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Behind the success of lifestyle branding is a brand’s ability to emotionally connect and build a relationship with its consumer. One of the key ways a brand can do this is by taking on human characteristics and creating a distinctive personality. Archetypes – a very typical example of a certain person or thing – have been a popular method in brand strategy but has not yet been embraced as a design method. In today’s increasingly visual landscape, archetypes can be used with the lens of visual heuristics to inform design choices that forge a consumer-brand connection. 

An extraordinary chocolate with a fascinating background story. Marou is a line of chocolates that is infamous for not only its rich, depth of flavor but its striking packaging. Designed by Rice Creative, a new line emerges inspired by the architecture of The National Gallery in Singapore and the traditions of printmaking in Vietnam.

National Packaging Design Day is only two days away, and we couldn’t be more excited! We put together ten great ways to celebrate throughout the day, from sharing your favorite designs to choosing happy hour drinks based solely on packaging. And of course – Don’t forget to share your posts using #PackagingDesignDay!

This Spring term, students from Art Center College of Design's Packaging 2 class were tasked to redesign the Kirkland Signature brand. Grouped in threes, graphic designers, product, and packaging designers collaborated to create a new brand identity that speaks to a younger audience. 

Brands are starting to explore the darker, more uncomfortable side of their personalities in order to be more distinctive and believable to consumers. Ed Silk, Bulletproof’s strategy director, explains:

Not every project calls for the large  quantities of mass produced labels. Limited edition and seasonal labels continue to gain in popularity and are becoming more and more available in premium quality low volume runs. The combination of today’s technology, and faster to market  short-batch production runs are able to create the sense of craftsmanship that standard mass-produced labels lack. Here are 7 hidden (or not so hidden) facts to make your labels work harder.

Bulletproof is an agency, with a truly rich culture. With offices in London, New York and Singapore, Bulletproof is a mix of different interwoven cultures that creates a rich tapestry of seminally strategic ideas and unrivalled creativity, with a fiercely independent spirit. This month, The Dieline had the pleasure of interviewing Founder, Gush Mundae, about Bulletproof's strategy, energy, and fearless approach.

Imagine never needing to sort through your recycling, separating glass, cardboard, plastic, and metal. It’s not that you would just ignore recycling altogether; instead, you’d be shopping at places that have adopted the idea of precycling, a way to eliminate waste before it’s even created. By providing items in their pure form without additional cardboard, wrapping, or packaging, there’s simply nothing to throw out later.

The Happy Meal just got a little more interesting. Mcdonald Sweden is launching a promotion that turns the iconic Happy Meal into a virtual reality headset. A soft launch where only 3,500 will be made.

Emojis aren’t just for your text messages anymore. Pepsi has announced their “Say it with Pepsi” campaign, which is set to launch in 100 markets around the world this summer and will feature a number of emojis on bottles and cans.

How does beautiful packaging design concepts come to life? There is indeed a method to the madness, and that’s why we’re really excited to unveil a brand-new free one-hour Skillshare class “Packaging Design: From Concept Sketch to Presentation” by our Editor-in-Chief, Evelio Mattos.

Consumerism gave us more. More things, more choice, more consumption. For over 150 years, the pursuit of ‘the good life’ was something to be proud of and More ruled. Brands got bigger and shelves got larger.

Market Pantry is the largest grocery brand in Target’s portfolio with 2,250 SKUs in over 100 categories. Although the previous design system for Market Pantry was effective at delivering strong value cues and high brand recognition, it lacked personality and was perceived by our guests as generic, boring and low quality. By updating the brand’s positioning to better align with the evolving needs of our millennial guest, our goal was to shift the perception of the brand from a compromise solution to a preferred choice.

In an uniquely fresh social campaign, Diet Coke tapped acclaimed designers from around the world to reimagine the iconic look of the brand to surprise its biggest fans. Over the past few months, more than 50 fan tweets were transformed into bespoke pieces of offline artwork in a playful twist on the marketing standard of retweeting fan comments on Twitter.  

If you can get your hands on one of Harper Macaw's chocolate bars then you are one lucky duck! A chocolatier that takes their practice very seriously enlists the help of Design Army to create packaging that captures the essence of Brazil's rainforest.

