Job Love | 3 Take Aways from My Visit to London's Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising

“Design is intelligence made visible” – Alina Wheeler

Considering the omni-presence of product packaging, it’s only natural a company would spend years, sometimes centuries, perfecting this critical marketing medium. Last week, I had the opportunity to visit London’s Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in Notting Hill. Though not a large space, this non-profit cultural body has a well curated collection of consumer products spanning many industries.

As I admired 120 years of commercial package design showcased through a labyrinth of well-lit cases, 3 thoughts stuck with me.

Read on for my take aways from the Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising...

Innovation shapes everything

From glass bottles and cardboard boxes, to aluminium and plastic, the vessels our products arrive in have evolved with innovation in manufacturing. Yet packaging is more than just functional, there are visual cues, social significance, and communication benefits associated with different materials. For example, health and beauty products are increasingly opting for glass over plastic to indicate quality ingredients, premium messaging, and a more ‘scientific’ offering.

Questions to Consider: How does packaging technology change based on product type? What visual cues exist for the shape, colour, and size of a product’s packaging? 

Brands do not exist in a bubble

Consumer products are wedged within the surrounding cultural context, and play an important role in social interactions. As the world around them changed, brands adapted to their surroundings. During the world wars, marketing messages, package design, and the materials used in products changed accordingly. As pet culture grew in recent years, the market for pet food, toys, and accessories has created many viable product extensions for brands.

Questions to Consider: Which brands are aligning with social changes, and how is this articulated through product development, messaging and/or packaging?

Logos are more fluid than permanent

Perhaps most interesting to me were displays featuring the longevity of particular products, and seeing the associated logo changes. The simple, direct OXO logo has significant staying power, with barely any need to modernize since its introduction in 1910. Ovaltine, on the other hand, has seen far more changes to font, colour and visual features such as wheat sheafs or sunshine in its logo.

Questions to Consider: Are there risks with logo changes, and would they change for technology companies (e.g. AirBnB, Instagram) versus packaged goods companies (e.g. Cadbury, Dove)?

Photo Credit: Museums + Heritage Advisor, 24 March 2016 

P.S. This post was originally published on LinkedIn