results
The video introduces the 'Le Choix des Couleurs' campaign, showcasing the design of the modular plate, its in-store implementation, and the accompanying educational ecosystem, including an original song and music video by Aldebert. However, no specific quantitative metrics, reach, sales lift, or engagement numbers are mentioned in the video.
Strategy Technique
Build an Utility, Not an Ad
Rather than just advertising healthy food, Auchan created a functional tool that solves the problem of dietary imbalance. The plate system provides a tangible, repeatable solution for parents and children.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Gamification
The campaign transforms the clinical task of portion control into a playful, interactive game for children. By using color-coded plates, it turns a healthy meal into a creative building activity.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign stands out through its exceptional product design and character animation, turning a nutritional guide into a tangible, interactive toy and an engaging musical universe.
The creation of the modular, color-coded plate system beautifully translates nutritional science into an intuitive, playful product for kids.
The vibrant 2D character animation brings the food groups to life, making healthy eating appealing and memorable.
“The magic lies in how the physical product design of the plates perfectly matches the animated characters in the music video, creating a cohesive educational ecosystem.”
