10 GLOBAL PACKAGING TRENDS
Breaking rules and thinking differently are how future trends are born. As designers, it is our job to push ourselves and our clients to
look past tired solutions and realize that engaging creative can and does have an effect on the bottom line. We live in a world of very
astute consumers who are increasingly design-savvy. They have seen it all and desire to be captivated. It is our role to be aware of trends
on the cutting edge. Whether we are in the early stages or moving the acceptance of a trend into mass appeal, we need to be cognizant of
our responsibilities to our clients and use trends that best exemplify the essence of the brand and its target consumer. Remember, these
10 packaging trends are a guide for you to create and develop new trends, because—as noted earlier—once a trend is visible in packaging,
it tends to be well on its way to mass public consciousness.
1 GREEN
This trend spread very quickly and has caused
a lot of concern among all brands, because it
affects all aspects of a package—from materials
to shipping to reuse through recycling. The
growth of the “buy local” movement has emerged
as an associated trend; there tend to be fewer resources
used in bringing local products to market.
Is there a Green look? Visually, it is present
in a variety of ways, from obviously earthy materials
to simple containers that use less material.
This trend is about being honest and truthful
regarding your motives. In his book
The Ecology
of Commerce, Paul Hawken brings up the fact
that companies have to come to the realization
that recycling and waste management is good
for business. It has taken more than 10 years for
Hawken’s ideas to reach widespread acceptance.
Green is about treading lightly on the Earth, and
to many consumers it’s a lifestyle.
2 STORYTELLING
Understanding the origin of a product gives the product more
credibility—not to mention the fact that, as humans, we connect
to stories and remember them. This is very powerful in
establishing a relationship with a brand and its product. The
Storytelling trend has grown from using snippets of company or
product stories on the backs of packaging to printing these tales
directly on the front of the package: The story has become part
of the design. Narrative copy is an engaging and entertaining
vehicle to slow consumers down and emotionally involve them
with a package. Once a connection is made, the products become
irresistible.
3 LIGHTHEARTED WHIMSY
Packaging is meant to inform and communicate details and
benefits about the product it contains. Early packaging did
just that. In fact, many of these old packages are refreshing
to look at, because they are so clear and concise—they were
simple. But simple can also mean boring or clinical in feel.
When a brand has personality, it is engaging, captivating
and fun for the buyer. Taking the notion one step further,
we see brands injecting the lighthearted. A bit of fanciful
humor (often quaint) brings an element of entertainment to
packaging in a way that gives consumers a reason to believe
in the product. Whimsy can charm even the most cynical
and jaded consumer. We know people have to shop, so why
not bring customers a sense of the unexpected?
4BOLD EXPRESSION
Bold expression has its roots in Pop Art. You’ll also see
this aesthetic mixed with the feel of comic books. This
trend has a bold look and presents itself uniquely on-shelf.
Colors are very bright and sometimes used in conjunction
with a black line trapping the shapes depicted. There has been a trend towards simplicity, because it
is the dream of so many designers to make things seem
clean and less cluttered. But instead of clinical austerity,
we see simple high-impact boldness on the rise.
The practice is especially applicable to specific product
types that need a look of strength. Another great use of
the trend is in product categories that are highly cluttered,
with far too many SKUs.
5 SHOW DON’T TELL
Too often, product packaging is trying too hard to sell
you, with copy listing every feature and benefit. Consumers
can be left confused by all the information. The
Show Don’t Tell trend is one that focuses on the product
itself and not the brand (the brand is there, but not
in your face). The packaging shows you why you should
buy this product by romancing the product. This can
be done through the use of photography that connotes
a mood or feeling about the product, or the focus can
be on the benefit buyers get from the product. This
trend is an offshoot of the idea of simplicity. Its use in
packaging has steadily grown and continues to demonstrate
its value, moving up the bell curve and becoming
adopted by many large-store brands.
6 HANDMADE
Along with the desire to simplify our lives, more and more we seek everyday pleasures and indulgences.
Handmade products are seen as special, and many people will pay more for them. But to
do so, consumers need to be convinced of their authentic quality. The packaging of these products
has incorporated design that is more tactile in effect, while looking hand-drawn. This is especially
evident in the typography and imagery employed. The packaging conveys that this is a
product made just for you, as if it is one of a kind. Handmade is a move away from mass-produced
and a step toward the human touch.
7 LIFESTYLE
This trend you could say has been overused in advertising
for years, but within packaging it has been avoided.
The focus of the trend is on the brand and product benefits. The packaging shows—literally with photos, or
figuratively with illustration—the product in use. It is
often intended to stimulate an aspirational motive in
the buyer. In Europe especially, there is an increase in
showing people enjoying and experiencing the product.
The effect is achieved in a variety of ways, including
showing consumers using the product, as well as its
affect on consumers after use. The message is that just
by purchasing these products, consumers will feel a bit
closer to achieving a certain lifestyle.
8 BORROWING FROM THE PAST
This trend is used to create a
feeling and speaks to the prospective
buyer’s emotional
past. We have seen this done
through music in Gap ads,
and it is the reason ’60s iconography
is used in products
like Izze. As a style, it speaks
to our senses and revives positive
experiences from our past.
Of course, nostalgia and using
ideas from the past isn’t new,
but the part of the past we are
borrowing from can and often
does change. The trend is
not exactly retro, meaning the
complete use of old designs;
rather, it picks up specific elements
and morphs them to
create a more contemporary
feel for today’s consumer.
9 LESS IS MORE
For years we have heard the phrase “Less Is
More” bandied about by the design community.
Simplicity is often both a designer’s and a consumer’s
dream—it makes so many things easy
and more compelling. Within the packaging
world, this approach has come to imply a quiet
elegance, an uncluttered freedom from gratuitous
embellishment and a focus on conveying
only key ideas. It’s a luxurious plainness. Many
big brands have been adopting this trend, proving
it effective in selling everything from food
to electronics. This year we see additional variations
in the idea of simplicity in association
with Lighthearted and Show Don’t Tell.
10 FREE EXPRESSION
This trend involves the use of “free” artistic expression
placed on packaging that is an integral part of global
multimedia marketing campaigns. This trend is much
more readily shown than described, but seeks to capture
an exuberant creativity that surprises and delights
younger consumers. It’s often an irreverent take on
the product’s traditional heritage—all of which works
to avoid overt branding and appeal emotionally to the
media-savvy, cynical, overwhelmed young buyer. This
trend acknowledges creativity as a driving force, letting
the art speak freely without interrupting the brand or
product benefits.
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