Great consumer goods packaging design can be the difference between a sale and a pass.
Whether it’s a sleek bottle of gin, or a box of chocolate wrapped in shiny gold foil, the way a product looks often determines why people pick it up or leave it on the shelf.
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Think about it:
Have you ever bought something purely because the packaging caught your eye? Or avoided a product because the design felt cheap?
Packaging is the first impression, and it has to make an impact.
In this post, we’ll dive into standout examples of consumer goods packaging to inspire your next project.
Credit to Tidio
Koyah
Successful packaging doesn’t need to be busy, a well considered colour palette can capture attention without the visual clutter.
Of course there has to be a balance between being simple and being boring, but choosing the right colour palette can help.
Koyah do this perfect.
They sell nutritional supplements such as fruit and vegetable powders. By their very nature, these products are bold and colourful.
This is reflected beautifully in their packaging design as different colours represent the contents inside.
For example:
A bright yellow is the colour for the banana, whilst other ingredients are represented by shades of orange and blue.
This is a very yet simple way of communicating what’s inside a box before the consumer has even opened it.
Credit to Greater Good
Freddie’s Flowers
Freddies Flowers is a flower delivery service based in London, which makes beautiful bouquets delivered straight to your front door.
Owner, Freddie Garland, has always had a love for flowers after growing up in his parent’s flower shop.
In his own words:
We’ve grown a lot since I was packing boxes in my parents’ garden and delivering my flowers on an old milk float! But my mission to send you the most sensationally seasonal stems (packed with meaning, knowledge and creativity) is still the same.
Freddie’s Flowers delivers fresh, personalised bouquets weekly, reflected in charming packaging.
All of their flowers are delivered in high quality, craft boxes that come complete with handwritten letter forms and illustrations.
Whilst simplistic in design, these illustrations add a creative and personal touch that help to emphasise the hand curated nature of your delivery.
Hand picked and hand crafted is a powerful message that helps build brand loyalty with Freddie’s customers.
Designed by jones knowles ritchie
Hippeas
Hippeas doesn’t just taste great, they’ve got one of the best brand names too, playing on the “hippies” theme while selling chickpea-based snacks. But it’s their packaging that really sets them apart.
The bright, unapologetic design reflects their mission of doing good while tasting great, resonating with a young, socially conscious audience.
What stands out most is their bold use of colour. The vibrant yellow evokes chickpeas and radiates positivity, while the blue and green accents complete the brand’s playful, hippie vibe.
The simplicity of the packaging makes it easy to spot on crowded shelves. It’s minimal yet impactful, delivering key information quickly, which helps it outshine competitors.
Hippeas’ “simple but effective” approach, along with their brilliant branding, has clearly paid off—no wonder they’ve recently raised $50m.
Designed by Bulletproof
Cadbury
Cadbury needs no introduction!
This beloved brand has been around for nearly 200 years and remains one of the biggest names in chocolate and confectionery.
Recently, Cadbury overhauled its iconic purple packaging, refining it to maintain its bold, recognisable look.
You can check out our thoughts on the Cadbury rebrand here:
While Cadbury’s 2013 redesign by Pearlfisher was solid, Bulletproof’s recent update took it to another level, enhancing the brand’s heritage while keeping its signature purple, which Cadbury even managed to trademark (sort of).
The new design preserves Cadbury’s instantly recognisable look, from the purple and yellow of Cadbury’s Caramel to the rich purple of their chocolate bars.
This instant recognisability is the result of thoughtful branding work and outstanding packaging design.
Bulletproof’s redesign also taps into Cadbury’s rich history, drawing inspiration from the family and founder, John Cadbury. Light, textured patterns of pouring cups and ribbons from the brand’s early days give a subtle nod to its roots, while the signature logo design remains intact, although slightly refined.
All in all, Cadbury’s new packaging is a masterclass in both chocolate packaging and CPG design!
Designed by Elmwood
Macallan
A true icon in the whisky world, Macallan has mastered the art of packaging.
Designed by Elmwood, their packaging redefines an icon with a look that’s elegant, understated, and oozes sophistication, everything you expect from a premium alcohol brand.
Every single detail, from the box to the cap, has been meticulously crafted.
The label remains classic and minimal, focusing on the brand’s heritage and pedigree, while the oceanic blue box adds a modern twist with its depth and architectural form, making it stand out amongst the status quo.
This packaging design almost crosses into product design territory, showing just how far you can take packaging when it comes to elevating your brand.
Designed by Stocks Taylor Benson Graphic Designers
Morrisons Saver Range
After exploring the sophisticated world of whiskey packaging, let’s now shift gears to something more down-to-earth: budget supermarket products.
Morrisons is a huge supermarket chain and like many others, they don’t just sell others’ products and produce, but their own too. They have many different product ranges, from premium all the way down to the ‘savers’ like what we have here.
