Image source: Packaging Europe
If you think packaging doesn’t play a major role in influencing a customer’s purchasing decision, think again. Seeing a product’s packaging is often the first experience a customer will have with a new brand and making a good first impression can definitely lead to more sales. According to a study, 81% of customers have purchased a new product because of packaging and 63% have purchased a product again because the packaging was aesthetically pleasing.
But packaging shouldn’t only be visually appealing, it should do the work of informing customers as well. Besides telling people what’s inside, packaging needs to communicate the brand vibe and what the brand stands for, as well. When eco-friendly brands use sustainable packaging, for instance, they are going one step further than just stating what they stand for, they are showing the customer through their choice of packaging materials.
If you’re in the process of designing product packaging for your brand or even re-designing it to be more appealing, read on to discover 5 creative packaging design ideas to inspire you.
1. Shwe Shwe ice cream
Shwe Shwe, a home-grown brand, makes artisan ice cream in five different flavours: Vanilla, Salted Caramel & Banana, Beetroot & Honeycomb, Chocolate and Braaied Marshmallow. Each flavour is represented by a different colour and shweshwe design printed on eco-friendly cardboard tubs.
Image source: @icecreamcommunity
Why we love this packaging: We love how each flavour is represented by a different colour and design, which not only gives the product a creative feel but also helps customers easily differentiate between and choose the flavour they want in the store. Unlike most ice-cream containers, the packaging is also made out of eco-friendly material. The fact that the brand uses Shwe-shwe fabric designs on their packaging reinforces its SA roots.
Shwe shwe fabric is a distinctive South African design that is printed onto cotton grown locally in the Eastern Cape. The fabric has been worn by South African women since the 1800s, and continues to appeal to people across Africa and beyond because of its distinctive designs and rich colours.
2. Protea wine
When Protea first started offering their wine in designer-crafted bottles, they broke new ground with this novel and creative idea. Each cultivar comes in a bottle with a different Cape-inspired print designed by South African artist and designer Mark Eisen. The designs are screen-printed onto each bottle at a very high temperature using non-toxic ink.
Image source: artafricamagazine
Why we love this packaging: Printing Mark Eisen’s designs onto each bottle transformed it from mere containers into works of art. They really are a sight to behold. But other than its aesthetic aspect, the bottles can be reused and repurposed into other useful items like flower holders or candlesticks. This, coupled with the fact that each paper label is printed with metal-free ink, makes each bottle completely recyclable, which means that they’re easy on the eye and the earth, too.
3. Oh Oat
Oh Oat is a milk alternative that comes in glass bottles that resemble wine bottles. Each bottle is wrapped in paper with eye-catching designs printed on it. According to their website, Oh Oat packaging is not only plastic-free but it’s also created from ‘high-value’ glass which is widely collected and recycled. The paper wrapped around the bottle is also made from recycled office paper. Plus Oh Oat has a glass deposit system where you can return the glass bottle to be refilled.
Image source: @oh.oat
Why we love this packaging: Oh Oat is a brand focused on sustainability and this shows in their innovative and eco-friendly packaging. They have used packaging that is not only kind to the environment but is beautiful too. The design printed on the paper wrapped around each bottle features images of people doing various activities, including riding bicycles and smelling daisies, all beautifully designed and printed in pastel shades.
4. Sxollie Xider
Sxollie Xider is another South African brand that has chosen to reflect its South African heritage through its packaging. The brand has an ‘Afropolitan’ feel and is designed with young, urban South Africans in mind.
This craft-cider brand is produced using real apples, instead of concentrate, and is brewed in the winemaking tradition. The artisanal and African aspects of the brand are represented in its eye-catching packaging and name, ‘Sxollie’, which is a playful name meaning a hustler, rebel or revolutionary.
Image source: @sxolliexider
Why we love this packaging: From the name to the packaging, everything about Sxollie Xider is uniquely South African. Each cider comes in a glass bottle adorned with an eye-catching pattern made up of ‘x’s, inspired by African pottery designs, as well as the letter ‘x’ frequently found in the Xhosa language, which is widely spoken in the Western Cape, where Sxollie is produced. This makes for a minimalist design that stands out from other cider brands on the shelf.
5. lelive Skincare
lelive is an all-natural, local skincare brand created by South African actress, model and television host Amanda du-Pont. Each product is vegan and cruelty-free, and is designed to be inclusive of all skin types and genders. The natural brand, which uses sustainably sourced ingredients, is packaged in eco-friendly aluminium.
Image source: lelive
Why we love this packaging: Each product in the skincare range comes in aluminium, which is found to be far less harmful to the environment than the plastic that skincare brands usually use in their packaging. The design on the packaging is also very minimalist and sleek, devoid of the overuse of images and text – more information on each product can be found on the outer box packaging. The moisturisers in the range come in aluminium tubes that resemble paint tubes, which adds to the brand’s unique look and feel. Overall, lelive’s packaging is not only eco-friendly and sustainable but truly unique and beautiful as well.
Key Takeaways
Most of the packaging showcased in this article isn’t only beautifully designed and innovative in its use of materials, it’s also kind to the earth. This is a testament to the fact that you don’t have to sacrifice sustainability for form and function. Getting creative in your product packaging doesn’t only have to include the design printed on the packaging; choosing your sustainable materials and non-toxic ink can be a creative process as well.
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