Choosing colors

In response to the worrying rise in childhood overweight and obesity, Auchan is launching a unique awareness initiative in the retail sector: "Le Choix des Couleurs" (The Choice of Colors), a fun and educational method for teaching children how to put together a balanced meal while having fun.

For two days, February 4 and 5, 2026, the Auchan hypermarket in Plaisir (78) will host a dedicated space designed especially for children, where they can compose their own meal tray from six colorful boxes, each corresponding to a food group.
To celebrate the launch of this initiative, the boxes will be given to children free of charge*. This scheme could subsequently be rolled out to other stores in the chain.

A major public health issue: 1 in 5 children is overweight or obese. According to a recent study by the French health insurance system**, 20% of children aged 6 to 17 are now overweight and 5.4% are obese.
This increase in childhood obesity can be explained by several factors. On the one hand, the energy density of meals has increased due to the consumption of foods that are higher in fat and in larger portions. On the other hand, children today are more exposed than ever to ultra-processed foods.

Faced with this worrying situation, Auchan, already highly committed to helping consumers eat better, has devised a prevention campaign that highlights a simple truth: a balanced meal is above all a colorful meal.

"A balanced, complete, and diverse diet is essential to ensure the proper growth and development of children and contribute to their overall well-being. That's why we have devised a positive initiative that combines prevention and play, to teach them to "eat better" while having fun. As a major retailer, we have a role to play in addressing public health and societal issues related to food and our consumption habits. We want to take an active part in the collective debate, alongside public authorities and other stakeholders committed to this issue, to find solutions and take concrete action."
Laurent Francony, Executive Director of CSR & Quality.

6 boxes. 1 balanced meal. A colorful campaign to teach children to eat better.

The system was custom-designed and installed in a specially designed area of the store, in the form of a child-friendly shelf. The foods are classified by color and grouped into 6 colorful "bento" boxes*, designed in collaboration with product designer Clémence Germain.

These boxes reflect the graphic design of Auchan's fresh produce halls—butcher, fishmonger, greengrocer, etc.—and each contain balanced portions. Together, they make up a varied and balanced meal.
For children, this journey transforms shopping into a game and invites them to have fun with colors while creating their own balanced meals.

To extend the experience, the colors come to life in the form of cheerful characters, illustrated by Alexandre Nart, a director and illustrator from Bordeaux.

An original song, created with Aldebert —a singer-songwriter known and loved by children for his songs combining humor, poetry, and catchy music—enriches the project, accompanied by a video clip that will be broadcast on social media to give this initiative greater visibility.