Outside the Box Packaging from Around the World

Product packaging went in some amazing directions this year! The bleeding edge, as always, was powered by Adobe.

This year marked some very exciting new developments in the world of packaging design. The first is all the new technologies that are transforming the industry. With the launch of Dimension CC, you can now visualize product shots, packaging designs, and branded collateral in real-world settings. In addition, the new Esko Studio release enables packaging designers to design their packaging directly in Illustrator CC easily and simply without the burden of technical details. Lastly, HP’s SmartStream Mosaic has also enabled a level of personalization in packaging that’s never been seen before.

Secondly, designers from around the world continue to inspire us with amazing concepts this year. We thought we’d share some of them with you:

Packages that create buzz.

CS Light Bulbs packaging was inspired by fireflies and insects. By exposing their product in selective areas, CS creates a seamless blend between the actual product and their designs. The results are elegant, breathtaking, and definitely buzzworthy.

Image Source: Angelina Pischikova and Rodion Kovenkin on Behance

DIY packaging.

Great packaging should help tell the story about your product. Traditionally, the visuals, including the colors, typography, and layout, accomplish that. The National Geographic TV channel, for example, wanted their audience to know about the variety of programs they offer, so they created an interactive, tactile calendar. The more senses that a package engages, the more memorable it becomes.

Image Source: David Bowen on Behance

Variable packaging.

Variable printing technologies like HP’s SmartStream Mosaic make it possible to cost-effectively personalize packaging, which has led to expanding creative possibilities in the packaging space. Some examples include Heineken’s quest to design 2000 unique bottles. Or the Smirnoff campaign below.

Image Source: Marco Serena on Behance

Lighthearted packaging.

This fun packaging concept creatively offers the function of assembling two products, two different brushes — one for big jobs, as a moustache, and the other for cutting or retouching, as a goatee — with a single piece of cardboard printed on both sides.

Image Source: Simon Laliberté on Behance

Wearing the package.

Help your audience envision what your product looks like or how it works. Captain Cotton Socks does this literally by featuring their socks where they usually are found: in shoes.

Image Source: Marcel Sheishenov on Behance

Surprise packaging.

This Red Bull packaging concept by Ivona Cindric finds a creative way to accentuate the special edition Red Bull cans featuring the Sinkovic brothers, famed rowers who won many medals. When unpackaged, it reveals the row boat, or “shell,” and oars, with the cans resembling the Sinkovic brothers.

Image Source: Ivona Cindric on Behance