There are numerous trends impacting packaging and design. From health, sustainability, seemingly handmade and bespoke offers, down to crazy new flavour combinations.

1. What trend(s) are having the most significant effect on packaging and design?
There are numerous trends impacting packaging and design. From health,
sustainability, seemingly handmade and bespoke offers, down to crazy
new flavour combinations.
The biggest challenge for larger brands is to stay true to their brand values,
despite ever-changing trends and category dynamics. We know some trends
become fads, and yet others have longer lasting impact. The key is to hold
steady, but also lean into emerging consumer trends to stay connected and
relevant.
To refresh a brand and packaging purely to capitalise on a trend is risky for
larger FMCG brands. Perhaps offering a new flavour, sub-brand or endorsement
can capture the trend, without fundamentally changing the parent brand.
Consider a limited edition, or a collab with another brand to tap into consumer
needs, seduce new users and importantly give your existing consumers a reason
to stay.
Smaller, niche brands can afford to be more agile and jump on trends. Think of
the explosion of beverage offers. But their challenges are different. They may be
able to harness the trend quicker than the bigger players but also risk becoming
redundant with the fad. Or they may only be created or known for that single
proposition. Their platform must be bigger than the trend to carve out more
than a quick win.
How well are FMCG brands adapting to these?
Balancing latest trends with the fundamentals of branding is a constant
challenge for marketers and designers alike.
Brands are more likely to fail in the longterm if they’re based purely on an
aesthetic trend, a passing nutritional fad or simply a millennial whim. But if
underpinned with a genuine compelling platform and point of difference they
stand a chance. Layer in principles of good branding: standout, brand
relevance, distinctiveness and emotional connection then you've got insurance
for future proofing.
Make sure your brand, despite any trend has the following:
Standout - ‘cut through the clutter’ is a phrase used for decades. And whether
it’s framed through neuroscience, semiotics, colour theory or a magical
combination of all that and more, the principle remains the same: if consumers
can’t find your pack on shelf, they won’t buy your product.
Relevance - a beautiful pack design, an innovative product idea, a clever pack
format. They can all help deliver sales but not necessarily long term brand
equity. Category trends and competitor dynamics can impact what a brand
has to say to stay relevant.

2. There is a need for brands to simply stay updated, fresh and modern in the face
of an ever-changing, dynamic category. Regardless, it’s important to stay true
to your brand values and deliver products that are relevant to your consumers
and not get distracted by your competitors.
Emotional connection - whether we call it brand story, narrative or personality,
the most successful brands all find a way to connect with consumers on a sub-
conscious level.
Dare’s recent launch of Triple Espresso was hugely successful for them because
they capitalised on a trend - energy - but paired it with the relevant and
engaging Dare coffee brand story.
Likewise, Wallaby Foods has built a strong brand around natural, better for you
products. By bringing oat-free porridge into the cereal aisle they tapped into a
wellness trend, but stayed true to their brand personality and commitment to
taste.
What categories/products should be addressing these trend(s) through
packaging and design?
Consumer behaviour varies across categories - including time evaluating
purchase decisions, importance of provenance and ingredients, value for
money. But across all categories consumers are drawn to brands that stand out,
that make an emotional connection and that are relevant.
And while it’s important brands pay attention to trends - it’s essential to
evaluate them against the brand’s heritage, values and equity to
understand which trends are worth imbuing into a brand.
How can your business help?
It’s a core B! Brand ethos that strategy and creativity share the stage. We find
the sweet spot between logic and creative to deliver brilliant brand outcomes
that are commercially effective.
This approach perfectly positions us to help brands remain relevant in the face
of increasing consumer interrogation - bringing appeal and reassurance
through design. And balancing niche brand appeal with shelf standout and
shoppability.
We work with clients and identify brand equities that must be retained and
similarly what can be evolved to modernise, refresh and tap into consumers
ever-changing needs. To do this we look at semiotics and key codes of new
trends and look to use those to strengthen a brand’s standout, relevance and
emotional connection.

3. Wallaby Porridge
Bounce into your morning
Challenge:
Wallaby Foods has leveraged its unique combination of Byron Bay sunny
optimism, innovative products and premium natural ingredients to establish itself
as a wholesome snack brand. This created a perfect platform to extend into
other categories, bringing the goodness of Byron Bay superfoods to the
breakfast table through development of an oat-free porridge, the first of its kind
in Australia.
Solution:
Wallaby’s product is full of wholesome, tasty ingredients including almond meal
and coconut. Meaning it’s a delicious gluten-free alternative to everyday
porridge.
This gave us license to maximise the taste appeal of our design, heroing the
ingredients through beautiful food photography and cameos. A vibrant natural
colour palette is lifted by the signature Wallaby illustration style. The brand
hierarchy focuses on the unique benefit of the product (oat-free) to allow ease
of location for consumers.
A distinctive pack that stands out in the sea of mass produced cereals, carving
out a new product category for a beloved Australian brand.
British Paints
Redesigning an icon
Challenge:
British Paints is an iconic paint brand with a rich history that is well known to
older consumers but less so to a younger audience of novice painters. At a store
level, there was little to pull apart the various brands, adding to the confusion
for new entrants into the category. To address this B! Brand was briefed on re-
positioning the British Paints brand and packaging.
Solution:
B Brand! freed up the British Paints brandmark from the masthead enlarging the
‘BP’ icon creating a strong, impactful masterbrand that sits proudly at the top of
the can.
Taking advantage of the large pack canvas we captured imagery
that was aspirational yet accessible. Simple, uncluttered, inviting images makes
painting feel achievable. Supported by easy consumer benefits that support and
reassure.

4. We simplified on pack language and colour coding to be more consumer centric.
And adopted a simple system that identifies the key usage: Walls, Ceilings etc. as
range names, reflecting British Paints friendly, no-nonsense approach.
The British Paints brand and packaging redesign is not only more iconic at a store
level, it is the perfect blend of aspiration and accessibility - simplifying the painting
process and instilling confidence.
Vitasoy Whole
Wholesome goodness
Challenge:
Building on the strong growth of plant milks and consumers seeking healthier
options in beverages, Vitasoy launched a range of innovative fresh chilled
beverages. It was vital that the brand design reflect the wholesome,
unadulterated nature of the product. And that the ingredients do all the talking.
Solution:
In a crowded and ever-changing drinks fixture, it was imperative that the tone
of the brand be calm, minimal and pared back. We fashioned the ingredients
into a kaleidoscope of goodness, creating visual interest and a unique billboard
in-store to attract consumers looking for a wholesome beverage.
Matching the bottle liquid colour on the temperamental format of shrink-sleeves
required specialist production management and patient testing. But it was
worth it! The result is a visually striking, clean and simple range that entices new
users into the brand and further proves its health credentials.Challenge: Building
on the strong growth of plant milks and consumers seeking healthier options in
beverages, Vitasoy commissioned new technology to enable them to produce
fresh, chilled beverages. It was vital that the brand design reflect the
wholesome, unadulterated nature of the product. And that the ingredients do
all the talking.