How can a brand stand out today? By providing more than just a product. We’ve put together a list of 20 impressive designs that provide a full-on experience for the consumer, whether by creating a more engaging shopping experience through social, mobile applications, immersive online experiences, in-store gatherings, or tactile packaging.
Read more about this trend in the 2017 Trend Report.
“The Adventures of 3 Bears” is a set of children’s books that is packaged in a clever and adorable way. The pages of the books come together to create a bear mask, which is sure to entertain and impress any kid.
Owl & Dog Playbooks is an independent children’s book publisher based in London and is behind the design for this playful book. Designers Yeonju Yang and Claudio Ripol founded the company and come from product design backgrounds. They aim to “see books as objects and formats to be challenged, rather than being standardized vessels to contain images and words.”
Designed by Owl & Dog Playbooks
Country: United Kingdom
Unleash a little bit of your inner explorer with SPYTAIL Black Ginger Rum. This Caribbean-inspired rum from France honors those who have ventured to the depths of the ocean with some incredibly impressive packaging. BR Zoom, Biggar & Leith, Stoelzle Glass, and Albagrafica Labels collaborated to develop a bottle and box that take the consumer on an underwater journey in a submarine.
Designed by BR Zoom, Biggar & Leith, Stoelzle Glass, Albagrafica Labels
Country: France
If you’re watching the Superbowl, chances are you’re doing some serious snacking and drinking. Unfortunately, some people will still get behind the wheel to drive home after the game, making the roads more dangerous for everyone. Goodby Silverstein & Partnersteamed up with Tostitos to bring you a bag of chips that will not only remind you that you’ve been drinking but use near-field communication (NFC) technology to call an Uber for you—and with a $10 discount, to top it off.
Designed by Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Country: United States
When you get a magazine in the mail, you’re usually most concerned with turning those first few pages and getting into the articles. But Kind Studio used packaging as an opportunity to extend the brand for Elephant Magazine. Instead of opening the box and tossing it, you’re able to make something from it—adding an interactive and simply fun element into receiving a new magazine in the mail.
“Elephant Magazine asked us to redesign their magazine mail packaging. Packaging is great opportunity to include flourishes or elements which add an extra dimension to design. With Elephant we wanted to take full advantage of this, creating something which not only reflects the playful, creative nature of the magazine, but is also a practical packaging solution. People receive their magazine well protected and can then build an elephant from the otherwise wasted material.”
Designed by Kind Studio
Country: United Kingdom
Have you ever enjoyed a beer in the shower? Indulging in a shower beer is pretty common—after all, sudsing up for a night on the town goes hand in hand with a little pre-gaming. Snask is not your typical design agency. This Swedish-based team of creative entrepreneurs dabbles in more than just branding or packaging, branching off into live action, stop-motion, and TV commercials. Not ones to follow traditional or conservative route, they aim to challenge the industry by doing things differently. They’ve got a book. They’ve got a band. And yup, now they’ve got a beer.
Designed by Snask
Country: Sweden
How adorable are these T2 Tea Mini Fruits? The packaging is somewhat angular, giving it a fun, 8-bit appearance, but inside are wonderful tea leaves. Stickers on the outside identify the brand and are similar to the fruit stickers you would see in a grocery store. And not only are these super cute teas fun to look at, they’re also eco-friendly.
“Imagine wandering through bustling markets and enchanting souks lined with alluring scents, quirky wares and exotic flavours. A basket of sweet bananas to your left, freshly cut watermelon up ahead. Inspired by bountiful fruit baskets found in bustling marketplaces, T2 Fruits is part of T2’s 2016 Christmas campaign, The Grand Most Exotic Bazaar.”
Designed by T2
Country: Australia
Iglöo Creative, Spain created a package design for a commemorative t-shirt of the 30th International Theater and Dance Fair in Huesca (Spain).
“After designing the main image of the even in which a tortoise (Flora) is the star, we decided to create a special packing in which the design is a ‘wink’ to the design of the poster.” From then the unique packaging was formed into a shape of a tortoise. His shell was used as a clear container where you can see the logo (XXX).
