Eye on Packaging
Exploring the latest in packaging design. Insights on marketing and branding, along with photos of exceptional packages from around the world.
Free-thinking students jolt paradigms and open minds
Reality bites. Probably nobody knows that simple fact better than packaging designers. Anyone who designs packaging for a living can rattle off dozens of times when truly great ideas got squelched in minutes by a dizzying interplay of different considerations — costs, materials, deadlines, client ignorance, sustainability, brand legacy, or just plain old fear. And that’s what makes ...... Read More
Comments (7)Blah blah black sheep?
Men are increasingly interested in beauty stuff these days. Or maybe it’s just that marketers are working harder to make those previously ladies-only potions seem okay for guys? Whatever the reason, there seems to be a lot more male-focused personal-care products being introduced that trade on traditionally female desires - including that vast wonderland of girl goop, the fight against wri ...... Read More
Comments (2)Extremely clever dual-purpose watch box
Jewelry packaging can be pretty frivolous — it’s caught in the difficult paradox of having to be substantial enough to convey an appropriate sense of luxury, while at the same time being completely extraneous the minute the product is purchased or received as a gift. But watchmaker Yves Behar has come up with a clever concept that seeks to extend the usefulness of its packagin ...... Read More
Comments (6)Flask as vodka packaging ... and that's just part of the genius
Ages ago, my brother gave me a very cool polished-metal liquor flask he bought when he was in Russia. And as soon as I tore off the wrapping paper, I immediately wondered why we don’t see more of this iconic liquor decanter used as packaging. Think about it. A flask is compact and unique, and it immediately says out-of-bounds raunchy good times — what could more appropriate to ...... Read More
Comments (6)Disaster-chic: Hip FEMA packaging concept by student
Came across this wonderful design concept for FEMA disaster-relief food packaging, done by student Ludvig Bruneau. Who woulda’ thought emergency rations could look so stylish? Great stuff. See more at The Dieline. - d!b . ...... Read More
Comments (8)Men's deodorant package channels Disneyland?
The strength of the human mind never ceases to amaze me. And the ability of seemingly ordinary objects to tap into unexpected recesses of that power is staggering. Take for instance the recent item circulating around the internet about Old Spice ‘Matterhorn’ deodorant. I’ll let blogger Ricky Brigante explain the phenomenon — at unofficial Disney website Inside the Magi ...... Read More
Comments (6)Compostable packaging ends the world!
Frito-Lay recently discovered that its new compostable Sunchips bags comes with one minor little catch - the bags are one of the noisiest things ever to plague the earth! Okay, okay, so that’s an exaggeration. The noisiest thing on earth? Really now. But it must be true. I’ve got video proof with highly scientific testing. And who is the source? None other than THE WALL STREET ...... Read More
Comments (9)Panasonic earbuds package - inspired indeed
I just saw Panasonic’s packaging for their RP-HJE 130 earbuds, designed by Scholz & Friends in Berlin. I can’t help but be impressed. Most packaging for earbuds contains this essentially formless product in a manner that merely holds it in place and protects it. But this package instead employs that limp form as a virtue by going that little bit extra to shape it into the instan ...... Read More
Comments (4)Eco-friendly Tide concept shows how malleable brands can be
Perusing around the web this afternoon I came across this great packaging design concept done by Stu Taylor, who recently graduated from North Texas and is now an intern at Pentagram in Austin. His concept for Tide Essentials, and eco-friendly Tide are featured on uber design site The Dieline. There’s lots to like with this one. I think what impresses me the most is how well the design pre ...... Read More
Comments (1)PBR as premium brew - crazy or genius?
Okay, we all know that good packaging can go a long way to shifting the public’s perception of a brand. But does the charisma of the container have enough power to instantly shift one of the most lowbrow brands into an ultra-premium name? Apparently the folks at Pabst Blue Ribbon think so. Either that or they’re up for a marketing challenge that borders on the ludicrous. In China, t ...... Read More
Comments (3)Packaging design ain't easy -- if you want it right
For everyone who rolls their eyes at the goof ups, blunders and missteps of corporate branding efforts take note — this stuff is hard. Take for example those darlings of the branding world, Method. For all their progressive ideas, open-minded creativity, and laudable design sense, they admit to missing the mark on their dish soap packaging not once, not twice, but three times over the last ...... Read More
Comments (1)Sustainable packaging: Edible cups?
From Inhabitat.com comes these very interesting edible cups. According to the site, the cups were created by design consultancy The Way We See the World for Gowanus Studio Space’s second annual Jell-O Mold competition. Now, to be 100% accurate, the cups aren’t actually Jello, but agar. That said, they’re just as edible and they’re said to have a similar squishy texture ...... Read More
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