European Packaging Insights

7.10.2017

One of our favorite things about traveling is getting the opportunity to soak up packaging design from cultures outside of the US. Dig in for a rundown of some overarching trends that some of our team members have seen in their European travels.

PHOTOGRAPHY ON PACKAGE

Using photography can bring big personality to a brand. Coupled with interesting typography and layouts, these image driven labels draw lots of attention to themselves on shelf.

9 Meals from Anarchy Uncorrupted Organic Veg Stock jar with a black label and yellow hand-lettered type

Adam's Organic Cold Pressed Chocolate Mint pouch in deep purple with an illustrated balance scale

Ancient Harvest Pow! Pasta Meals Italiano box in red showing a bowl of penne with red beans and peppers

Bare Organic Baked Crunchy Fuji and Reds Apple Chips pouch in black with a red apple and a dried chip

Beyond Meat The Beyond Burger tray holding two plant-based patties in kraft-colored packaging

BOLD TYPE SOLUTIONS

Typographic choices like unconventional fonts and making objects into letters lend an edge to food packaging, and can speak volumes about the brand.

Iced Bhakti Chai Coffee Blend glass bottle with an orange and blue mandala label

Biena Chickpea Snacks Sea Salt bag in bright blue with a window showing roasted chickpeas

Birch Benders Classic Recipe Pancake and Waffle Mix pouch illustrated with autumn trees and a pancake stack

Bobo's Lemon Poppyseed Oat Bar in a yellow wrapper with a cartoon woman holding a baking tray

STRATEGIC WINDOWS

Product windows are being seen more and more as a sign of transparency and authenticity in food. Companies are becoming innovative in the way that they use these windows, often having them mimic the shape of the product so that it becomes seamless with the overall package design.

Bolthouse Farms non-dairy Plant Protein Milk in vanilla, a white bottle with a blue band and cap

Angie's Boom Chicka Pop Light Kettle Corn bag in pale mint green with magenta lettering

Boulder Canyon Avocado Oil Canyon Cut Sea Salt kettle chips bag in yellow with a bowl of ridged chips

COLOR BLOCKING

The banality that minimalism is capable of inducing can be easily overcome by using bright, playful colors to differentiate SKU's. When lined up side by side on shelf, they create an appealing rainbow.

Brami Snacking Lupini Beans Garlic and Herb pouch with a blue line-drawn Roman soldier

Townshend's Brew Dr. Kombucha in Love flavor, an amber bottle with a lavender cap and label

Bulletproof unflavored Collagen Protein pouch in orange, green and white

Chirps BBQ tortilla-style cricket chips bag in kraft brown and red with a cartoon cricket

VIBRANT ILLUSTRATION

Illustrations can create a unique, hand-rendered feeling for products. Using contrasting colors and textures sets this type of packaging apart from some of the more structured options on shelf.

Chobani Strawberry on the Bottom non-fat Greek yogurt cup with strawberry artwork

Cucina and Amore Quinoa Meal cup with artichokes and roasted peppers on a green and white sleeve

Delighted By Snickerdoodle dessert hummus tub with a clear domed lid and cinnamon-stick label

Check out the full gallery of images below!

Dirtylemon plus charcoal bottle wrapped in bold black and white horizontal stripes

Doctor D's Sparkling Probiotic Mandarin Orange bottle featuring a mustachioed man in a top hat

Dry Sparkling Ginger soda can in white with a mustard-yellow botanical illustration

Emily Fruit Crisps Crunchy Pineapple pouch with painted pineapple and foliage artwork

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies box in blue with a stack of cookies

Epic Bites Uncured Bacon Pork and Sea Salt pouch in gray with a pig illustration

Essential Living Foods Organic Superfood Trail Mix pouch with cacao, mulberry and goji artwork

Evo Hemp pineapple almond raw cold pressed protein bar in a gold wrapper with a pineapple icon