We love the idea of using the shape of the tortoise as the shape of the container for the t-shirt. Attendees that are familiar with the event’s posters and imagery definitely can relate the two immediately and can truly appreciate the idea. We love the continuation of the color scheme and typography throughout the collateral for the event, from the poster to tickets, pamphlets, t-shirts and the packaging for the t-shirt itself.
Designed by Igöo Creativo
Country: Spain
Find your focus. Adidas Athletics is a box full of gear to help you make the most of your workout by cutting out distractions. Coltdeveloped the packaging for Adidas Athletics based off of the idea that the best exercise comes when you’re 100% in your zone.
“To announce the arrival of Adidas Athletics, Colt were briefed to create premium packaging solutions for one of the largest cross category activations the brand has ever seen. The Z.N.E (zero negative energy) hoodie which led the launch, is designed to block out any distractions and create a zone around the athlete in which they can focus. By using pyramid foam panels more commonly associated with sound-proofing as an external element, Colt were able to create a unique solution previously unseen in the market.”
Designed by Colt
Country: United Kingdom
Who said scarves should be sold on hangers and packaged in traditional boxes with tissue paper? At Typical Organization, the “rules” are thrown out the window to make way for more playful concepts that engage with the consumer. Bold splashes of color spill out from repurposed paint cans, each representing an iconic art piece that has left a mark in history.
“Packaging design of silk scarves done for Studiomateriality. We alluded to the underlying concept of ‘The Treachery of Images’ by the surrealist René Magritte in a play with archetypical packaging formats. By using the tin, that is typically used for paint, to pack colorful 100% silk scarves we provoke the in the human mind existing hierarchies. Trying to make obvious that generally, we see things not as they are but as we think they are. Finally, we express with this design a concern of materiality and representation. Our reality is often more sign, image or symbol and we are mostly living in alienation of the real things.”
Designed by Typical Organization
Country: Greece
Pride and Glory Custom New Balance Sneakers for Olympian Trayvon Bromell
In the weeks leading up to the 2016 Olympics, New Balance asked Global Thinking to create a gift for one of the top sprinters in the world—Trayvon Bromell.
Trayvon is a 21-year-old American track-and-field athlete and specialized sprinter. He was the first United States high school athlete to run 100-meters in less than 10 seconds, setting the new world junior 100-meter record at 9.97 seconds. New Balance saw his golden potential and signed him to #TeamNB. He entered the 2016 Olympics to find out how fast a human can run.
Designed by Patrick Hodges
Country: United States
Moonshine certainly is strong stuff, and Stillhouse Moonshine doesn’t mess around. This 100% clear corn American whiskey is packaged in stainless steel cans that chill easily and are unbreakable. Sandstrom Partners designed the packaging, fulfilling Stillhouse Spirits Co.’s desire to create something truly disruptive in the spirits world.
“Our intent was to avoid cliché and pure novelty while remaining true in character and strong in attitude. The solution was inspired by the industrial strength and utility of oblong cans used for turpentine and mineral spirits to suggest a daring challenge, and therefore fun. It’s purposefully ironic as the whiskey is quite delicious–distilled and produced to the absolute highest standards.”
Designed by Sandstrom Partners
Country: United States
Here comes Duke. The first release of the Kyrie2 Duke sneaker by Nike was delivered to Kyrie, Coach K, and other VIPs in a personally labelled commemorative box. R/GA & TaylorBox designed the handmade box, of which the first edition was followed by a set of seed kits with the Nike logo instead of the individual names.
The Nike Kyrie2 x Duke Seed Kit is a true collector’s item that gives off the vibe of true luxury. Every box is handmade with the finest materials, such as the blue Canapetta which truly elevates the box quality and makes it an item that you’ll want to keep. Elements like the wood flooring and gold foil stamping make it even more sophisticated and high-quality.
Designed by R/GA
Country: United States
Masculinity meets luxury in Tool Box. This high-end eu de toilette, designed by Vishal Vora, takes the shape of a bolt and incorporates other tool-inspired elements for a bottle and packaging that appears tough and rugged. Every bottle comes in a metal tin, and around that Tool Box is packaged in a sleeve of the same shape. It truly mimics the act of opening a tool box to look inside and find exactly what you need. Aside from the shape of the bottle and packaging, the cap includes a nut and bolt design that is clever and fun.
