Alan Gilbody

Here’s another great example of something I’ve mentioned before.

What is the most important part of your pack? Is it the product that you’re selling? Is it the descriptor? Or is it the brand?

In a world of own brand, it’s important for big name brands to stand out and explain to the consumer why they cost more than their own brand equivalent.

If, as in the example attached, the brand and descriptor are cramped towards the top of the pack and so collapse only exposing a photo of the product inside, then you’re not really explaining to a consumer why they should pay the extra for your product. Especially as due to the reduced visibility of your key brand components it’s going to be looking like one of the own brand equivalents that it’s trying to differentiate from.

The best place for primary communication on these sort of packs, especially in the freezer sector is front and centre so that it avoids this type of crumpling.

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Craft is all about care, consideration, experience and pedigree. The pack has to hit the consumer with all of that brewing know-how and convince the consumer of it

This means playing certain category rules and if you’re going to break them in order to force some differentiation then ensure that this craft, experience and artisanship is fostered through the packaging design, storytelling and quality of print

Consumers use all of these quickly decoded signals to make an immediate purchase decision.

If as per the rather strange example below you miss out on all of that, however good the product, are you going to struggle to convince the consumer.

In this individual products instance it’s the fact that the IPA is made with surpless fresh pasta.

Poor execution can steer a consumer away before they have had a chance to understand an interesting brand story.

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Never waste space on pack .

Launching a brand into a supermarket is incredibly difficult process. Once you are in there, you have to do everything in your power to get the consumer to see you and understand you.

It’s an opportunity to tell the consumer a story and explain why your product best matches their needs.

This space is a premium so why waste it? Have a look at this pack from Toilet Duck. Is often difficult to see the area behind a blister pack, it can often be very difficult canvass to work with. That said, bold statements, colour, texture and punchy iconography is perfect for these awkward areas so that the pack visible from a distance.

Leaving that real estate blank makes the pack look unfinished and misses out on a golden opportunity to talk to your consumer.

You’ve paid for the space, never waste it.

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If there’s something strange, in your supermarket shelf, who you gonna call?

I know, it’s a cheap gag, or probably verging on a dad joke but when naming products it’s incredibly important to make sure that your product isn’t misinterpreted for something it clearly isn’t.

That tends to remove credibility and authenticity.

So at the naming stage, sense check it, give it to lots of people and encourage them to pick holes in it because it’s better to find out then rather than when it’s too late.

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We often have challenges in fitting information on the back of pack. But when there is an abundance of room, there is no reason for text to be so small you can’t read it.

Have a look at this example with my hand as context

Consumers pick packs up in store. They read them. They explore them before purchasing. If you are selling products that require steps and stages for it to be used, your back of pack should always be accessible

Miss out on the legibility and what is bought for convenience will be seen as anything but.

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What is it and what is it for?

This is a really important question for any brand if it wants to stand out on helf. Too many don’t answer these 2 basic questions leaving consumers confused.

The attached is an example of just that.

I challenge anyone to tell me what this product is

Even after a quick search online for the product, it’s not completely obvious at first glance what this is, who would buy it and why.

Any ideas?

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As I mentioned on my post last week about the Mr Beast jerky, there’s a delicate balance that needs to be struck if celebrities are endorsing packs.

I wasn’t familiar with this duo although I’m sure many are but I wonder if the amount of real estate awarded to them, is helping sell the product or is it using up valuable space that could be put to better use showcasing the benefit of what it is the product offers

Whilst this may be completely apparent for the people who follow the channel, it’s always tricky to use celebrity photos as a selling tool to get new consumers in if they don’t know who they are

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It’s not just competitors you have to deal with on shelf. Sometimes it’s the shelves themselves.

Fussy is a great product. But it isn’t the loudest. That combined with small canvases means it’s often overlooked by consumers or hidden by the fixtures and fittings.

It’s always worth looking at your product in its competitive environment and designing with that in mind.

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Should the brand colour signal problem or solution?

You’ll be amazed at what consumers take in subconsciously.

Whilst red can provide a great beacon on-shelf, it’s not possibly the best colour to use for a product that aims to soothe and cure an itchy scalp.

Always cue the benefit. We decode the emotion before reading the words.

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Standing out on shelf is never the problem. Standing out in the right way is where it gets interesting.

This cooking oil pack is a great example of that balance in action.

It takes a very modern approach. Clean, minimal, and deliberately stripped of traditional category cues.

The vertical logo works hard. It catches the eye and creates a strong, contemporary presence.

But in doing so, it also starts to borrow heavily from visual language we typically see in personal care.

The format, the finish, even the overall feel. It leans closer to something you might find in a haircare aisle than in cooking oils.

That creates an interesting tension. On one hand, it drives standout. It looks different, which is valuable in a crowded category.

On the other, it moves away from some of the cues that signal taste, quality, and authenticity. The things people instinctively look for when choosing a cooking oil.

There is an opportunity here.

How do you keep that modernity and distinctiveness, while reintroducing just enough category cues to reassure and guide?

Because borrowing from other categories can be powerful, it can refresh and reframe. But without the right balance, it can also create a small moment of doubt.

And in food, that moment matters.

The most effective designs tend to stretch the rules, not ignore them entirely.

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