soulsight®

In a passage from one of my favorite books, Eat Pray Love, the characters have a discussion of a city's "word". How do we sum up a city's look, feel, smell, vibe in one word? How do we capture its essence?

We already associate certain brands with cities, sometimes even down to being "more L.A. than New York or Miami" or "more Nashville than Chicago". These brands have extracted the aura of a city and made it tangible, given it a face. People will say, "Well, I'm a New Yorker" like that is supposed to mean...

By now, most of us have heard of QR codes to some extent, or at the very least we've stood in public and asked the embarrassing question, "Hey...what the heck is that?" They're everywhere -- in magazines and newspapers, on posters and ads in our train or bus, as social network avatars, and, ah yes, even on the package of products themselves...

Ever feel lost in a crowd? In today's marketplace, the shelves are packed with brand after brand, variation after variation of similar, but different, products beside one another. How does one break through the clutter? Well, remember when your mom said "Be proud of what makes you different"? It's sure nice to stand out sometimes...

Below are several creative packaging examples that inspire fearlessness and embrace the unique and unconventional, teaching us that innovative design is not limited to just graphics on the package but also the packaging structure itself. So think outside the box, literally.

When we hit the grocery store or local cafe, we usually have an idea of the brands we'll buy because of our brand loyalty to specific ones. What if this time, next to the brand you've been buying for years, you see something new and fresh? Something you want to buy because it is so visually appealing to you, and makes the product look so good even without really knowing if the product will truly satisfy you?

Below are examples of products I'd buy solely based on the visual and emotional appeal I have towards the packaging design...

Today, Starbucks marked its 40th year by launching its new logo. The new design focuses on the Siren, the mythological figure that originally provided inspiration to the brand. Besides harnessing the energy of the Siren, the mark is also without any text, promoting Starbucks' global positioning as an iconic brand recognizable to all cultures through a streamlined identity.

After a couple years in an economic slump, it looks like we have some positive trends to look forward to in 2011. Per Culinary Tides Inc., consumers' overall mindset seems to be increasingly optimistic and outgoing, indicating a shift in their behavior and cueing a need for brands to appeal to these new attitudes:

• Approachable ➔ Adventurous
• Mysterious ➔ Playful
• Fearful ➔ Courageous
• Comfort ➔ Experimental
• Clanning ➔ Individualistic

The big takeaway? Consumers are ready to shake things up and experiment, as long as those opportunities are communicated to them in an authentic way. For branding and package design this means exploring new and innovative...

Campbell Canada unveiled its Nourish product this week, a nutritious, ready-to-serve meal intended to help fight world hunger. It is such a warming feeling and honor to have our work as part of such a great cause. And it's wonderful how the campaign encourages involvement from everyone, making it easy to participate in even little ways through social media.