The world is getting smarter and so is packaging. As more brands take advantage of interactive packaging and NFC, design must adapt cleverly to compliment and maximise this use of changing technology.
It seems like we have been talking about augmented reality for years now so why has it still not yet gained the momentum we all thought it would? In 2012, black-and-white square QR codes started appearing in shop windows, on food labels and magazine advertisements everywhere. The success of QR codes as a means of consumer engagement has been limited. It was clear that the idea of scanning a barcode wasn’t something consumers wanted to do. Did consumers even understand their purpose?
The next big development was Blippar, now the world’s leading augmented reality app using image recognition technology to bring the physical world to life through smartphones. It has succeeded in many ways – it’s smart, fun and easy to use – but is it useful or relevant? Brands have to work hard to provide new and consistently engaging content if they want consumers to see interactive packaging as more than a passing fad. Smartphones are changing the way that we buy – no longer will we see wordy information labels on pack. Brands can educate the connected consumer in inspiring ways via their device. This creates a huge opportunity for packaging design to celebrate the brand graphically without the obligatory information.
As more brands take advantage of interactive packaging and NFC (near field communication), design must adapt cleverly to compliment and maximise this use of changing technology. If this is done well, brands will be able to challenge consumer consumptions for good, redefining the concept of great packaging.
So, how can design allow smart labeling to become an extension of the printed label in the best way possible for the brand? We identify some material innovations that brands can adopt to better their communication with their consumer on an item level.
1. Offer fun and engaging experiences. Thermochromic inks can help you stand out from the crowd. They are temperature sensitive materials that change colour with heat; from colourful to colourless or from one colour to another. These can be a great way for brands to communicate with their consumer as well as express their individuality. A well-known example is Coors Beer, who featured a graphic of mountains on the label of their glass bottles. At room temperature, the mountains were white but when cooled to the perfect drinking temperature, the mountains changed to a bright blue.
2. Make smart packaging even smarter. Brand owners are often unaware of the graphic capabilities of today’s packaging materials. From high definition prints to glow in the dark inks, design and finish will benefit brands in differentiation on shelf. In 2013, Bombay Sapphire’s Electro gift pack won 25 awards making it the most awarded packaging in history to date across all categories. It used electroluminescent ink to host a visually striking 18-second light show.
3. Communicate your brand’s changing stories. Lenor Unstoppables uses a unique bead format that offers a scent boost at the start of a wash for longer-lasting freshness. Alongside this new technology, they launched 3 new scents, Fresh, Lavish and Bliss. Their packaging invites consumers to “squeeze bottle and sniff cap” so they knew exactly what they would be getting from inside the pack. Brands can take this one step further and use special coatings that deliver a scent upon handling. This is a great way for increasing brand exposure as consumers devote more time to exploring variantation and interacting with the brand.
4. Be useful and educate the consumer. Researchers are working on an early-warning system that would enable packaging to sense changes in the condition of the packaged food and the external environment. Smart labelling and colour changes would be used to transmit those changes informing the consumer their products are no longer fresh. This development in intelligent packaging could significantly reduce food waste.
The world is getting smarter; and so is packaging. Don’t get left behind; smart labelling can put an end to complex, explanatory information on pack and open a world of opportunity for design. Technology is just the enabler for building powerful on-brand experiences.