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The Essential Rules of Food Packaging Design

Let’s face it – you put months or years into perfecting your product; pound the pavement getting it into the best boutique grocers or chain supermarkets; get your pricing strategy just right; but what the consumer sees and judges after all this effort is – your food packaging design. 

Packaging design is a crucial part of whether your product makes or breaks it in the big wide world of FMCG. You might use the best tasting combination of unique ingredients, give the biggest nutrient hit, or provide people the ease and comfort they need when heading home after a long day at work, but if your food package doesn’t reflect this well, or it doesn’t stand out on a busy shelf, or is simply too similar to a cheaper option, why would anyone buy it?

Successful food packaging design stands out, connects with people, is authentic, unique and answers what they’re looking for. And it does all of this in an instant. It takes years to learn and perfect this craft, but luckily for you, we’re here to share our essential rules of great food packaging design to get you started. 

Food packaging design rule #1:
Do your research

We know – after months of market and consumer analysis and testing, you’re all researched out, but do us a solid and take the time to research from a brand and packaging perspective. What are other companies doing in the space? Who is doing it well, and why? What semiotics apply to the category? Are there certain colours, fonts, materials and structures that best reflect your product benefits? What white space opportunities are there for your food package to own?  

Sultry Sally Potato Chips is a great example of a food product that, through copious amounts of research, sought to fill a glaring gap in the market – low fat potato chips. 97% fat free, gluten and preservative free, but still full of flavour, our client got the product just right. What they needed was high-impact food packaging design that reflected their key message – high flavour, low fat. 

in 2008, Sultry Sally Potato Chips filled a gap in the market for a healthy, tasty snack. Our food packaging design appealed to an audience searching out a healthier food alternative on shelf

The illustrated character clearly enjoys her chips guilt-free and helps the product stand out in the crowded crisp market. The silver bag reflects better for you, subliminally enticing those after a healthier snacking option. 

Food packaging design rule #2:
Know your story

Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of branding, dating back to many moons ago when our ancestors sat around the fireside having a good yarn. Fast forward to today, and the same basic principles apply – great brands are built on great stories that create connection, warmth, trust and, most importantly, authenticity. 

It’s crucial that you know your story before you start to build your brand or packaging – who are you and why are you in the food business? What does your food product deliver that no other product can? How do you do it better? Where does your passion for food come from? How do you create or cook your product? Is there anything unique about your methods or recipes? What do you want your customers to tell their friends about your food?

Many people starting out in the food business don’t believe they have a story and that it’s all about the product, but by asking the right questions a great story always emerges.

The Casa Gusto brand design and food packaging is centred around the story of their father who followed the circus around Italy

Casa Gusto didn’t believe they had an interesting story for their range of imported Italian food and ingredients – until we began talking about how their father first discovered the products whilst following the circus around Italy in his twenties. The Casa Gusto brand identity and food packaging designs were built from there. View full project.

Food packaging design rule #3:
Understand your target consumer

With so many packaged food options available in-store or at the click of a button online, you need to really know your ideal customer in order to build a brand that talks their language, makes them laugh or feel good about their purchasing decision, and ultimately leads them to pick up your product over the competition. 

Doyles on the Beach – Sydney’s oldest fish’n’chip shop – approached us because their existing customer base had been loyal to them for decades and, well, they were getting old. 

Doyles needed to refresh their food packaging to appeal to a younger demographic, without losing their sense of quality, heritage and story dating back to 1885 when they used to catch their product by hand line. 

We created reinvigorated takeaway food packaging design with typography, graphics, and language from the late 1880s to bring the Doyles story to life in a contemporary way, and solely used the iconic Doyles blue to drive the idea of a fresh, seaside dining experience. View the full project here. 

Doyles on the Beach wanted to update their brand design and food packaging to appeal to a younger audience, whilst retaining the heritage of the brand

Food packaging design rule #4:
Make the most of the space available

Most food packages only have very limited space, so you need to use it intelligently. There is nothing worse than a food label that is crammed with “key” messages or overloaded with unnecessary details. 

Use the category codes and semiotics from your research phase to get your message, benefits and brand story across without taking up precious space. 

The package design we created for the Guzman Y Gomez range of sauces featured photographs of real team members taste testing each product in the range. We captured their facial expressions after trying a teaspoon of sauce to authentically portray the flavour and intensity of the product in a fun and unique way that celebrates the character of the GYG brand identity without having to type out the full brand story on the bottle label.  

The Guzman Y Gomez sauce packaging designs feature real employees tasting the food product on the label

Food packaging design rule #5:
Create a smile in the mind

With all this research we keep banging on about, it’s easy to forget that consumers are people too. Nothing will help them remember your food packaging design more clearly than connecting on an emotive level – and what better way than with a smile?

When Sumo Salad wanted to drive a greater sense of freshness, connection to the farmers and community, and create a unique language for their food branding, we decided to disrupt and get a giggle by giving the ingredients real character.

