Reflecting your brand personality is a must to resonate and connect with your potential customers. Storytelling on packaging is an art and an added value that the best brand owners know and execute very well. Here are 5 keys for great packaging storytelling.
Packaging is not only a way to deliver your product nicely but also to show your brand story and create a real connection with your customers.
Showing the authentic story behind the product help to attract the potential buyers, who will notice that before they even realise what is it. It is what connects the human aspect behind the product. According to Marty Neumeier, author of Brand Gap, by connecting a product features to consumer emotions, a package can increase sales by up to three times. Sometimes even more. Here you’ll discover the 5 keys for great packaging storytelling.
Where to use storytelling?
The great thing about storytelling in packaging is that you can do it anywhere you want:
- On the physical label and/or on the box
- In the digital product description
- On social media
- In videos
- Even with your customer service!
Storytelling doesn’t have to stay in just the product wrap. It can expand everywhere where the product is.
5 Keys for great Packaging Storytelling
1. Know (deeply) who your potential customers are
It is not possible to start any design project if you don’t know who you’re designing for. Get to know your customers and create a packaging customer profile for your product.
2. Think what is your unique value proposition
Is it more emotional or rational? Is it straightforward? What does it bring to consumers? Once you have it, find out what can you tell with it.
3. What is your brand personality
Know how your brand speaks, how it communicates and how it looks.
4. Think what kind of brand feeling do you want to convey
Stories help trigger emotions. What emotions do you want your customers to feel when they hold your packaging?
5. Make all design elements communicate your story
It’s not only about writing your story down. The fonts, colors, illustrations, shapes and textures must communicate this story as well. The whole packaging design has to speak.
Examples of great packaging storytelling
Source: The Dieline
Oatly is definitely a brand that has left us all speechless. This tiny but ambitious Swedish company that makes oat-based vegan drinks didn’t have much budget for media and advertising. So they decided to treat their packaging as their main advertising place.
But behind this informal-looking design, there’s been a lot of meticulous, detailed and smart work that perfectly mixes design, irreverent copywriting, custom typefaces and illustration. As the founder said, “Why don’t we look we just made these packages ourselves in the basement? And then people will pick them up in the shop and say “What’s this?” And it they turn the side of the package, the idea is they will start to read, and if they start to read then they have to buy it.”
Oatly has become many consumer’s favorite milk alternative. Definitely the packaging design played a huge role.
Source: Seedlip
The strategy behind this non-alcoholic drink is to reimagine a new language to represent the natural ingredients distillation. All elements from the packaging design represent this new way of viewing how the world drinks. The custom made illustrations form a subtle ‘S’, and the Seedlip monogram illustrates the heritage of the distillation process and serves as a seal of brandsign-off. The bottle which has a pharmaceutical feel, reinforces the spirit’s medicinal roots, while a copper cap and details elevate the brand and serves as a reference the copper still used to create it. Definitely this design has all elements in place and with a reason for being.
Source: Meurisse
Meurisse is another case worth mentioning.
The concept behind this beautiful and elegant packaging for Belgium chocolate is to capture the spirit of escapism. With each packaging, there is a fleeting moment of transportation to another place. “Each bar acts as a portal, allowing that momentary opportinuty to escape and travel the world through unique and reimagined flavours.” as the creative director said himself.
Packaging storytelling is what connects the human aspect behind the product, and a way to truly convey your brand story and your message.
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