A New Approach to Branding: Transforming Packaging Design

The latest trends and innovations in packaging design will once again be on show at FACHPACK this year. Henning Schmidt, Managing Director of Honeypot Designstudio der taste GmbH, is already taking a look at the latest developments.

A guest post by Henning Schmidt

Branding of the Leicht und Cross brand for a new product category on the snack shelf

Times of crisis and times of change have a direct influence on our perception and therefore also on packaging – the wrapping of everything we consume. Protecting the goods is not the only focus; packaging is more, is communication, is a statement and reflects the trends of our society. Symbolic images of mountains of packaging characterise consumer resentment; however, packaging is better than its reputation. Change has fully arrived here, be it in the choice of materials, the circular economy or in specific packaging design.

The following trends are visible on the shelves today:

1. Breaking Category Codes

Start-ups and international labels such as Oatly are changing the visual habits of German consumers. Detached from codes such as milk splashes and green pastures, there are trendy designs on the shelves that are recognised by consumers in their surroundings.

The craft beer wave is clear evidence of this. The new beer is wild in its typography, naming and packaging and has been ignoring the codes of the established beer market for years. Even if sales of craft beers seem low, they have broken the graphic rules and have had a recognisable influence on every relaunch of established beer brands.

Gustavo Gusto dispenses entirely with the learned codes of frozen pizza and stages the white carton almost as a street art panel. Funny slogans and humanising typography are used to convey the category's different nature and tap into new target groups. The important thing with this concept: only those who know and understand the codes can break them smartly.

Hand holding two bottles of soft drinks — Labels on WINU brand pomace paper for Winade and NuSpritz

2. Branding is King

A brand creates orientation and security for consumers and is an important anchor in uncertain times. Strongly branded packaging holds the product ranges together and allows for a bigger-than-life experience, as with the Kellogg's brand, which has learnt so much that it even puts the brand typography in the bleed to play sovereign product brands underneath. At Heineken, too, you can sometimes only recognise 50% of the brand name on the six-pack without losing the brand.

The standardisation of containers makes a brand asset disappear - in other words, “make the branding bigger”. Consistency in typography, logo and colour is the basis for strong branding and enables a playful and exciting approach.

3. The New Reduction

In recent years, packaging design has been measured by shelf impact. As a result, many sales arguments took the form of seals and advertising messages on the facings. But now that you can order food to your home with your thumb, like nimble Gorillaz, this information seems obsolete. The pack shot in the app is significantly smaller than the product on the shelf, and second and third messages are barely recognisable. Branding and product must be clearly recognisable here. Reduction is a logical trend if a brand has to work in e-commerce and on the shelf. New reduction for more clarity and branding.

4. Individualised Sustainability

The jungle of sustainability, fuelled by whataboutism among consumers, is becoming increasingly confusing, and for good reason. No two product categories are the same in the sustainability transformation. For some products, reusable is the right choice, for others material reduction (as champagne makers have just done) or the use of alternative materials. Too much emphasis on this transformation has often been penalised by consumers as greenwashing.

Each category must be considered individually and find its own path to sustainability. Reusable is certainly exciting and deeply rooted in consumers' minds as the country of origin of the hard currency of a "crate of beer". However, reusable is only one way and must be considered in each category. The design of a packaging must struggle to find an individual path and this should also be authentically reflected in the design later on.

Paper Craft from the start-up Brizza for an innovative pretzel pizza — PaperCraft from the start-up Brizza for an innovative pretzel pizza

5. Perceived Naturalness

The consumer's desire for sustainable materials is undeniable. Paper, i.e. fibre-based materials, is usually associated with this.

Many brands are already realising this consumer desire, with Odol toothpaste appearing in a paper look rather than the metallic white look.

Whether the CO₂ footprint is reduced here is always an individual judgement and is often not sustainable. Nevertheless, we are seeing more and more paper-like designs that convey naturalness and craftsmanship in a cardboard look and aged brown colour. Recognisable on the screen and tangible on the shelf – the power of paper.

Packaging design, like packaging production, is changing rapidly. The codes of the categories have been broken, making the design more diverse in its graphic home. Established design often comes across as staid and does not appeal to younger target groups. More courage to break the mould, always under the premise that the design clearly communicates the product and the brand in the app or on the shelf. Successful packaging design needs clarity and branding more than ever. At best, it fulfils the consumer's wishes through the choice of materials. Despite all the change, nothing works without clarity in design.