As we have mentioned before, packaging is an important factor as to how well a brand will sell. If a product is eye-catching, a consumer is more likely to purchase the product. Likewise, if a package is plain and uninteresting, a customer will probably be less likely to have any desire to purchase the product.

This can be seen overseas,  where the British Heart Group is pushing for a change in the tobacco industry and the packaging that generates the sales. The British Heart Group is pushing for plain packaging in the tobacco industry following suit of the ban that Australia hopes to put into effect by the end of 2012.

The British Heart Group is strongly urging the British government to ban all those eye-catching designs and branding on cigarette packages in an effort to stop young people from being lured into smoking. This is a great step towards creating a healthier generation, but if this ban goes into affect, tobacco industries in Britain could be hit hard and see sales drop.

Most of us know that there is a link between smoking and lung cancer, but what exactly is making people reach for the shelves to get their hands on these products? The British Heart Foundation recently released a survey that found that more than a quarter of young people make assumptions about the relative harm induced by cigarettes just from the packaging alone.

“Tobacco advertising is banned in the UK, but campaigners say the fact that tobacco companies can still use their packs to promote their brand is “an absurd loophole” in the law” (Reuters).

“The tobacco industry takes full advantage … to lure in new young smokers,” Betty McBride, the BHF’s director of policy and communications stated.

“The BHF is calling for the introduction of plain packaging which has no eye-catching colors or brands but is mostly covered with graphic warnings about the health dangers of smoking. An example of the sort of packs they would like to see is here: bit.ly/sqTlRg” (Reuters).

The survey collected responses from more than 2,700 16 to 25 year-old smokers and non-smokers and found that three quarters for those who replied thought that selling cigarettes that were in packages that were less eye-catching, had no colorful brands or logs, and had larger health warnings, would make it easier to for people to smoke less, quit, or not even start smoking. The survey also found that one in six said they would consider the pack design when deciding which cigarettes to buy; 12 percent said they would choose a brand because it was considered “cool”.

So how will this affect the sales of Britain’s tobacco products? With these results, I think that it is pretty safe to say that with plain packaging of tobacco products in Britain, there will be a decline in the amount of tobacco products that are sold.

What are some packaging design trends for 2012?

Look for 3 packaging design trends from 2011 to carryover into 2012 and become more prevalent.

Number 1:  Keep it simple. Industry specialists are moving towards packaging designs that are unambiguous, concise, and much more simplified, thereby providing consumers with greater clarity regarding product information. This trend is not new but is expected to become more and more prevalent in 2012.

Number 2:  Open innovation. This trend of mutual collaboration between supplier and designer is becoming key to packaging design success. It guarantees that the supplier has a clear understanding of what’s required from both parties, while exposing designers to new technologies – resulting in an improved end-product for client. Custom packaging can be a complicated process when communication isn’t open and the vision of the packaging isn’t shared by all parties. But when the supplier, designer, and client work together, custom packaging can become magical.

Number 3: Sustainable packaging. When ethics and ecological concerns are translated into green packaging, consumers associate a sense of well-being and security with the product and brand at hand. Biodegradability and nanotechnology are becoming hot trends in packaging designs in all industries. Look for that to accelerate during the 2012 calendar year.

Packaging has been the focus in recent years for the wine and spirits industry. The increasing popularity amongst a younger demographic (especially wine) has led to more competition. Thus, packaging that stands out on the shelves is a major advantage. Packaging designers are striving to do things a little less conventional while making the packaging memorable and creating a positive perception for the consumer.

In the case of wine packaging, it started with the label on the bottle itself. Over the past decade, wine’s popularity has increased quite a bit and wine enthusiasts are becoming younger and younger. So it’s only fitting that the wine labels are going to be designed to appeal to its target market. While wine packaging has increasingly become more colorful, fun, and vibrant, designers have been taking it a step further using unconventional methods to etch their packaging and experience into the consumer’s memory. Below are a few examples of wine and spirits packaging that are doing just that.

Do you remember hearing your Mom say “Don’t play with your food!”? Well, Mr. Chocolate takes the opposite stance.

These fun chocolate mustache lollipops are life size and come in six different models and four flavors: Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate with caramel and white chocolate. The fun design of the product and packaging has earned it a Silver Laus, and a nomination at the Fab Awards.

Pictured below is designer of the chocolate itself is Diego Ramos, an up and coming Spanish designer.

Packaging design in the wine industry plays an integral part in consumer interaction. Ask yourself, if you’re a wine drinker of course, have I ever browsed the wine section and made a purchase based in the look and design of the bottle? My answer is yes. I do it weekly. With an endless supply of wines out there, a wine without a big brand name has to stand out. How else besides a unique package? Below are some examples of wines that I might just nab off of the shelf of my local wine shop.

THE BLACK SOUL CHOIR WINE
The packaging design if this particular wine uses differentiation. It’s not a traditional look but definitely stands out and sparks curiosity. Not to mention that personally, I’m always on a quest for a good Pinot.

THE UNDERDOG WINE CO.
Again, this wine packaging is unconventional thus, it really stands out. It even says so on the bottle!

PINNES WINE
This design makes great use of color. Only one variety is shown but they choose a different color for each variety that really makes the design pop. The historic nature of this Balkan-based wine named after an old Roman Republic warrior is also a great touch.

JASPI BLANC
This is another fantastic design that would capture my attention. The foil stamping on the grape leaves really make this a classy wine design.