Normally, supermarket own budget and saver ranges leave much to be desired when it comes to creative packaging design.
To get it right, supermarkets need to nail their brand strategy.
Sadly though, they’re often overlooked, with the primary focus being on cutting down costs and budgets. However, just because something is a budget range doesn’t mean it has to be budget in design too!
Morrisons and “Stb Graphic Designers” have certainly shifted their thinking when it comes to packaging.
The new designs are loud, proud, and unapologetic, commanding space on the shelf with bold, in-your-face typography.
Gone are the days of uninspiring packaging – now, Morrisons offers packaging design that can stand up to the big guns, at a fraction of the price! While the packaging has been through a redesign, it hasn’t lost its identity and is still recognisable across a wide range of categories.
The Morrisons “saver range” is a great example of how you can achieve eye-catching and bold packaging design even on the smallest of budgets.
Morrisons has always had great-looking budget packaging. If you want a real treat, go back to the designs from around 2008.
Credit Pinterest
Guinness
The Guinness can design is very high up my list as some of the best packaging designs around and that is not just because I am an ale fan!
Guinness has been brewing its much beloved iconic Irish stout since 1759 and in that time, its cans have seen a dramatic evolution – but this is their best design yet.
The black can with its iconic gold harp gives Guinness a bold yet elegant presence, enhanced by sophisticated yet subtle patterns that reflect the ale’s signature creamy pour.
They have taken the wavy lines used in the shading on the harp and applied it to the bottom of the can. This not only adds depth and texture, but also represents the iconic settling out of this creamy ale, once poured.
Guinness here have well and truly lived up to their “Made of More” motto.
Check out this post for more about the best alcohol, beer, and craft ale packaging.
Design By jones knowles ritchie
Dunkin’
Getting everyones design taste buds tingling is the brand formally known as Dunkin’ Donuts. Technically, this isn’t an FMCG product in the traditional sense, but it’s too good to not include.
Dunkin’ has been around for over 70 years. If you think of donuts, you think of Dunkin’. Especially in the USA.
Dunkin’ has alway been a fun and playful brand and has never taken itself too seriously. However, the design team at “Jones Knowles Ritchie” took their packaging design to another level back in 2018.
The now specially designed “Dunkin Sans” has been used throughout the packaging to create the especially bold and fun brand image that people have come to know and love.
The packaging’s rounded typography communicates the personality of Dunkin’. It’s bold and fun.
Colour has played another vital role here as the orange and purple colour has now become iconically identifiable and acts as a very ownable mark for them.
Normally orange and purple together is a design no, no. It can look very garish and hard to look at.
However, by putting it on simple white packaging, “JKR” have utilised the garish quality to their advantage and managed to portray a crazy brand image, but in a controlled way.
No matter which packaging you look at whether it be a coffee cup or a donut box, it looks fun from every angle!
Design By Landor
Kellogg’s
Design agency, Landor, have recently taken Kellogg’s through a major packaging overhaul across their extensive range of cereal products.
The previous packaging looked old tired and a little bit dated, and now it has been given a modern refresh that’s fit for the consumers of today.
And it was no easy task!
Kellogg’s are a giant brand and have a whole host of considerations to make.
Their brand architecture alone will have caused weeks of debate. CPG brands now typically don’t just have one product to their name but instead have multiple.
However whatever your product, it’s important to consider continuity throughout your packaging design – which is something Landor has managed wonderfully in this new Kellogg’s range and packaging design!
The designs have been stripped back from what they were previously, which looked a little dated and cluttered. Instead they have taken a minimalist approach, letting the iconic colours of each cereal brand really do the talking.
This means people walking down the cereal aisle, can quickly spot their favourite brands amongst the cluttered shelves!
The new cereal packaging has a tasty looking image of each cereal bowl to really get the taste buds tingling.
Landor took care to align the bowls, Kellogg’s logo and cereal logo across each pack. This keeps aesthetic continuity across the range, making sure that no matter which pack you are looking at, it’s instantly recognisable as part of the range.
Pass the spoon.
Design By Coca-Cola
Share A Coke
When it comes to global brands, few are bigger than Coca-Cola, and their packaging design has played a huge role in their success.
The 2014 “Share a Coke” campaign invited people to find bottles with their names on them, creating a personal connection with the brand.
While this campaign was more of an advertising campaign than just packaging, it demonstrates how powerful packaging design can be.
Personalisation made it feel like Coca-Cola was speaking directly to each customer, driving a wave of social media engagement and free advertising.
Though most businesses won’t have the same budget as Coca-Cola, there are lessons to be learned.
By finding ways to connect with customers on a personal level, your packaging can create lasting impact and drive sales.
