2017 Packaging Trend Predictions

We were fortunate to be asked by Bevnet to contribute to their Industry Voices piece discussing design and packaging trends for 2017, their impact in the non-alcoholic beverage category, and how they will evolve over the next year. You can read that piece featuring our creative director Fred Hart here. Our design team had some more to offer on the subject, so check out Interact’s additional up and coming trend predictions.

CUSTOM STRUCTURES

Brands are beginning to recognize the value of unique structures, and are more willing to incur additional costs if it means their product will stand apart from others in their categories. Alcoholic brands have been embracing specialty packaging for a long time, and non-alcoholic beverage brands are starting to echo this mentality. Simplistic products like bottled water have a major prospect to gain attention by using unique structures. This can also give them the opportunity to elevate to a higher price point. [caption id="attachment_4188" align="aligncenter" width="600"]

Stillhouse Moonshine breaks the mold of glass bottles in liquor category by utilizing a metal can structure typically reserved for paint thinners like turpentine and acetone.Source[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4182" align="aligncenter" width="600"]

Icelandic's bottle imitates the sharp ridges of ice glaciers, making for a refreshing take on bottled water. Source[/caption]

PRINTING TECHNIQUES

We saw a rise in CPG brands beginning to utilize different printing techniques such as spot matte & gloss in 2016, and we feel that will only continue to grow in 2017. The snack and beverage categories show the most potential to see experimental printing techniques in use.[caption id="attachment_4189" align="aligncenter" width="582"]

Krave Jerky’s Artisanal line stands out with vibrant color combinations and illustrative elements, but the way light plays across the spot matte and gloss printing creates a striking contrast which draws the eye in more than relying on one or the other. Source[/caption]

TEXTURE

Textured packaging has also made its way into the market, creating a different sensory experience for consumers. More beverages are featuring embossment, textured printing techniques, and unique materials. [caption id="attachment_4190" align="aligncenter" width="609"]

Rare Batch Beer relies layered visual elements to create the illusion of texture, but also utilizes embossing and conceptual die cuts to create a memorable beer-drinking experience.Source [/caption][caption id="attachment_4191" align="aligncenter" width="600"]

Creating a tangible experience goes a long way. Ritual Chocolate goes beyond the package and brands the product itself with the texture and logo stamped directly into the chocolate.Source[/caption]

CONCEPTUAL ILLUSTRATION

Illustration can be huge part of making a brand stand out on shelves. It's become one of the most popular ways of establishing a unique brand voice. A new wave of illustrators have been brought on board in the beverage industry that bring visual impact and story-telling to their work.[caption id="attachment_4192" align="aligncenter" width="600"]

Life WTR uses vibrant and artistically driven illustrations to provide intrigue about the brand. Source[/caption]

PUNS & HUMOR

Pun and humor design is gaining popularity as a new way to engage consumers with an emotional and memorable response. The laughing strategy will likely get more and more pronounced moving from having simply funny copywriting to quirky visuals as well.[caption id="attachment_4193" align="aligncenter" width="600"]

Elderbrook drink labels are focused around illustration and lighthearted copy describing the contents of the beverage. Source[/caption]

PAIRINGS

Food and beverage pairings has been a huge trend over the past few years. Beer, cheese, coffee, wine, and more have been able to gain incremental lift by pairing with other products. Industry-leaders in the non-alcoholic beverage industry are beginning to draft that as well! Alcoholic and non alcoholic inclusions in drinks can be used not only to create lift, but also digital impressions via social recipes & sharing. Could there be a brand or aesthetic that drafts off that success more directly?[caption id="attachment_4194" align="aligncenter" width="500"]

Izze creates beverage combinations of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties, and engages their consumer base with the hashtag #friendsdaynight, which encourages their audience to share these drink creations.Source[/caption]

SMALL BRANDS

Small brands are challenging the major CPG players by swinging for the fences and finding a way to make their small, provocative stories personal. We're seeing a lot of fledgling companies break from category conventions with the use of illustration, bright hits of color and patterns, and foresee this continuing into 2017.[caption id="attachment_4230" align="aligncenter" width="594"]

Capello's is a Colorado based company specializing in high-end gluten free, grain free products. With the use of shapes and patterns on an entirely black and white palette, they are successfully setting themselves apart from all other products in the category. Source[/caption]

THE HUMAN TOUCH

As brands continue to reduce their ingredient lists and bring the product back to nature, this will be reflected in the packaging design. Using humanistic aesthetics, the design trend will be to visually convey the good-for-you nature of the product. The focus will be on brand and origin stories, batch numbers and call-outs promoting key health benefits and reduced ingredients.[caption id="attachment_4196" align="aligncenter" width="600"]

Campbell's Gourmet Bisques are characterized by handwritten type for each variety, implying the simplicity of ingredients.Source[/caption][caption id="attachment_4197" align="aligncenter" width="600"]

Dram Apothecary extended their line of bitters into a line of sparkling waters. The hand written type, watercolor texture and callouts for no calories or sweetener lend to a home made aesthetic, while remaining appealing as a premium beverage. Source[/caption]We're looking forward to seeing how some of these trends will manifest in the coming year. Stay tuned to hear more about our predictions, featured work, and observations!