Holiday Packaging

Holiday Packaging: Dressing Your Brand for Success

Ah, the holidays — ‘tis the season for lights, all things pumpkin spice, black Friday deals, and dressed up versions of your favorite brands just waiting to find their way into your cart. To win with seasonal or limited-edition packaging, brands should prioritize connecting with shoppers in creative new ways by harnessing the emotion of the holidays. Like a musician covering a holiday classic, the trick is finding a way for your brand to join the celebrations without losing what makes your packaging – and products – recognizable. When a brand gets it right, the payoff can be worth more than just an incremental sale.

Balancing Brand Equity with Seasonal Cues

For consumer-packaged goods (CPG) brands, holiday packaging is a chance to be playful, embrace seasonal trends, and catch the eye of customers who might not be looking for your brand — but are definitely looking for something festive. Consider the holiday classic, Coca-Cola: their seasonal cans, adorned with ornaments, polar bears, or Santa himself, are all about the holidays but remain unmistakably Coca-Cola. Grounding holiday imagery in the red can and iconic script help festive elements feel familiar. And that’s the sweet spot for holiday packaging — balancing the trend with the timeless without overpowering what makes the brand, the brand.

Refreshing Legacy Brands: Cultural and Classic Cues in Packaging

Holiday packaging can be a major win for legacy brands that might benefit from some new news. We all love the classics, but sometimes a fresh, seasonal look can reignite interest. Wendy’s Boo Bag is a great example of reimagining holiday traditions in a new (spooky) light. While it may feel like kids’ meals have been taken over by streetwear brands recently, this simple execution is a strong example of putting a seasonal spin on a classic. Or consider Bacardi, who recently wrapped their bottles with mummy-inspired graphics complete with glow-in-the-dark eyes peeking through the bandages and a glowing logo. Not only does this share-worthy tweak instantly add to the ambiance of a cocktail party, it also helps their product stand out on a physical or digital shelf.

Think Outside the Box, Literally: Breaking Through with Experience

If a full packaging change isn’t in your brand’s future, consider giving people an entirely new way to interact with your brand. There have been dozens of examples in recent years, but this “PR grabbing” approach to packaging is always a delight. For instance, Boston Beer Company delivered spirits in an entirely different way with their at-home séance kit. Featuring a beer-shaped and scented Octoberfest “can-dle,” vials of (Boston) dirt and hops, temperature sensitive glassware, and a portrait of their founder, Samuel Adams – their kit is a timely and memorable way for consumers to experience the brand’s heritage.

Another route is to just go all out and explore how packaging can transcend the expected to become something entirely new, like candy brand Airheads’ “Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet” cherry foot spray. They eschewed (see what I did there?) on-pack ghost and goblin graphics in favor of a new way to experience their product that is sure to make an impression. The “appetite appeal” of a deliciously grotesque package shaped like a foot, reflects a brand that understands their equity is rooted in fun.

A Gift for Smaller Brands: Holiday Packaging as a Growth Strategy

For smaller or lesser-known brands, holiday packaging isn’t just a way to look festive — it’s a timely opportunity to get noticed. While they may not have the resources of mega-brands, investing in packaging can not only help them reach new consumers, but can then give those consumers more reasons to come back. Take direct-to-consumer olive oil brand Graza: Their package innovation (squeeze bottle) combines ownable design elements with a fresh form factor. And their gift sets are a sensible way for fans to share the brand with friends and family, minimizing excess inventory. Or vegan beauty brand, Hourglass, whose limited-edition holiday packaging features dragons, lotus flowers and a design-forward “evil eye” differentiating their brand with a stylish nod to the excitement of the holidays without the traditional trappings.

Wrapping Up: The Impact of Holiday Packaging

Whether you’re a big-name legacy brand trying to refresh interest or a smaller brand hoping to break through the noise, investing in a new way for consumers to experience your brand during the holidays can be the gift that keeps on giving. By balancing brand identity with festive touches, taking risks with creativity, and finding interesting but on-brand ways to stand out, holiday packaging can turn an ordinary product into a seasonal sensation. 
 
So, go ahead, throw on that ugly sweater — just make sure it’s in your brand colors.

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