Remember the packaging of yesteryear? Packaging in the 80’s and 70’s was focussed on imagery, and put pictures of the products on the spotlight, but what about packaging before 1970? Retro packaging, as it is otherwise called, is making a significant comeback nowadays. What makes the font-heavy packaging trend so popular nowadays?

Riding The Hipster Wave With Retro Packaging

The modern hipster trend has set industries alight as consumers try to find authentic and original products, services and recreational activities with which to fill their lives. The same trend has made an impact within the packaging industry too, as brands attempt to emulate the packaging used during Western civilizations baby-booming golden years.

The effect has a number of benefits for brands that want to incorporate retro packaging into their product line-up:

  • Retro packaging makes a great temporary packaging design during a marketing campaign. Before you ask why it shouldn’t be used as permanent packaging, we’ll disclose the ‘why-nots’ in a few moments.
  • Retro packaging design can make a young and hip brand seem really cool and ‘in-touch’ with the past. Does that sound cheesy? Of course it does, but this is partly why such a strategy works. Big bold fonts and bland colour combinations go a long way in standing out from all the other products on the shelves.
  • There is often a positive emotional attachment to nostalgia for consumers, and we all know just how important emotional investment is for your product.

So let’s all use retro product packaging in future, right? Wrong. Although retro packaging does stand out and can reflect a funky brand, it is also ultimately seen as tacky by many consumers. This means that when you are trying to establish a brand that consumers trust, don’t fall for the retro packaging trap. Settle on modern packaging and brand marketing as a permanent product marketing solution. Rather use retro packaging as a clever way of highlighting a particular temporary marketing campaign, much like Coca-Cola successfully utilised many times during the Christmas season.

For more packaging tips and information, keep checking out the Design Packaging & Tapes blog.

If you need a product packaging solution, or you are looking for packaging supplies such as corrugated cartons and/or various tapes, contact Design Packaging & Tapes today!