Packaging that Wows – More than Just a Gimmick

The plastic wrapper of the toast is only printed with a huge price label in bright orange numbers. The number “1.09” is emblazoned almost provocatively on the deep red chip bag. In September, discounter Penny launched this special edition: the packaging of five selected foods does not advertise how fluffy, fresh, or crispy they are, but simply states how much they cost – a first in the industry. “The price can also create a wow effect,” says Dr. Uwe Lebok, CEO of K&A BrandResearch. Especially in times of recession and inflation, bargains are valuable everyday helpers.

But how does a wow effect even come about? “It always depends on the zeitgeist constellation and how people are currently organizing their everyday lives,” assures Lebok. One example: if Germany was at war, all messages promising peace and hope would have this potential. Wow moments are surprising and spectacular. People talk about them, and they make life easier and more beautiful.

Ideally, packaging should also radiate this kind of appeal. “If it has a wow effect, then I look at it, and if I associate it with a brand, all the better,” emphasizes the brand expert. Consumers' attention can be attracted, for example, by creating additional occasions for an established product, such as Händlmaier's barbecue mustard or Iglo’s outdoor fries. In reality, nobody is likely to nibble on these chips in a public paddle pond. But the bag with the turquoise-blue pool in the background evokes positive associations for most people. Who doesn’t have fond memories of seemingly endless outdoor pool summers with swimming, diving, and fries with ketchup and mayo?

A fundamental question arises: is the consumer-critical Generation Z, i.e. the age group born between 1995 and 2010, still enthusiastic about packaging at all, no matter how original the design and how attractive the context created? Nina Dörrbaum, Brand Consultant at K&A BrandResearch, sees a certain contradiction in this. Many within this peer group are calling for more sustainability and resource conservation but are rather hesitant to implement this in their own everyday lives. True to the motto “Say this, do that.”

In fact, the younger generation is sending positive signals to the packaging industry: “65 percent of them agree that packaging is very important, while baby boomers are in the low 50s when it comes to this,” reports Dörrbaum from a study. In addition, the different age groups tick differently. What delights the boomer may only elicit a weary shrug from the zoomer and vice versa.

Digital natives shop online more often than older people, like to order take-out or use take-away boxes – a consumer behavior that is also reflected in packaging design. “Packaging no longer has to provide comprehensive information about the product. That already happens at home on the screen,” says Dörrbaum. As a result, there is more room for an appealing design, as with Hismile, a toothpaste brand in colorful airless pump bottles.

In addition, the trend in this generation leans towards individualization. For the outer packaging, this means that the individual product variants must be visually separated from one another. “It's a statement about what I need at the moment, and this must also be clear in the packaging,” says Dörrbaum, explaining the Generation Z mindset. MyMuesli, for example, advertises with tins featuring photos of relevant TikTok influencers.