Designed by Vishal Vora
Country: India
With a bit of imagination, kids can turn just about anything into a toy. So instead of putting Brum Brum balance bicycles into a bunch of packaging that would just get thrown away, Tu jau zini developed the Brum Box. This packaging keeps the bike safe, makes it easy to store at home, and creates even more fun for the kids.
“We call it the Brum Box, because after unpacking you don’t throw away the package, but transform it into Brum Brum’s new home, where the balance bike can rest till its next ride. The main challenge was to create a packaging, which is not meant to be thrown away, but can be re-used within activities that are directly linked to the packaged product and its new owner.”
Designed by Tu jau zini
Country: Latvia
At first glance, this might just look like any model airplane kit out there. But look again—this Limited Edition B-24 Balsa Model Airplane Kit designed by TAIT Design Co. celebrates girl power and an amazing part of American history. The pieces for the plane pop out easily, making assembly a breeze. Red, white, and blue are naturally patriotic, and the background image looks like a vintage photograph of a hangar. The simplicity with which consumers are able to see every part of the model airplane on the shelf speaks to the simpler time that the bomber is celebrating.
Designed by TAIT Design Co.
Country: United States
The Happy Meal just got a little more interesting. Mcdonald Sweden is launching a promotion that turns the iconic Happy Meal into a virtual reality headset. A soft launch where only 3,500 will be made.
The promotion is “tied to the Swedish “Sportlov” recreational holiday, during which many families go skiing. With this in mind, McDonald’s created a ski-themed VR game, “Slope Stars,” for use with the goggles. The game can also be played in a less immersive fashion without them.”
Turning the Happy Meal box into a cardboard VR set is fairly easy with perforated lines and folds, inserting the VR lenses that are included and inserting your own smartphone.
Via: Adweek
Brazilian agency saad branding+design, has come up with this conceptual packaging solution for lightbulbs. What makes this project so interesting is the sustainable factor, or the exploration of the use of the packaging for more than just its initial purpose.
“More and more people are adopting environmentally friendly habits and are more aware about the brands they consume. Investors from the South of Brazil found the opportunity to leave a positive legacy with their entrepreneurial spirit and to help make the world a better place in the sustainable scenario. The main focus of the company would be to create efficient solutions to save natural resources and money for B2B’s and B2C’s market, both in Brazil and abroad. Thus, the main challenge was to create an intelligent, bold, and, above all, inspiring brand to represent sustainability in a new way. It needed to be out of the box.”
Designed by saad branding+design
Country: Brazil
This elegant vodka packaging is beautiful. If you visit the Google Campus in the Polish city of Warsaw, you just might be so lucky to nab one for yourself. Redkroft was behind the creation of this minimalistic and geometric inspired limited edition old style flavored vodka.
“Packaging designed for Google Campus Warsaw. This is a unique gift handed by the Campus during special occasions. Silk-screen printed on high a quality paper in line with the brand’s color palette. Put together by hand.”
Creative direction/Art direction: Redkroft
Country: Warsaw,Poland
Christos Zafeiriadis designed the branding and packaging for Tap Espresso & Salad Bar, a hidden gem tucked away in the lobby of a high-rise commercial building in Sydney, Australia. Tap is proud to source local coffees and provide delicious lunch options, which even includes a salad bar with over 40 different fresh ingredients.
The identity and all the applications consist of illustrated elements that one can find in the cafe. The color and material selection alongside the industrial space create a friendly atmosphere, helping customers wind down and relax.
Designed by Christos Zafeiriadis
Country: Athens, Greece
Hired Guns Creative created an interactive packaging experience for Thinking Tree Spirits. They took inspiration from the playful exuberance of storybooks and Rococo scrollwork, while successfully evoking the lush bounty of Oregon.
“We designed the Thinking Tree brandmark for flexibility, personifying the brand as a contemplative woman collared and crowned with ornamental branches that either gently germinate or grow wild to fill the canvas, be it the small circular icon on the cap, or front and centre on the hangtag.”
Designed by Hired Guns Creative
Country: Canada
