Brand Storytelling Through Packaging
Telling a brand story through packaging with Creative Director Pat Olds
Imagine you’re on a date. How long would it take you to form an accurate first impression of your partner? According to the internet, you can learn everything you need to know about someone in under seven seconds!
The so-called “seven-second rule” is silly — at least in terms of romance. However, it illustrates a point that creatives should remember when they consider how consumers will interact with their brand. Consumers will *RARELY* stop and study your brand message for more than a few seconds.
So, how can you make sure that when you make a first impression, you convey everything a consumer needs to know about your brand? The answer lies in telling a story through packaging.
Let’s break that down:
Point #0: Understand Your Brand
Ideally, before a product ever hits the shelves, a company should understand its own brand inside and out. Packaging is an extension of your brand. In other words, brand design and packaging design are inextricably linked. If your brand message is unclear in any way, that uncertainty will come through in your packaging. Just as an awkward introduction or an ill-timed joke can ruin a meeting, an inconsistent brand packaging design can turn consumers off your product.
Point #1: Put Your Best Foot Forward
Whether a consumer finds your brand on a product website, on social media, or in a real-life retail setting, the first thing they’re likely to encounter is your product's packaging.
Recognizing that your packaging is more than just a nice box to house your product is vital. You need your packaging to get across critical facts about your brand — whether you’re traditional or unconventional; premium or budget-friendly; irreverent or buttoned-up. Make a connection with a consumer in under five seconds with thoughtful packaging, and you could win a customer for life.
Point #2: Say More With Less
There’s a misconception that “good” creative packaging design must be ornate and expensive. True, some spectacular packaging CAN be elaborate. But more than anything else, effective packaging should be 1) well thought out and 2) connect to your larger brand story.
For example, let’s explore a trend in packaging design: minimalist packaging. Well-thought-out minimalist packaging could underscore that your brand cares about reducing waste and saving the environment. It could also communicate that you prioritize R&D more than marketing. But if it’s not carefully executed, it could convey that you’re cheap and don’t care about the product you’re selling.
Point #3: Balance Form and Function
I said earlier that packaging is more than just a nice box for your product. That’s still true, but packaging is also a nice box that should function as a box (or bag, or case, or whatever). Good design takes both form and function into account. Eye-popping packaging that doesn’t fit on a retailer’s shelf won’t help you sell a product.
Conversely, cranking out a perfectly normal packaging design that gets lost in a sea of competitors won’t help you either. Finding a balance between standing out and not annoying people isn’t easy, but if it were, everyone would already be doing it.
Examples of Moose developed packaging:
Key Takeaways
- Packaging design must align with a brand’s message and values.
- Packaging is your first (and maybe only) chance to make an impression with a consumer.
- Intricate design is not the same as effective design.
- Packaging has to function in the real world — not just on a computer screen.
Moosylvania is an agency with packaging design experience and know-how. When we take on a packaging project, we aim not just to develop an effective design but to tie that design to the larger goals of a brand. Want to see us in action? Take a look at some of our case studies to discover what Moose can do for you.