The packaging has become, in some cases, more famous than the product itself
Thinking outside the box, going beyond the imagination, and stimulating the senses are the fundamentals of creating an original and appealing packaging. Initially very simple, over the years, the packaging has become, in some cases, more famous than the product itself. Adopting new shapes and innovative materials, designers create authentic masterpieces to amaze the customers.
Sight and touch are among the most stimulated senses in the field of packaging. Take, for example, that of Smirnoff Caipiroska proposed in 2011. The company entrusted the creative agency JWT Brasil to create a paper wrapper with a fruit texture around the bottle. Opening the paper from the top - through a diagonal incision on the form - gives the sensation of peeling some fruit.

Photo: @ISSUE
Creating emotion is another crucial aspect of packaging. A striking example is the Blue Box by Tiffany & Co. Elegant, simple, with a color that "warms the soul," wrapped in a soft white ribbon. This is one of the longest-lived packagings in the world. An exclusive icon of luxury, the box is made from sustainable paper and recycled materials. The Blue Box represents an example of packaging that has become as famous as the product itself. In an interview with the New York Sun in 1926, Charles Lewis Tiffany recalled that some customers entered the store only to buy the famous box. He refused to sell the package at any price but would have been happy to donate it if the customer would buy a jewel to put inside.
From architecture to design, from fashion to cosmetics, from food to wines, the dispute between tradition and experimentation is firm and compelling. Even if they remain with one foot in the past, many brands do not give up a pinch of innovation. Chanel amazes its customers with some novelties with its elegant boxes, sober colors, and minimalist graphics. The famed "Chanel N.5" perfume - and other cosmetic products - are wrapped in sets that leave everyone amazed.
On the other hand, some designers forsake tradition to pursue innovation and create something unique, such as Vital Farms. The egg company uses augmented reality in its packaging. Fully reflecting the brand's soul, the carton's design - with hand-drawn illustrations - emphasizes that its eggs come from free-range chickens. Using an application, consumers can bring the design to life directly on their phones. As the Italian designer Riccardo Falcinelli quotes:
Packaging is not just the wrapping of a product,
it is rather the keeper of his soul and his history.
The marketing rules follow aspects of the psychology of colors, with each color generating a different perception or reaction. For example, in food packaging, warm colors entice the appetite because they are associated with energy and dynamism. The handcrafted products - which recall the earth - are combined with the brown color. Green is used for organic ones. Blue is associated with fresh products and white with dietetic ones. Colors such as black, gold, and silver are instead used for the precious ones.
Creativity, eco-sustainable materials, three-dimensional shapes, and innovative graphic techniques encourage professionals to evolve and create increasingly exciting designs. An example is a Squeeze & Fresh drink mug. A dynamic label - illustrated with a fruit - accompanies the consumer during use.
Russian designer Nikita Konkin has transformed different types of hair into creative pasta packaging. Good Day Hair Pasta is a playful idea born to emphasize the diversity of female beauty.
By perfectly combining function with aesthetics, the packaging designer uses all his imagination, identifying himself with both the consumer and the brand itself. Examples of Smart Packaging now populate the world and intrigue the consumers by encouraging them to buy one product instead of another.
Fun and dynamic, this branch of design is continually stimulated by multiple factors. At the same time, it contributes to promoting the people's imagination, confronting them each time with innovative packaging created with new materials or techniques. The art of packaging stimulates our desire to change and evolve, the same desire that we need to improve ourselves and overcome life's challenges.