let me take you back to a trend from the early 2000s. no - I’m not going to talk about low-rise jeans (although apparently they’re coming back...brace yourself). i’m here to talk about product-on-white.
nobody knows the exact date but experts theorize that around the time Amazon hit 1 million SKUs - shooting products against a white background became the norm. giants like Shopify. Wal-Mart and Alibaba followed suit. for the last twenty years: product-on-white has occupied the heralded title of “industry standard” across the world of ecomm.
but this is 2021. the internet is a completely different place. the ways we shop for and discover things to purchase has radically changed. and the places we “shop” have grown from the dot-com itself to social channels too. bold prediction here: I believe product-on-white is on its way out. here’s why I think product-on-color is going to steal its crown:
color sets the tone
using colorful backgrounds in your product pics is an easy way to set your brand’s tone. increasingly: starting an online business isn’t just about selling products—it’s about selling a story / a vibe / an atmosphere. color helps convey your brand’s personality.
product-on-white doesn’t do this. it’s like a pair of basic athletic socks. sure - they do the job. but they don’t tell us anything about the person wearing them.
when you use color: you create an ecosystem. a carefully-curated color scheme can turn a simple series of photos into a mood-boosting experience. customers want to be immersed in your store’s atmosphere. making the switch from product-on-white to product-on-color is a simple way to make that happen.
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color stands out
product-on-color can transform a browsing experience. this is especially true when it comes to shopping on mobile devices. for better or worse: we spend heaps of time on colorful and eye-catching platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok.
we can’t help but compare the content we see on those platforms to our browsing experiences. after scrolling through flashy images on Instagram: product-on-white just doesn’t stand out. but product-on-color feels like you never left social media.
color excites us
imagine walking into a party (it’s probably been a hot minute but you remember parties...right?). but this party is decorated all in white. white balloons / white streamers / white cake. it’s clean. organized. & easy to navigate. but is that really the point of a party?
now imagine stepping into the exact opposite. this party would look something like San Francisco’s pride parade. hundreds of colorful balloons - a rainbow of excitement. the atmosphere has transformed from simple. boring. & bland to energizing. lively. & bright.
your content needs to excite your customers. using colorful backgrounds in your product pics is an easy way to bring that energy and excitement to your ecomm store.
here’s what I want you to do: take a big-picture look at your ecomm business and imagine what it might look like as a physical store. which colors would you use on the walls? the rugs? the art? those are the colors you should use in your content.
product on color is the future. you might not see it so much now: but that’s why your brand should hop on it today.
your content needs to excite your customers. using colorful backgrounds in your product pics is an easy way to bring that energy and excitement to your ecomm store.
here’s what I want you to do: take a big-picture look at your ecomm business and imagine what it might look like as a physical store. which colors would you use on the walls? the rugs? the art? those are the colors you should use in your content.
product on color is the future. you might not see it so much now: but that’s why your brand should hop on it today.
let me take you back to a trend from the early 2000s. no - I’m not going to talk about low-rise jeans (although apparently they’re coming back...brace yourself). i’m here to talk about product-on-white.
nobody knows the exact date but experts theorize that around the time Amazon hit 1 million SKUs - shooting products against a white background became the norm. giants like Shopify. Wal-Mart and Alibaba followed suit. for the last twenty years: product-on-white has occupied the heralded title of “industry standard” across the world of ecomm.
but this is 2021. the internet is a completely different place. the ways we shop for and discover things to purchase has radically changed. and the places we “shop” have grown from the dot-com itself to social channels too. bold prediction here: I believe product-on-white is on its way out. here’s why I think product-on-color is going to steal its crown:
color sets the tone
using colorful backgrounds in your product pics is an easy way to set your brand’s tone. increasingly: starting an online business isn’t just about selling products—it’s about selling a story / a vibe / an atmosphere. color helps convey your brand’s personality.
product-on-white doesn’t do this. it’s like a pair of basic athletic socks. sure - they do the job. but they don’t tell us anything about the person wearing them.
when you use color: you create an ecosystem. a carefully-curated color scheme can turn a simple series of photos into a mood-boosting experience. customers want to be immersed in your store’s atmosphere. making the switch from product-on-white to product-on-color is a simple way to make that happen.
{{tools-ad="/external-components"}}
color stands out
product-on-color can transform a browsing experience. this is especially true when it comes to shopping on mobile devices. for better or worse: we spend heaps of time on colorful and eye-catching platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok.
we can’t help but compare the content we see on those platforms to our browsing experiences. after scrolling through flashy images on Instagram: product-on-white just doesn’t stand out. but product-on-color feels like you never left social media.
color excites us
imagine walking into a party (it’s probably been a hot minute but you remember parties...right?). but this party is decorated all in white. white balloons / white streamers / white cake. it’s clean. organized. & easy to navigate. but is that really the point of a party?
now imagine stepping into the exact opposite. this party would look something like San Francisco’s pride parade. hundreds of colorful balloons - a rainbow of excitement. the atmosphere has transformed from simple. boring. & bland to energizing. lively. & bright.
your content needs to excite your customers. using colorful backgrounds in your product pics is an easy way to bring that energy and excitement to your ecomm store.
here’s what I want you to do: take a big-picture look at your ecomm business and imagine what it might look like as a physical store. which colors would you use on the walls? the rugs? the art? those are the colors you should use in your content.
product on color is the future. you might not see it so much now: but that’s why your brand should hop on it today.
your content needs to excite your customers. using colorful backgrounds in your product pics is an easy way to bring that energy and excitement to your ecomm store.
here’s what I want you to do: take a big-picture look at your ecomm business and imagine what it might look like as a physical store. which colors would you use on the walls? the rugs? the art? those are the colors you should use in your content.
product on color is the future. you might not see it so much now: but that’s why your brand should hop on it today.
