The Brief: Unicorn foods are a popular internet food trend of Instagrammable, rainbow, and sprinkle-covered desserts.
DEEP DIVE
The unicorn aesthetic is characterized by its use of pastel and rainbow colors. More elaborate displays may have unicorn horns and ears attached. These sugary, My Little Pony-esque treats are for adults and kids alike. They have infiltrated social media sites including Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. Similar styles including galaxy and mermaid foods and other products blend fantastical color schemes with everyday objects.
The unicorn craze doesn’t stop at food. Popular online trends also include unicorn slime, clothing, makeup looks, hairstyles, and even a Fortnite accessory.
The unicorn social media trend has influenced bakeries, coffee shops, and retail stores’ displays, products and marketing, In 2017, Starbucks released a much hyped, limited edition Unicorn Frappuccino, a pink and blue swirly sweet blended drink.
In September 2018, food writer Kat Odell published a cookbook with healthy spins on unicorn style foods.