5 brands that will give you serious packaging envy

With new products being launched into the market at lightning speed, it’s important to make sure that you’re ahead of the game and always armed with clever initiatives to ensure consumers continue choosing your brand.

We’d like to think that consumers are not fickle, but, according to a Pro Carton study, when it comes to the marketing of a product, one of the most essential elements is packaging design. And now, it’s considered just as important as TV, radio, print media and the web in marketing communication. Furthermore, consumers are choosing brands that are matching their personal brand and lifestyle. Interactivity, tangibility and aesthetics are becoming increasingly important in packaging. Consumers are asking questions like, will the product physically look good in my home? What is the packaging made of? Does it feel nice? Is it a strong representation of my personality?

With the development of design programs, sophisticated printing capabilities, and quicker turnaround times than ever before, options for clever packaging and label design are limitless. Here are five brands that we think are seriously winning in the unique packaging game.

Cocolux Australia – Sustainable and reusable packaging

The Cocolux Australia candle range is a nod to everything organic and nature. Aside from being clean burning and earth-friendly, the coconut wax-based candles are designed with a second use in mind. The vessels in which the candles are poured are designed to be cleaned out, repurposed and reused – either as a vase, container or planter. Sustainability and respecting the environment are also key in the packaging design, with the vessels made from natural copper, brass and stone. All packaging is 100% recyclable.

Cocolux Australia’s boxes, inserts, labels are all 100% recyclable.

Mr Black Cold Press Coffee Liqueur – Storytelling packaging and labelling

Everyone loves a good story and everyone loves surprises right? United Creative, a UK based creative agency, are the masterminds behind the beautiful bottle design of Mr Black Cold Press Coffee Liqueur. It has a very masculine and sophisticated label made up of decorative details, vintage-style typography and gold detailing, which really sells the story behind the brand. But, did you notice that the label is placed at the bottom of the bottle? Aside from looking different to other liqueur competitors, there is actually a reason for the placement. As you enjoy your Mr Black Cold Press Coffee Liqueur and the bottle empties, you will notice that etched on the back is a unique illustration of an owl which only becomes visible as you empty out your bottle – the perfect excuse to have that extra espresso martini!

Mr Black Cold Press Coffee Liqueur is the perfect example of taking your labelling and packaging to the next level, giving your brand a personality and a story.

TeaPee – Rethinking packaging design

How about steering away from the traditional? This clever take on tea packaging is by Canadian design student, Sophie Pépin. Taking inspiration from Native American culture, Pépin has rethought standard tea bag packaging to give this product a very obvious identity. Rather than your traditional tea bag on a string and traditional square shape, you’ll find that they’re actually teepee shaped and attached to a stick, which geometrically come together to fit into a teepee-shaped box. With six herbal teas in the range, each flavour has different tribal patterns that adorn their respecting box. This practical and clever design also brings cultural significance to life. You can’t beat that now, can you?

TeaPee is a cute and clever way to rethink packaging design whilst giving a product cultural context and significance.

CS Lightbulbs – Making ordinary packaging extraordinary

Generally when you think of everyday products like lightbulbs, you think generic and practical packaging right? They’re a practical purchase, much like batteries, super glue or sticky tape. But why can’t these everyday items have an identity, or be presented in cleverly designed packaging? Take Belarus based electrical company, CS, who have made the uncool, cool. Illustration is making a serious comeback in the labelling world and the lightbulb packaging, designed by Angelina Pischikova, are an amazing example of this. Her detailed drawings of insects adorn the box, with the various bulb sizes representing the abdomen of different types of bugs.

Traditionally ‘practical’ items have always been sold in ‘practical’ packaging – why does this have to be so?

‘Colour Me Blind’ – The rise of sensory packaging

According to Vision Australia, there are approximately 384,000 people who are either blind or have low vision. With packaging fundamentally being visually aesthetic, take a moment to think how people who are sightless or with low vision make purchasing decisions when they are in a department store or supermarket. Alexandra Burling, a design student in Stockholm, Sweden, wanted to explore whether or not it was possible to make aesthetically pleasing packaging for people that are visually impaired. Her packaging was designed with a focus on touch, feeling and texture, removing the focus on the sense of sight as well as having relevant information about content and how to open the product written in Braille.

Is this the future of sensory packaging?

Feeling inspired? If you’ve got a unique or out-of-the-box packaging or labelling idea, come and talk to us. The possibilities are endless and we would be more than happy to bring your ideas to life.