If you can make your packaging feel personal and direct, as Coca-Cola did, you’re onto a winner.
Credit to Greater Good
Ugly Drinks
Now to the other end of the spectrum, an example of a very bold consumer goods packaging design.
Ugly Drinks were originally a sparkling water brand but they have now moved into other flavours such as lemon & lime, triple berry, orange, and tropical flavours.
You can buy these drinks online from the likes of Amazon and Tesco to either purchase in store or have them delivered straight to your doorstep.
To attract customer attention in a very saturated market, they use bold, distinctive colours with a retro-like typography to conjure up a sense of interest.
The typography is also very fluid which perfectly represents the contents inside creating a strong synergy between the exterior and interior of the product.
The designs are very playful, and the typography mixed with the pastel colour palette would appeal to a younger demographic who are looking for a fizzy alternative to other mainstream brands.
Credit to Green Queen
Oatly
Oatly is a company that produce a whole range of alternatives to dairy products made from oats.
From milk, to ice cream, to yogurts, Oatly makes it possible for everyone to enjoy these products without having to consume any diary.
When it comes to their product packaging, they keep it simple and to the point.
All of their products are packaged in a pastel colour palette which makes the text to jump out at you. After all it’s the brand name that sticks in the customers’ minds and ties all of the different products together.
For example:
The misshapen and quirky arrangement of the word “Oatly” takes centre stage with its chunky, bold lettering.
Oatly are also committed to sustainability which is visually represented in their packaging as it showcases an earthy style of design and uses renewable materials.
Credit to Food Manufacture
Graze
Graze paved the way for how customers can experience convenience and delivery with their boxes of mail-order healthy snacks.
As the brand has grown, you can now buy some Graze products in shops and supermarkets, so you can enjoy a healthy snack on the go.
The snackables market is overcrowded, so the product packaging for Graze needed to be eye-catching and inspiring.
They needed to motivate consumers to try their healthy snacks instead of opting for a more sugary option. The term “healthy” can sometimes carry negative connotations with many consumers believing it to be “boring.”
However, the product packaging for Graze is far from that.
Coupling a muted earthy palette featuring purples and oranges, with handwritten typography and organic style illustrations, Graze’s snack packaging creates a sense of excitement with each delivery.
Credit to Dieline
Nourish Snacks
From one healthy snack to another.
Nourish Snacks is a food company founded by nutritionist Joy Bauer. They make a whole range of organic, wholesome snacks.
When designing their product packaging, Nourish wanted to appeal to a wider customer base.
They chose to work with branding agency Collins, who created a new brand identity for the healthy food company that aims to capture more consumers.
The designs work is inspired by memories from when snacking was less complicated and more fun, which is where the random placement of the letters was born.
The bold diagonals that carry across the packaging are reflective of the stripes seen on snacks sold at the circus, carnivals, and baseball games.
It’s a fun little idea that works well to differentiate the brand.
Credit to 2
Co-Op Alcohol Range
When it came to their alcohol branding, the Co-Op didn’t want to be perceived as second-best.
Instead, they wanted to be actively chosen by the consumer.
So they brought in Robot Food to help them step away from safe, conventional packaging design, creating a hero brand that celebrates the individuality of each product, but in a captivating and cohesive collection.
The visual identity they created ties all of the individual products together.
A consistent colour palette of blue, white, and black, as well as a silver Co-op brand mark was used to create consistency across the entire range.
These colours also help tie the range back to the Co-op master brand, employing their classic blue and white colour palette. Expressive typography and bold graphics were then applied to create a distinctive look for each product.
Credit to Shillington Education
Brill Instant Coffee
Brill Instant Coffee is a premium freeze-dried coffee business launched by the founders of DSR branding.
Unlike other coffee brands, it is made in small batches using only the highest quality of ingredients.
But if you’re a coffee connoisseur and you want to enjoy the best, then you’ll be prepared to pay a little extra for the quality.
This element of “luxury” and “quality” is carried through to the product packaging, showcasing bold geometric shapes and a bright colour palette.
It’s not messy or cluttered, as every pattern has been carefully thought-out and delivers a high-end design a result.
There is also meaning behind the different shapes, with the brand concept reimagining the flags of the places where the coffee was grown.
Whilst this idea is subtle in practice, it’s eye-catching and immediately helps Brill stand out when compared to other coffee brands.
Credit to Packaging of the World
Socilink Canned Fish
From freeze-dried coffee to canned fish.
When Socilink, a company dedicated to the marketing of selected food products, launched a new collection of canned fish, they asked Rui Veríssimo Design for a little help.
Their packaging design brief was to create a brand that presented a refined, gourmet experience whilst also being healthy.
The end result is exactly that.
The graphics on the product packaging design are reminiscent of the age-old culture of the Portuguese people, drawing on the tile tradition which can be seen through the blue and white shapes.