Is it simply the clean lines, contrast of textures, and the user’s experience that defines beautiful packaging? What about the label on the package?

Combine the great prices of Costco, the organic food of Whole Foods, the ease of Trader Joe’s, and give it a URL – this is Thrive Market. Founded by Nick Green, Thrive operates as a membership service that aims to make wholesome, healthy food affordable and available to everyone.

By looking at the best packaging of the past year, one gets a picture of the world today. And if the design trends are an anecdote, the diagnosis is that the patient is overwhelmed. In economics there is an old idea that "every abundance creates a new scarcity." When one thing becomes popular, there is always a corresponding part that becomes more valuable because it has become rare. 

To you, it’s a mop. Or maybe it’s just a pillow, a bunch of hangers, or an air purifier. But to Joy Mangano, it’s endless possibility.

Unless you tune in regularly to channels like QVC and HSN, you may not realize that Mangano is the Joy from the recently released film starring Jennifer Lawrence and directed by David O. Russell. Mangano is the inventor of the Memory Cloud Pillow, Huggable Hangers, My Little Steamer, as well as other helpful home products – most notably, of course, the Miracle Mop, of which she sold over 250,000 earlier this week on a HSN marathon. Considering all of that, plus a movie inspired by her life, and you might think that at 59 years old she’s ready to slow down. Well, think again.

In efforts to improve its business and target millennials, McDonald's has revamped their packaging for 2016. With an improved menu and a striking design, the company has been given the ultimate facelift for the new year. 

We here at The Dieline were especially lucky to see this gorgeous packaging in person. Every year Stranger & Stranger puts together a holiday gift that never fails to impress, and this year’s fragrance is certainly a beauty.

Move over Christmas and make way for Star Wars! Christmas, you might want to adjust your expectations this year. I realize you’re usually the star at the end of December, but this year things are going to look a little different. 

This third coming of Star Wars is the biggest yet, and the force behind the Disney marketing machine is strong. Ticket pre-sales zoomed past $50 million a month BEFORE the scheduled December 18th release date and Star Wars memorabilia is out of this world! The partnerships and limited edition collaborations are vast and range from luxury items to utilitarian necessities with ease. There’s a special Star Wars something for everyone. And, that means packaging to this audience, right? 

It has come with great effort that I have ventured out into the galaxy to find the most interesting and unique Star Wars themed packaging items, and brought them back to share with our Dieline readers. Move forth, and may the Force be with you.

“To not respect the power of the Kraken is to not respect the sea.” Behold a limited edition rum with a tale straight from the depths of the ocean. Designed by Stranger & Stranger, this ceramic bottle is sure to intrigue anyone who enjoys a good story behind their spirits.

In 2016, consumers will crave more authentic interactions with brands on every level. Whether it’s customers returning to brick-and-mortar stores for more personal engagement or wanting to experience brands through multichannel, multisensory experiences, consumers are responding to storytelling and incorporating products and services into their lives in unprecedented ways. Landor, one of the world’s leading strategic branding and design firms, analyzed innovations, consumer behavior, the changing market, and attitudes from a multitude of industries and global locales to determine the leading trends for 2016.

Pantone LLC, an X-Rite company and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announced PANTONE 15-3919 Serenity and PANTONE 13-1520 Rose Quartz, as the PANTONE® Color of the Year selection for 2016; a harmonious pairing of inviting shades that embody a mindset of tranquility and inner peace.

Kylie Jenner's luscious lips can be seen everywhere across the internet and have even made it on youtube with women and men desperate to achieve "The Kylie Jenner Lip" through ridiculous challenges. Skip the plastic surgery and absurd makeup tricks and try out Kylie's new line of lipsticks.

Burger King has joined the many companies incorporating the season into their product packaging. The festive release, along with the Winter Whopperland menu will be available in participating Burger Kings in the US, UK, Latin America, and Asia.

Sephora has collaborated with London illustrator Malika Favre to create a unique holiday collection. Malika's bold style brings to life two unrelated subjects that otherwise would be world's apart, cosmetics and the galaxy. Her bold graphic style paired with Sephora's piano key stripes beautifully create an eye-popping balance of positive and negative space and color. All we have to say is that it's truly outta this world!