The Sumo Salad packaging design features fresh ingredients with fun facial expressions to bring character to the food packageWe designed packaging stamps and badges to further reinforce the key brand messages on the box

 

Let’s talk about your brand

Whether you’re a brand manager looking to reinvigorate a multi-national food brand or an entrepreneur with the beginnings of a dream, you can talk to us. Contact us today to see how we can build the best brand and food packaging solution for you today. 

 

The Complete Guide to Restaurant Branding

With relatively low barriers to entry, it can seem like anyone with a family recipe, a healthy amount of passion, and a dream can make a go of it in the restaurant industry. However there are a number of important factors to consider to ensure you not only make it through the crucial first 12 months of trading, but that you’re set up to succeed and thrive for years to come. 

Along with negotiating supplier agreements, choosing the best location, creating a great menu and pricing strategy, and employing the right team with the right experience, developing a solid restaurant brand should be up there in your list of priorities. 

Don’t I just need a logo, some fonts and colours? 

Your restaurant brand encompasses so much more than just a logo or what your brand looks like – it is everything your customers experience in relation to your restaurant from first hearing about you from friends and checking your menu on the website, through to how your staff greet and treat them whilst dining, and even what they see on the back of the toilet door. 

We have over 20 years’ experience creating, rejuvenating and refining restaurant brands to help them connect with customers, stand out from the ever-increasing competition, and endure the ups and downs of hospitality. Here are our key recommendations for building your successful restaurant brand. 

Know your story

Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of branding, dating back to many moons ago when our ancestors sat around the fireside having a good yarn. Fast forward to today, and the same basic principles apply – great brands are built on great stories that create connection, warmth, trust and, most importantly, authenticity. 

It’s crucial that you know your story before you start to build your brand – who are you and why are you in the food or restaurant business? What does your restaurant deliver that no other restaurant can? How do you do it better? (And we are not talking about using the freshest ingredients as everyone says that!) Where does your passion for food come from? How do you create or cook your product? Is there anything unique about your methods or recipes? What do you want your customers to tell their friends about your restaurant?

Many people starting out in the restaurant business or trying to save a restaurant brand don’t believe they have a story but it’s simply a case of asking the right questions.

Casa Gusto pasta packaging design featuring circus characters to reflect the brand's unique story.

Casa Gusto didn’t believe they had an interesting story for their range of imported Italian food and ingredients – until we began talking about how their father first discovered the products whilst following the circus around Italy in his twenties. The Casa Gusto brand was built from there.

Understand your customers

With so many food and restaurant options available within a dining precinct or at the click of a button online, it often comes down to personal or group preference as to where your potential customers will go. You need to really know your ideal customer in order to build a brand that talks their language, makes them laugh or feel good about their purchasing decision, and ultimately leads them away from your competitor and straight to your restaurant door. 

The Soo Zee 23 brand identity reflects the 23 unique herbs and spices that make up their authentic beef broth with an eclectic mix of characters, heritage imagery and ingredients.

What’s in a name? Soo Zee is Sichuanese for “number” and 23 represents the number of ingredients that go into Soo Zee 23’s signature beef broth. Aimed at customers seeking a truly authentic Sichuanese experience, the logo also contains the Chinese characters for “eat” and “23”, further enhancing the authenticity of their specialty cuisine, and causing our client to literally jump up and down in joy when he first saw it. View project. 

Find your voice

Knowing your story and your customers will help you define your tone of voice – should your restaurant brand be humorous, edgy, elegant or mainstream? There is a place for all of these approaches, but what is right for you, your restaurant and your style of customer? 

Your tone of voice and brand style should apply to more than just written words. How should your staff greet and treat your customers throughout their experience, right down to saying goodbye? Should you bring personality into the restaurant with hidden pieces of messaging or imagery? How can you use your staff uniform to reinforce your voice and style? 

The opportunities to bring personality and further reinforce your brand are endless and pay dividends when people walk away with a smile or even better, share with their networks – free marketing!

The refreshed Oporto identity features authentic Portuguese tiles and language to reinforce their heritage, with images of chickens throughout to showcase their specialty cuisine.

Inspired by Portuguese “azulejo” tiles, the refreshed Oporto brand oozes authenticity, clearly represents the cuisine, and provides a smile. See how our work improved NPS 40 points. 

Restaurant branding opportunities 

Having worked with hundreds of restaurants and food brands over the years, these are the most underutilised areas we see for amplifying your brand:

Menu design

Whether it’s on the wall or handheld, your menu is something every customer is going to read or at least look at – use it to connect and push the key messages you want people to know about your brand and business, but not to the detriment of readability. 

The 6 Head menu reinforces their premium positioning using a custom leather case branded with the logo, and die cut pages featuring core brand elements.

Encased in leather, with the logo branded on the front, the 6Head menu not only feels premium, but also ties in with the story of the six head of cattle rumoured to be the first in Australia that formed the basis for the brand. View full branding project.

