Packaging design case studies

There are many notable examples of packaging at its best and here are just a few personal favourites to illustrate a number of points

Especially noteworthy is some of the own-brand work done by Boots, Asda, Superdrug and Marks & Spencer. With these retailers' ranges you will see the designer's craft at its most creative. Many packs use wit to arrest attention through clever use of illustration and typography. Marks & Spencer is also driving innovation with packs that aid the cooking experience - such as its steam cuisine range - and promoting the provenance of its food by putting farmers and chefs on the pack.

Finally, there are two simple questions you can ask yourself to judge whether packaging design is great:

Is it different?
Is it relevant?
The neck design of Toilet Duck and the tiger-skin graphics of Wild Brew are both great examples of packs that pass these two simple tests.

The packaging design examples given here also answer these two questions well. And although most are food and drink examples, the lessons are transferable to other retail sectors.

 

Vitacress

A £10,500 investment in completely new look for packaged salads enabled Vitacress salads to stand out on the shelf and sales expectations increase by 40% in a year.

Debbie and Andrews packaging

Debbie and Andrew's

Super premium sausages from Manor Born sell well within a local area, but fail to capture the imagination of consumers further afield. Design agency Elmwood was given free reign to transform the brand
and monthly sausage sales rose by 57%. Read more

Innocent Drinks

How could three friends build a business to help them realise their dream of ‘making every day a bit healthier’? Using creative thinking, the trio set up Innocent Drinks, a business that aimed to be ‘a fast growing company that acts responsibly’
 

Mrs Massey's stationary

Mrs Massey's

How could a local homemade product be turned into an instantly recognisable and appealing brand? Ziggurat Brands used Mrs Massey’s personality to shape the identity of her chutney products and they're now available in Fortnum & Mason and Harvey Nichols.
 

Nusa soup pots

Nusa Kitchen

Soup sales tailed off during the Christmas season at London based manufacturer and retailer Nusa Kitchen. A new design for its soup pots became collectors items and Nusa Kitchen sold 25% more soup.

Oleifera

What’s in a name? A group of farmers in Northumberland discovered that when it came to naming their rapeseed oil it paid to work with designers and make the name part of their product’s success.