Packaging and art: an indissoluble bond
Over time, packaging and art have consolidated an increasingly significant and interconnected bond.
In addition to its practical function of containing and protecting products, packaging is considered a form of artistic expression and visual communication, capable of influencing the consumer experience and presenting the product even before its actual use.
Today, the packaging of a product symbolizes a real distinctive trait: the use of unusual shapes, creative materials and unique designs in fact increases the memorability of the brand, differentiating it from all the others.
Art is therefore the secret ingredient to improve the consumer experience with the product. Indeed, it has been demonstrated that aesthetically pleasing packaging is able to arouse positive emotions and foster an emotional connection between the consumer and the brand.
The origins of creative packaging
Today’s creative packaging concept has emerged gradually over time and certainly cannot be attributed to a single person or a specific event, rather to the opportunity to combine art, design and safety with commercial functionality.
However, there are some pioneers in the field of design and marketing in the history of packaging, who have helped to recognize the importance of packaging for the success of a product and a brand, forever changing the fortunes of the sector.
Among these, we cannot fail to mention the famous Walter Landor, a well-known American designer and advertiser as well as founder of “Landor Associates”, one of the most renowned branding and design agencies in the world.
Walter Landor, designer and advertiser with an innovative vision regarding the relationship between brands and packaging, believed that packaging should not be considered only as a container for the product, but as an essential part of the brand experience capable of communicating values, the personality and quality of the product itself.
An approach that, over time, has allowed Landor to work with some of the most innovative and memorable brands in the world: Coca-Cola, Levi’s, FedEx and Marlboro.
Packaging and art: the brightest examples
As the production of consumer goods increased throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the relationship between packaging and art evolved from a purely practical function to an opportunity for creative expression and brand identity to emerge.
The growth of consumerism has therefore prompted companies to identify packaging as the means to distinguish their products on the market: from the introduction of labels to the creation of increasingly recognizable packaging for products, companies have begun to pay close attention to creative packaging, up to raise it to the role it plays today.
Among the brightest examples we cannot fail to mention the Coca-Cola “Share a Coke” campaign, in which the American beverage giant created customized Coca-Cola bottles with common names, encouraging people to share a Coca-Cola with friends or family. A simple initiative that has aroused great enthusiasm and consumer engagement, incredibly increasing product sales.
An even more innovative approach is that adopted by the multinational McDonalds for the creation of the McFries box packaging, where it has combined protection, convenience and design of the package: with McDonalds, the packaging of fries has been converted into a real smartphone holder, to allow customers to watch videos during consumption.