Evol Gluten Free Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese frozen box showing a bowl of elbow noodles

Fire Cider dietary supplement bottle with a hand-drawn tan label and a black cap

Food Should Taste Good Blue Corn Tortilla Chips bag in navy with chips and scattered seeds

Forager Project Creamy Dairy-free Cashewgurt in strawberry, a cup with fresh strawberry photography

Four Sigmatic Reishi Mushroom Elixir Mix box in teal holding 20 packets

Gaia Herbs Golden Milk turmeric powder in a glass jar with a teal label and white lid

Good Grain High Fibre Puffed Wheat cereal box in lilac with a bowl of cereal and berries

Harmless Harvest coconut water bottle with a green cap and hands cradling a coconut

Health-Ade Kombucha Pink Lady Apple in an amber bottle with a navy anchor label

Hilary's Broccoli Casserole Bites frozen pouch in orange showing round veggie patties

Hippeas organic chickpea puffs Sweet and Smokin bag in yellow with a chilli pepper graphic

Hodo Soy Spicy Yuba Noodles box showing a plated tangle of tofu strips on slate

Hope organic hummus in Kale Pesto, a tub with a yellow lid and teal base

I Heart Keenwah Herbes de Provence Quinoa Puffs bag with puffs arranged in a heart shape

Inspiral Raw Purple Corn Kale Chips bag in white with a curly green kale leaf

Justin's Classic Almond Butter jar beside a single-serve squeeze packet

Kettle and Fire Beef Bone Broth carton in black with a flame graphic and a red band

Kind Healthy Grains Dark Chocolate Chunk granola bar in a red and black wrapper

Kite Hill Soft Fresh Original almond milk cheese tub with a blue label and three teardrop shapes

La Croix Cran-Raspberry sparkling water can in pink with blue script lettering

La Tourangelle Delicate Avocado Oil in a green and cream metal tin with a white cap

Lee's Ghee Plain Jane organic clarified butter jar with a black elephant graphic and black lid

Living Intentions Activated Superfood Popcorn bag in Tandoori Turmeric with coated kernels floating around it

Little Bird Fire Syrup white bottle reading it's hot but it's sweet but it's hot

Love Beets mild vinegar tray with a hot pink border and dark cooked beets inside

LoveRaw Turmeric Chai Latte carton, orange and white dairy free drink with almonds and cinnamon

Love the Wild frozen Barramundi with Mango Sriracha Chutney single-serve box

Mary's Gone Crackers Super Seed Classic organic gluten free cracker box

NadaMoo Pistachio Nut dairy free frozen dessert pint with a green band and white lid

Noosa blood orange finest yoghurt tub with a red lid and red drip graphic

Nuttzo Organic Power Fuel Crunchy seven nut and seed butter jar with a red label

Ocean's Halo Chili Lime seaweed chip pouch in black and green

One Culture Foods Chinese Chicken Noodle instant cup with bone broth, yellow and blue

Otto's Naturals Cassava Flour stand-up bag in white with yellow and red graphics

Patagonia Provisions Wild Sockeye Salmon box with an illustrated silver fish

Brain Butter jar of pale blue royal blue algae spread labeled The Neuroprotector

Paleonola Grain Free Maple Pancake granola in a bright orange stand-up pouch

Hunter Gatherer Sprouted Pili Nuts Raw Cacao pouch with a tan geometric pattern

Pop and Bottle Cacao almond milk bottle with a black cap and minimal label

Purely Elizabeth Blueberry Hemp ancient grain granola pouch in navy and white

Quinn Super Kale Popcorn bag with a corn cob illustration and Farm-to-Bag banner

Rebbl Maca Mocha coconut milk elixir bottle in tan and brown

Ripple Original plant-based half and half bottle with a gold cap and blue chevrons

RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt protein bar in a black wrapper listing its ingredients

