Retro And Handmade Packaging Design Still Going Strong
February 16, 2012
Like trends in many industries — from fashion to automobiles to home decor, and yes, to packaging — waves of popularity are always evolving but are often overlapping and repeating. And one huge trend in packaging design that continues to go strong is the look of retro and vintage design.
What is it about retro packaging that makes consumers swoon?
Part of it, of course, is nostalgia. People love to reminisce about days gone by, often romanticizing the gloriousness of other eras in time to a fault (Owen Wilson in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, anyone?).
Low-saturation colors with texturizing effects, Old-Hollywood glamour, campy graphics, bold geometric shapes, hand-made designs fashioned from natural materials, and old-fashioned typefaces: These styles get consumers thinking about times like those lovely childhood summers they spent barbecuing and swimming at the lake or of the olden days when stunningly captivating sirens graced the silver screen.
But another reason consumers go crazy for the packaging of yesteryear is that much of it was, and continues to be, just plain good design. “Old design” is not equated with “stale design” — the year the design was created doesn’t directly correspond with how remarkable, fresh and inventive it feels today.
On the contrary: If any retro or retro-esque look stands the test of time and continues making waves while doing a fantastic job of speaking to audiences today, it is truly exceptional.
After all, the packaging that speaks to the consumer is the packaging that makes it into the cart, right?
Have you got a product that would work well with a retro- or vintage-inspired packaging look? Contact Ernest to see what sort of packaging solutions we can come up with to meet your (modern-day) old-fashioned needs.