However:
Rui Veríssimo Design has put a modern twist on this nostalgia feel with a fresh and contemporary look that makes it fitting for the modern consumer.
The product packaging is full of personality, and while these designs feel authentic and refined, they’re not playing it too safe either.
Credit to Behance
Intermission Skincare
Cutigen Laboratories partnered with CFC to create a unique brand identity and packaging for their new skincare line, Intermission.
The design blends two key themes: science and emotion, represented by a test tube and a flower.
This balance was essential, as both the emotional and functional benefits of the product needed to be clear.
The packaging design extends this concept, combining systematic charts for the scientific aspect with elegant calligraphy to show emotion.
It’s a bold, attention-grabbing design, particularly with the hand-written “Rest-up balancing” lettering, which makes you want to learn more.
Many brands shy away from this “messy” approach, but Intermission pulls it off in a way that’s both daring and practical.
Credit to The New York Times
Magic Spoon Cereal
Magic Spoon Cereal pushes creative boundaries with its packaging, delivering an exciting experience before you even open the box.
While it’s a high-protein, low-sugar take on childhood cereal, the packaging brings fun and nostalgia to the forefront.
Each limited-edition variety pack features vibrant illustrations by Levi Jacobs and the in-house design team.
Electric colours like purple and yellow jump off the shelf, demanding attention. The playful graphics, tied to the theme of recapturing childhood, appeal to both kids and adults alike.
Magic Spoon’s packaging blends contemporary style with a lighthearted, fun aesthetic, making it a standout brand that adds extra joy to breakfast time.
Credit to Dezeen
Piccolo Seeds
There’s something about this packaging design that makes me feel calm and zen.
Piccolo is an Italian seed brand aimed at urban growers with limited space to grow things, such as a small garden or a balcony terrace.
In order to develop a contemporary visual language across their packaging designs, the company worked with UK-based studio Here Design.
These guys took their brief and created a storybook-like, illustrated approach that cleverly depicts the history of Piccolo.
This is a key aspect in engaging their target audience as it sheds light on the rewarding experience of growing your own produce.
In turn, this attracts urban gardeners from around the world and makes them excited to get started on their own project.
Whilst some might argue that using the colour green is a little cliche (after all green representing a garden isn’t exactly mind-blowing), the texture and graphics add a point of differentiation.
Credit to Adeevee
Smirnoff Caipiroska
A vodka bottle that you can peel – have you ever heard anything like it?!
Because that’s what JWT Brasil designed for Smirnoff to add something a little different to their alcohol beverage.
So, what was the idea behind it and how does it work?
Well quite literally it does what it says on the tin – a customer can peel back the packaging and reveal the bottle of Smirnoff Caipiroska underneath.
Not only is this visually intriguing and satisfying, but it also has a practical purpose.
It signifies that this flavour of vodka is fruity, as fruit has different layers which you can peel.
There’s more to this idea too, as these limited-edition bottles were sent to a select mailing list in a wooden box, the same way fruit are usually transported.
To launch the new formula of the flavors of Smirnoff Caipiroska, the Brazilian drink that is popular worldwide, we created bottles with the texture of the fruit for the flavors lemon, passion fruit and berries and a diagonal perforation, so that consumers could feel the unique experience of peeling a drink made of fruit. And we even sent the bottles in wooden crates to a select mailing list, just like the fruits are transported in large produce markets in Brazil. – JWT, Brasil
Credit to Socio Design
Clutch Bodyshop
Minimalism is at the heart of Clutch Bodyshop’s packaging design, reflecting their commitment to health and wellness.
Their bold, sans-serif typography combined with a monochromatic colour scheme creates a clean, striking look that instantly grabs your attention.
The large, sideways-printed numbers highlight the key benefits of their products, making people pause and engage.
This design approach reinforces Clutch’s core values: keeping routines clean, healthy, and pure.
By focusing on simplicity and clarity, Clutch Bodyshop makes a powerful, lasting impression with their packaging.
Unwrap the Secrets to Great Packaging: The Best Consumer Goods Packaging Design
From canned fish, to cereal, to health supplements, we’ve covered a lot of ground when it comes to consumer goods packaging design.
How these products look is absolutely paramount as this market is hugely overcrowded. Because these products are used often and replenished frequently, there are so many competing brands offering consumers exactly the same thing.
To capture attention and get put into a basket, you’ve got to make an impact. You must be memorable.
Customers don’t just pick any random product (although they might think they do) as each purchasing decision is conscious. You can drive these decisions and make customers choose you by creating effective consumer goods packaging.
But you don’t have to do it on your own. At Canny, we love working with CPG brands to create packaging that makes a lasting impression.
Let us do the same for you by getting in touch with us today.
