Developments of 2020: The 12 months in packaging design
With the surge in e-commerce this year, packaging design had to work harder than ever to grab people's attention. Here Adam Ryan, head of the packaging design competition Pentawards, identifies the most important trends of 2020
Towards the end of 2020, there is no doubt that this year is going to be a memorable year for all the wrong reasons. However, in these times of struggle and need, we have seen an increase in creativity and innovation. In the world of packaging design, much of this has been an acceleration of the trends that we have already seen, but these are now really starting to rise as a result of the pandemic.
With stores closed, e-commerce takes center stage, making optimizing packaging design even more urgent for the online-only audience. In the digital world, there has been an unprecedented demand for how brands use them to build and maintain connections with new and existing audiences. This can be seen in the rise of “networked packaging”. Meanwhile, a year of social upheaval has cemented sustainability as the main driving force behind today's consumer mindset.
This is how I see these trends in the coming year and beyond.
PRESSING THE LIMITS OF THE ASSOCIATED PACKAGING
Almost everything we use in our lives has gotten "smart," and packaging goes in the same direction. Connected Packaging uses QR codes and augmented reality to bring new content and experiences to consumers and is expected to be the top performing brand company that businesses can use to connect with consumers.
Treasury Wine Estates has built one of the fastest growing wine brands – 19 Crimes – with millions of engagements straight from the box and social media, with no TV or traditional media. Customers scan the label with their cell phones for augmented reality experiences that bring the wine and the story behind it to life. Earlier this year, they announced a multi-year partnership with entertainment icon Snoop Dogg to produce Snoop Cali Red. The packaging enabled Snoop Dog to come to life in consumer homes.
Creative Insight Trends 2020