The future of packaging: how drinks design is going more than skin deep
Aaahhh packaging. The head-turner. The cargo-protector. The product’s finest outfit. However you look at it, great packaging is essential to a brand’s success. Now more than ever, that success depends on deeper connection. Consumers are looking for brands that they can relate to – ones that share their values, reflect their aspirations and look towards a brighter future. In 2021, packaging carries greater environmental, financial and emotional weight. Here are a few examples of how packaging design is going more than skin deep…
Successful drinks brands have always told rich and complex stories behind their products. Now, we’re seeing a trend of those layered histories being expressed in big, bold and impactful ways through the iconography on the front of the pack.
Campari Soda’s packaging redesign is a prime example. It takes the bottle’s memorable conical shape and turns it into a distinctive brand asset in a way that both reflects its past and represents its future. Coupled with a classic typeface and retro elements, the design is set to help Campari Soda reach beyond its Italian fanbase to connect with an increasingly international audience.
In our recent packaging refresh for Pilsner Urquell, we’ve also taken their prominent icons of craft and heritage, from the brewery gates to the wax seal, and given them increased prominence on the bottle and can. The packs now have one, consistent look across both domestic and international markets.
“Creating distinctive brand assets isn’t about reinvention. It’s about looking to the rich history of a brand and uncovering and elevating aspects of its story through design.”
It’s not only the appearance of packaging that’s changing, but the materials it’s made from that are getting an overhaul. With an increasingly environmentally conscious audience (and for good reason!) consumers are changing their buying habits to help reduce waste.
With Pilsner Urquell’s new bottles, this eco-friendly approach was something that fundamentally shaped our design. When creating our new look, we removed the foil and the plastic labels and replaced them with 100% recyclable, premium-quality paper for a more sustainable bottle. We also used elegant embossing to increase tactility and elevate the brand’s status.
“When it comes to protecting the environment and delivering great design, it’s not a case of one versus the other. The best design is considerate to its core, and that’s what we advocate at Purple.”
Carlsberg have also removed the plastic rings from their can packaging, creating the ‘Snap Pack’. It uses innovative glue technology to hold the cans together, reducing waste, and cutting carbon emissions.
Many drinks brands are moving towards less traditional materials to make their bottles. Both Absolut and Johnnie Walker have recently announced industry firsts – paper-based bottles for storing their spirits. Absolut’s prototype is made of 57% paper (from sustainably sourced wood fibre) and 43% plastic (which can be recycled after use), and Johnnie Walker have worked with Pulpex Limited to release an 100% plastic-free bottle later this year. Interestingly, where Absolut’s paired-back look lets its eco-friendly material shine, Johnnie Walker’s matte black shell isn’t as quick to visually vocalise its environmental credentials. We can’t wait to see what they’re like in the flesh.
We’re living through a truly unique time, not just locally but globally – and the shared narrative brought on by COVID-19 has made it possible to create limited-edition packs that talk to an audience all going through the same experience. Particularly in the drinks industry, where the ways people are enjoying drinks and sharing moments together has moved from bars, pubs and restaurants to living rooms and gardens.
In partnership with Mr Bingo, Camden Hells Brewery created a tongue-in-cheek take on their Camden Hells bottle. It captures the exasperation felt by many people who are sat at home drinking their beer, rather than in a lively pub on a Friday night. Selling out online within just 24 minutes, all of the proceeds were donated to NHS Charities Together.
As well as creating an aptly named ‘Lockdown survival kit’ pack of beers, Brewdog have also released a number of bespoke cans throughout the pandemic including ‘Lock Down Lager’ and even a ‘Barnard Castle Eye Test’ in response to the British MP, Dominic Cummings, breaking lockdown regulations.
In these instances, both brands shared their packaging development processes with consumers online, using social media as their litmus test and to create a buzz around the packs before they were released.
So, what do we predict for the future of packaging?
Eco-friendly materials will be increasingly important in appealing to an environmentally conscious audience – previously just a factor in the decision-making process, they’re becoming a dealbreaker.
Icons a brand can stand by will be essential to get products heard and demonstrate the craft behind them.
More and more packs will respond to a specific moment in time to connect with consumers.
We’ll see an increasing number of brands getting consumers involved in the process of developing their packaging.
Ultimately, if you’ve had a hand in the creation of a new pack, share the ideals of the brand, respect their icons and heritage and are just downright delighted by the design, then you’re sold – even before your first sip.