Saf Raw Protein Bites in Raspberry and Cherry, a red, pink and white snack pouch

Skratch Labs exercise hydration mix pouch with lemons and limes in pixelated art

Seamore I Sea Pasta Tagliatelle seaweed pasta pack in blue with a plated dish

Skinny Salamis Black Angus Beef mini salamis pack in black and maroon

Siete Grain Free Sea Salt tortilla chips bag with a bright striped serape pattern

Siggi's Icelandic style skyr vanilla yogurt cup with a vanilla flower drawing

Smart Sweets fruity gummy bears pouch with red, yellow and pink bears

Soul Sprout Blueberry Burst sprouted nut bar from Two Moms in the Raw

Sound Sparkling Green Tea glass bottle with grapefruit and mint, green label

Steep Echo Ascent olive leaf tea box wrapped in turquoise and navy patterned paper

Suja Organic Drinking Vinegar in Strawberry Balsamic, a red and pink bottle

Terra Original sea salt vegetable chips bag showing parsnip, taro and sweet potato crisps

Tio Gazpacho Clasico chilled soup bottle in red with a black spoon graphic

The Ginger People organic Ginger Juice bottle with an illustrated ginger root character

Tillen Farms Spicy pickled Dilly Beans jar packed with green beans, blue label

Udi's Gluten Free Soft and Hearty Whole Grain Bread in a yellow and green bag

Upstart Kombucha Lemon Ginger bottle of cloudy pale brew with an orange label

Urban Foods Superfood Bites pouch in Black Currant and Lemon with sliced fruit art

Veggie Noodle Co. Butternut Spirals in a clear tub of orange spiralized squash

Vermont Village Turmeric and Honey apple cider vinegar shot in a bottle-shaped pouch

Vigilant Eats Superfood Cereal cup in Coconut Maple Vanilla with a foil lid

Vital Farms Alfresco pasture-raised egg carton with chalkboard-style lettering

Vive Organic Digestive Balance wellness shot in a pale green bottle with a blue swirl

Wilde BOLDR Peach BBQ slow roasted beef bar wrapper with a bull illustration

Wunder Workshop Golden Chai turmeric latte blend pouch in gray and gold

WTRMLN WTR cold pressed watermelon juice bottle with a rind-patterned label

Cawston Press juice cartons in a row with green apple illustration and bold flavour type

The Fine Cheese Co Toast For Cheese boxes with cracker photography and cheese pairings

Whole Earth Golden Organic Corn Flakes box with woodcut trees and corn husk illustration

Wunder Workshop turmeric latte blend pouch in slate gray with a gold foil circle

Lisa's Organic Craft Crisps bag with black and yellow folk-art mountain and flower artwork

The Giving Tree broccoli crisps pouch with a hand-drawn tree and green leaf lettering

Emily Veg Crisps pouch with a painted vegetable collage behind cut-out serif lettering

Coldpress pumpkin and beetroot juice bottles with black wraparound labels and a snowflake mark

Two Savse Super Purple raw smoothie bottles with white circular badge lettering

Rejuvenation Water apple and mint bottles lined on a shelf with white caps and minimal green typography

James White Ginger Zinger, Turmeric Juice Zinger and Chilli Zinger shots beside MOJU ginger and turmeric boosters

Savse cold-pressed smoothie bottles in Super Green, Super Blue and Super Purple next to B.fresh and Coldpress

Chilled shelf of Virtue energy water, Tenzing, Vivid matcha green tea and three Tapped birch water cartons

What a Melon watermelon water carton beside Water Works cactus and watermelon waters in kraft-brown packs

Love Kombucha I am a Ginger and I am a Blueberry bottles beside a green Go Kombucha China White bottle

Retro Cadburys Lucky Numbers gift bags in cream, purple and orange with bold numeral illustrations

Hand holding a London Beer Factory Sayers Stout can in brown and white with the brewery roundel

Reverse of the Sayers Stout can showing an illustrated bare-knuckle boxer with tattoos and a moustache

