Now, more than ever, brands need to find ways to stand out from the myriad of competitors. But, in looking for ways to change the face of their sector or category, brands also need to address our changing environment. It’s about bringing packaging into line with principles and finding ways to impress without the excess.
Two new brands already mentioned here on Popsop are the Kenco Eco Refill Pack and what’s being dubbed the ‘naked’ Coke can.
No one can doubt Kenco’s commitment to sustainability and it’s ongoing work with the Rainforest Alliance. The new pack uses 97% less packaging than the glass jar and their link up with Terracycle to upcycle the empty packs into everything from shopping bags to umbrellas is truly admirable. But, dare I say it, it does look a bit worthy and overstating the point at the expense of brand.
Harc Lee’s vision for a colourless Coke can is no less admirable in terms of its eco credentials and the huge amount of energy and paint that could be saved. And, personally, I think that it is a more desirable design proposition.
When Coke rebranded to a highly documented new level of simplicity last year, the brand maintained a strong sense of self to reinforce and refresh its ‘real thing’ message; a message it bolstered by also understanding and tapping into the cultural shift from distance to connection where authenticity and simplicity play a big role. And this stunning and simple new incarnation would tick all the boxes in terms of visually and culturally moving the icon forward, staying true to and reinforcing its core values and visual equities – and, of course, saving energy.
Today, design does, of course, need to be more than just skin deep. We have to focus on the 360 degree life cycle of brands from product composition to post-consumer waste but we must not forget the pivotal power of the packaging design. This is, of course, the most important element in conveying the truths that brands stand for and which, in turn, creates the consumer desire for them. In terms of embracing a new ‘enviro-mentality’, we need to design out the bad, the unnecessary and the excess and find clever ways to truly impress a new visual message upon us.