Insights / Perspectives

The Art of Disruption: How Creative Packaging Is Redefining Brand Engagement

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. Unique packaging can attract attention and disrupt the eye in a sea of sameness.

Unconventional Use of Stock Packaging

Some brands push the boundaries with unexpected packaging unique to their 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.” Berlin Packaging provides unexpected packaging for Spiceology. The brand uses aluminum cans - typically used for beverages - for their BBQ-inspired spice rubs. Our team helped navigate tough filling challenges since the products aren’t filled on a typical beverage canning line.

Spiceology

Custom Design Solutions

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 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. These disruptive packaging solutions differentiate from the competition and create engaging user experiences.

Patricks

Special Secondary Packaging

Secondary packaging is often the first interaction consumers have with a product, but it can be overlooked and under-valued by companies. There is a lot more to secondary packaging than paper cartons. It can take many forms and use many materials, including flexible pouches, paper tubes, rigid boxes, shrink sleeves, and carrier packs. Effective and innovative secondary packaging can improve shelf impact, create unique and memorable user experiences, elevate brand perception, and add value. Berlin Packaging created disruptive secondary packaging for Onnit Labs Alpha Brain Black Label. The sleek cylindrical paper tube stands out from the competition and feels special and premium. The matte black tube opens like a gift to reveal the beautiful glass bottle inside, with interior silver foil details adding an element of surprise and luxury.

Onnit Alpha Brain Black Label

By: Moira Stein
Date: February 19, 2025