Innocent Super Smoothie poster showing Invigorate, Energise and Recharge bottles above piled fresh fruit

Two Black Sheep cold brew coffee flask bottles, one pale blue label and one navy, on a cafe counter

Grey Goose vodka bottles in matte blue with a silver flying goose emblem and chrome band

Hand holding a Solares mineral water glass bottle with a small worn cream label

Vida orange juice glass bottle turned to show the ingredient panel over a bold orange and black wrap

Vida naranja juice bottle with a large graphic V and orange illustration on an orange label

Equinox kombucha bottles in ginger, pomegranate and lemon with sunburst mandala labels beside Go Kombucha

Rebel Kitchen Mylk cartons in chocolate, banana, vanilla, coffee and matcha green tea with cartoon characters

Cadbury Twirl 4x2 twin bars multipack in purple foil with gold script lettering

Jameson Lively and Bold whiskey gift cartons with detailed green and blue engraved illustration

Cabreiroa still mineral water bottle with a blue label showing a stand-up paddleboarder silhouette

Solan de Cabras manzana and multifruta bottles with gold filigree pattern printed on clear glass

Mahou Negra dark lager bottle with white script lettering and a long descriptive paragraph on the label

Hand holding a Tyrrells sea salt and cider vinegar crisps bag with a vintage black and white photo

Cotswold Cider Co Sideburns Real Good Cider bottles with woodblock lettering and a whiskered portrait

Higgidy pie boxes, one with a painted peacock illustration and one with a green geometric fan pattern

Sheba cat food multipacks stacked on shelf with a grey cat photo on black and copper packaging

Bottlegreen elderflower and pomegranate cordial bottles with botanical line illustrations beside Bensons

Shloer white grape and red grape sparkling juice bottles with flowing script beside Appletiser

Schweppes tonic water and slimline tonic bottles with the yellow swirl label on black

Fever-Tree Premium Indian and Naturally Light tonic water multipacks with gold and silver tree graphics

Wolfys porridge pots in nutty honey, spiced pear and ginger, and creamy berry with paw-print branding

Tassimo Costa cappuccino and americano pod packs in silver foil with red Costa swoosh

Jordans Country Crisp Chunky Nuts and Strawberries cereal boxes with a farmhouse landscape illustration

Nestle Shredded Wheat and Honey and Nut boxes in yellow and brown with hand-drawn lettering

Two Nestle Bitesize Shredded Wheat boxes in yellow with a large blue 100 percent graphic

Co-op Swiss Style Muesli box with a blue label panel over a rustic shot of a muesli bowl

Pukka herbal collection and detox tea cartons with symmetrical botanical illustration in colour and blue

Tyrrells mature cheddar and chive crisps in a yellow bag showing vintage-dressed women holding a cheese wheel

Jordans Frusli raisin and hazelnut chewy cereal bar boxes with fruit and nut photography on white wood

Jacobs Selection cracker box in orange and black with topped cracker serving photography

BrewDog Punk IPA and Nanny State bottles with blue and green pixel-block labels and the dog crest

Cotswold Brewing Co Premium Lager and Haus Lager bottles with red and white script on dark glass

Bespoke Brewing Co Saved by the Bell and Leading Light ale bottles beside Bespoke Cider Co Jolly Roger

Celebrate Health Indian Butter Chicken and Chinese Beef Stirfry recipe base pouches in white and pink

Heinz Classic soup cans in chicken, vegetable, tomato and oxtail lined up on a supermarket shelf

Loyd Grossman tomato and basil, tomato and chilli, and puttanesca pasta sauce jars

Nakd Cashew Cookie multipack box in blue with torn-edge shelf tray reading Make the Switch

Greens Gluten Free Glorious Pilsner bottles with a teal label and large copper letter g

Co-op Italian tomato puree tubes in red and white with a scattered tomato pattern

Co-op British Double Cream pots in blue with a Union Jack band along the base