SIXPENCE
“Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight! Sixpence was a legendary shepherd whose descendants still work at Opstal Wines. Run by the sixth generation of the same family, the design pays homage to the most renowned worker on the farm whose grandchildren are still working on the farm today.

Clever, innovative packaging sparks the imagination and draws attention to a product. So often companies neglect packaging all together and miss a big marketing opportunity. But then there’s imaginative packaging like the examples below that go the extra mile and bring a product to life through packaging. A less is more approach with minimal package design focuses on a strong visual rather than taglines and bullet points. Who said packaging has to be boring?

Rishi Tea, maker of Organic and Fair Trade Certified loose leaf teas, is the winner of Best New Product Packaging at the 23rd Annual SCAA Event in Houston, TX. The SCAA or the Specialty Coffee Association of America is the largest coffee trade association. Each year they host an event that allows the coffee industry to come together to showcase accomplishments, find solutions for the future, and present knowledge to succeed. This years event hosted over 8,000 people from April 29-May 1. From roasters and retailers, to coffee enthusiasts and beverage professionals, this event gave everyone a chance to see innovations and trends within the coffee industry.

This events does a number of competitions, one being the Best New Packaging competition. Rishi Tea had been working on their Chai line to design their packaging so that is has minimal environmental impact. The tins are now printed on easy-peel labels that can be removed, allowing the tins to be removed. The color of the packaging is inspired by the Indian culture and feature hand drawn illustrations. The judges for the Best New Packaging base their decision on three criteria: innovation, design, and value to the industry. Rishi Tea displayed all three of these in their packaging which won them the award of Best New Packaging.

QR codes (quick response) are those black and white symbols that can be found on all types of packaging, print ads, and billboards. These codes provide a wealth of information such as text, websites, and other data that is embedded and decoded with a mobile device. All this mobile device needs is a camera and the down-loadable app and the information is unleashed. Usually QR codes are embedded with some type of promotional tool such as a contest, special offer, or an unique website. It is a great way for marketers to engage and attract consumers. These codes are designed to invite customers to participate, discover, share, save, and interact with brands.

Sun-Maid, the famous raisin brand, is utilizing QR codes to promote the animated movie by DreamWorks, Kung Fu Panda 2. Sun-maid has put these codes on their packaging to take customers to a special website where they have a chance to win a trip to Zoo Atlanta. Since entering the contest is as simple as having a mobile device, Sun-Maid hopes the number of entries will be high. They have also used Facebook to promote this contest as well. Sun-Maid brand designed their packaging with these QR codes in hope the special contest will entice consumers to buy their raisins. The packaging design also gets consumers engaged in the Sun-Maid brand as well as provides consumers a way to interact with the brand.

Packaging design is a critical decision making criteria for consumers. The first sense we use when we shop is our sight, which means we see packaging before we see the actual product. Marketers need to make sure packaging is appealing so it will entice consumers to make a choice and purchase. A new trend in packaging is going back in time and creating a retro look and feel. Retro packaging design adds a dash of nostalgia and curiosity. Below are three products that have embraced the retro trend and used the idea in their packaging design.

Doritos wanted to relaunch their taco flavor chips so they decided to reintroduce them in the original 1960s packaging. Consumers have made comments online about how much they miss the taco flavor. So Doritos listened to those people and brought the taco flavor and its retro packaging back to life. They also announced that the taco flavor will remain in the permanent product line-up.

When the very first washing machine was invented, Tide was a choice for detergent. Today Tide is still a choice for getting clothes clean. Tide wants consumers to enjoy their retro packaging, hoping it will bring some past memories back to life. Tide has been a trusted brand for over 50 years, and its retro packaging showcases how this brand has grown. The retro and vintage look of Tide’s limited edition packaging shows how it looked years ago, but has the same performance qualities we know today.

Celebrity Apprentice finalists meet 7UP as they designed retro packaging for their final task on the show. The retro look for 7UP displays the brand’s legacy from the 1970s and the 1980s. The retro designs showcase how 7UP is “The Uncola” with its crisp lemon-lime taste. It has been a great tasting brand for over 80 years, and the retro packaging lets consumers know how much it has evolved and stayed true to its roots.

Retro packaging is a creative way to bring nostalgia and uniqueness to packaging. It gives consumers a chance to see how packaging has evolved and grown. For others, it takes them back to when they got their first washing machine and used Tide to clean their clothes, or when they drank 7UP at a family picnic, or when they ate Taco Flavored Doritos when listening to the radio. Retro packaging lets consumers get involved with the packaging and product, giving them a chance to experience something vintage.

The famous bubble bath product that we all know and love is celebrating its 50 year anniversary of filling bathtubs with bubbles and fun. Mr. Bubble was invented by Harold Schafer and the Gold Seal Company in 1961 and has been a household name for many since then. Mr. Bubble has made many improvements on its packaging over the years and to celebrate this milestone, Mr. Bubble is going to go through a packaging transformation. Mr. Bubble has been updated to be a more animated figure so that it can be more appealing to children. However, the new character will still maintain the nostalgia for the ones who grew up with Mr. Bubble years ago.

Throughout this year, all Mr. Bubble products will feature a birthday label to celebrate its 50-year history. Mr. Bubble will be surrounded by bubbles, balloons, streamers, and a birthday banner. The new packaging design features brighter colors and deeper dimensions to bring Mr. Bubble to life.