Wall graphics

Restaurant, fast food outlet, drive thru, market stall – they all have walls. Use this space to illustrate a key message, talk about your story, food or brand principles, or simply create a smile in the mind. 

Each Guzman Y Gomez store features a unique wall graphic that reinforces their brand heritage and purpose.

Every Guzman Y Gomez restaurant has a feature wall that reinforces the Mexican street-style roots of the brand. See our work with GYG over the past 15 years. 

Takeaway packaging

Your takeaway bags, boxes and cups should be treated as walking advertisements. Create something truly clever and/or interactive and watch those Instagram posts write themselves. 

The Chicken Treat bucket packaging is designed in the brand's comic book style and features the word

Dang! One word says it all, really. Chicken Treat fried chicken is dang good! Read more about why we used a comic book style for the Chicken Treat restaurant branding.

Let’s talk about your restaurant brand

Whether you’re a brand manager looking to reinvigorate a multi-national food brand or an entrepreneur with the beginnings of a dream, you can talk to us. Contact us on +61 2 8231 9977 or us@thecreativemethod.com and let’s see how we can build the best brand solution for you today.

Taming the social creature

BY TONY IBBOTSON

I’m going to be honest: since COVID-19 hit Australian shores, I have spent just one day working at home with the wife, kids and dog, and that was enough for me. I was lucky to be able to ride my bike into an empty office, with its vacant desks and deserted boardroom, and do the ultimate soul searching there.

Sitting back, waiting for the next wave to hit, I realised that – like many people – the thing I missed most during lockdown was daily human connection.

We are social creatures and, with the exception of some introverts, we want, seek and need social interaction. I believe this to be true in the food business too – maybe even more so. The most successful food brands will always be the ones that create the strongest emotional connection; it’s the brands that behave the most like we do that we come to love the most.

You could easily argue that things are not going to change in a hurry and the way we’re currently living and consuming will become the norm. So, as people are left to crave more and more meaningful connections, there is a growing opportunity for brands to step in and provide some comfort.

Care to connect

It might be as simple as making us laugh, smile or reminisce – how can each and every one of your brand touchpoints work harder to create and strengthen connection.

With a huge increase in food orders through delivery aggregators, you may have lost your takeaway bag as a communication vehicle. Do what you can to get it back. Look at all of your takeaway packaging and think about how you can use it to engage. It might be a story, some clever and entertaining copy lines that reinforce why you are so great and should be better friends, or a cool illustration that brings a benefit to life.

Can you make it interactive? How can you make it Instagramable? (Even if the food looks like it’s been through a tumble dryer!) Whatever it is, your packaging needs to work harder. Even the introverts among us can engage with a unique bit of print.

Personal messages on packaging are appearing everywhere and bring it on, I say. Have some fun with it, go hard and create real connections. The funnier and more engaging the better. Remember, all it can take is a few positive Instagram posts or Tweets to boost your marketing results for the week.

Entertaining sitting ducks

Drive thru – if you haven’t already, get one. I think Ikea will be doing drive thru kitsets any day now. If you do have a drive thru, give some thought to creating something interesting while people sit and wait. You have a captive audience – the guys selling advertising space in toilets have worked it out, and so should you. We want to be entertained, people! Send them packing with one clever piece of knowledge about why your brand is so great that they never knew before.

Another thing most of us are looking for during these uncertain times is a little more value. Everyone in one way or another is taking a hit so offering some sort of value will be greatly appreciated by most customers. It seems that when I close my eyes these days all I see burnt into the back of my retinas is the $3 Taco from Guzman y Gomez. Those ads are everywhere – I swear they’re stalking me – and they are going great guns as a tasty, cheaper alternative or an affordable extra.

Value does not have to come in the form of a new product – it can as simple as adding a little extra. An extra chicken nugget from Macca’s might be as rare as rocking horse poo but by jingoes would I be grateful if I ever got one!

Spinning the sensorial wheels

Is retail dead? Not according to the National Retail Federation in the United States. Gen-Z are the first true digital natives (I knew it was coming when I witnessed my 2-year-old daughter trying to swipe right on a book!) and they also happen to prefer to shop in real stores that offer a meaningful tangible experience. The natural assumption is the future is digital and it’s certainly not going anywhere, but to these kids the future of retail is not necessarily online.

“Their last great experience is their new expectation.” Gen Z don’t just want places to buy stuff but a better personal experience that resonates with them. Smartphones and iPads will come and go in different formats but nothing will replace a meaningful, tangible, full sensory, personal experience to really spin their wheels – and give them something to post on Instagram.

Being great might help us avoid the Depression

This whole COVID-19 thingy is likely to be the biggest crisis since the Great Depression. Super news, that!

The truth is that in the food space and many, many others, whether you sink or swim depends largely on how well you can learn and adapt. I’m not going to say the ‘pivot’ word but the ability to swim comes largely down to the relationship that you have with the water and your ability to move effectively within it.

We have no choice but to dive in.