2025
Packaging Trends

Dynamic Disruption

With an increasingly crowded marketplace and the growing influence of social media and digital shopping channels, packaging needs to disrupt and engage now more than ever. Studies show that brands have only a few seconds to capture a consumer’s attention as they scan the retail shelf or scroll through an e-commerce site. One-of-a-kind packaging can attract attention and disrupt the eye in a sea of sameness. Some brands – like Graza Olive Oil and Spiceology Spice Rubs - push the boundaries with unexpected packaging unique to their respective product categories. Marketing and venture capital consultant Michael Miraflor calls the trend “chaos packaging,” and it was recently featured in a Wall Street Journal article. “Packages that cause some kind of cognitive dissonance are more likely to capture the attention of shoppers than traditional boxes, bottles, and cans,” Miraflor said. “That appeals to brands, particularly as advertising becomes more expensive [and] suppliers battle for shelf space.”

According to a Nielsen study, 64% of consumer decisions to try a new product are influenced by the visual appeal of the package.

Custom primary and secondary package designs with unique shapes, sizes, silhouettes, colors, closures, and materials can also create disruption and attract consumers. Berlin Packaging’s Studio One Eleven^® design and innovation division created award-winning custom packaging for Patricks brand of men’s grooming that breaks the personal care mold. The elegant, rectilinear, aluminum-accented, 100% custom package forms – inspired by elements from both personal electronics and automotive design – contrast dramatically with the category’s ubiquitous circular jars and tubes. Spiceology uses aluminum cans for their beer-infused BBQ rubs. Aluminum cans are not commonly found in the spice aisle, helping the brand stand out on shelf as something unique and special. Berlin Packaging helped navigate tough filling challenges since the cans are not run on a typical beverage canning line. Both these disruptive packaging solutions differentiate from the competition and create engaging user experiences.

Interactive Experiences

Today’s consumers crave unique experiences, and package design plays an increasingly important role in creating these moments. Packaging is evolving beyond product protection and visual appeal to help engage and connect with consumers through interactive innovation.

Digital tools like QR codes and near-field communication (NFC) technology allow consumers to interact with brands in more robust and engaging ways.

A quick phone scan redirects shoppers to a brand’s website to view product tutorials, browse products, read reviews, discover ingredient information, learn about a company’s social or environmental initiatives, and more. Studio One Eleven created a custom bottle for Remus Babe Ruth Reserve, a special collector’s edition with a limited release of 10,624 bottles, one for each of the Babe’s plate appearances. Each bottle is numbered and has a QR code on the back label that allows consumers to scan and find out what Ruth did in their bottle’s numbered plate appearance.

The growing popularity of social media, influencers, and product posts has also elevated the role of packaging and emphasized the importance of creating interactive experiences. Social is growing as a shopping channel, with Mintel research finding that nearly half of consumers have made a purchase through social media. Creative and interactive package design elevates the brand experience and encourages people to post videos unboxing or recommending a product on social media. Think outside the box and explore unexpected shapes, structures, materials, finishes, and surprising details that encourage interaction. Berlin Packaging has extensive experience developing interactive secondary packaging for brands of all sizes. We created a custom terrarium package for La Mer’s Regeneration Serum. The product sits inside a soil pod housed in a 100% biodegradable tube. The insert card is printed seed paper, which can be planted inside the terrarium to grow either mint or lavender.

Sensory Engagements

Beyond interactive experiences, packaging can appeal to enjoyment-driven consumers by engaging the senses.

According to GlobalData, “Due to self-isolation, boredom, and anxiety, many buyers started seeking more exciting variations of everyday goods and services they purchase.”

They note, “Younger consumer groups are particularly experience-driven and are willing to pay more for an enhanced brand experience.” Consider a scratch-n-sniff feature for fragrance products in air care, home cleaning, and beauty care. Tactile elements like soft touch, unique textures, and engravings encourage consumers to engage with the package in unique ways. Color-changing technology can be used to demonstrate freshness, efficacy, or playfulness.

Berlin Packaging has extensive experience developing packaging solutions with custom shapes, unique textures, pop-up elements, LED lights, and more to help brands create sensory engagement. We created an award-winning beauty advent calendar for Shopper’s Mart that includes a simulated fireplace that lights up when opening the case. We also helped create a limited-edition Artjar for RéVive’s Moisturizing Renewal Cream. The brand collaborated with Lele Sadoughi, an accessories designer known for her adornments. The diamonds on the label have a 3D effect, adding a unique tactile experience and transforming the jar into a piece of art.”

Sustainability Innovation

Given ongoing consumer demand, retailer requirements, government regulation, and corporate commitments, sustainability is making our annual packaging trends list for the fourth year in a row. Euromonitor notes, “Circularity is the strongest driver of packaging development, as pressure grows for packaging not to end up polluting the environment, supported by consumer sentiment, corporate pledges and, increasingly, by regulation.”

2025 will be a big year for eco-friendly packaging as some of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods corporations face looming deadlines to meet their sustainability goals.

Over the past several years, many companies have made an effort to reduce virgin plastic usage, promote recyclability, and eliminate waste with refill and reuse systems. This year, energy efficiency, water consumption, greenhouse gas reductions, and material circularity will remain in the spotlight. This includes lightweight solutions, mono-material packaging innovation, biodegradable materials, and more.

Berlin Packaging’s sustainability team conducts lifecycle analyses (LCA) to help our customers quantify their product’s environmental impact over the course of its entire lifecycle. With LCAs, we can calculate a product’s environmental footprint, including its carbon footprint (greenhouse gas emissions) and water, mineral resources, and fossil fuel use. We helped Branch Basics Oxygen Boost transition to a flexible pouch that weighs 89% less than a plastic container and holds twice the amount of product. This results in reductions of 14.6 tons of CO2 emissions every year in shipping.