Written by Abby Chadwick. Photo courtesy of Abby Chadwick.
Like most of us, I am a victim of the beauty of branding, also known as the “The Packaging is Cute So I Have to Buy It” syndrome. It is an expensive problem, I know, but there is something so special and almost romantic about things being wrapped in a pretty box (or bag, or bottle). To truly showcase the beauty of branding, I will be taking you along with me on a very fun and financially dangerous trip to the motherland (aka Target.)
I like to conduct my Target trips in a cyclical way. I start at the dollar section and move my way counterclockwise until I return to the registers. As I floated down the aisle, this product line called “Proudly” truly stopped me in my tracks. The watercolor hills with the teensy little animals were the most adorable thing I’d ever seen. It was only on closer examination I realized this was a diaper brand, which was a bummer (but they’re still beautiful, so if anyone has a baby I can buy these for, let me know!)
In addition to just looking really gorgeous, I’ve noticed that the branding of certain products can give you a great deal of intel into what you can expect. For example, take this line of books. Because the publisher chose a cover with 2D cartoon people looking wistfully into each other’s eyes, I know that these books will be the epitome of a Hallmark romcom (and I will absolutely enjoy every word.)
Ok…this one really got me. Listen, it’s not that I’m not a dog person, it’s just that I’m severely allergic to literally every breed and type. However, the packaging on this dog food really had me thinking I was going to drop everything my allergist has ever told me and buy a dog, just so I could buy this dog food for them. I mean…c’mon! The fun colors, the minimalist farm animals, the minimalist font and the fact that the brand name is “kindfull” adds up to this being some of the cutest packagings I’ve ever seen.
I’m just going to say it, I am a proud resident of the SCAD dorms. While this allows me easy parking, convenient bus routes, and guaranteed dinner thanks to my meal plan, it does not allow much room for gardening or just plants in general. Still, these modern sprouts had me thinking that if I tried hard enough, I could start a full-blown garden in my dorm. Because yes, I DO want to “grow good times”, I AM a “wildflower”, and I desperately NEED a “well-being boost.”
I have no words (except that I will forever be a lover of Joanna Gaines, just please don’t tell my interior design professors).
If there’s one company that has consistently killed the branding game, it’s Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day. The packaging on their products makes me feel like I’m an all-organic lifestyle guru who only eats produce from Whole Foods and makes her bed every morning. Plus, each scent comes with its own special color-coordinated packaging?! Sign me up!
Period products are constantly getting a bad wrap. They are getting shoved in under-the-sink cabinets or in the back of the store shelf like some secret thing that no one wants to talk about. I was even hesitant to include them in this article. However, this Saalt menstrual cup has thrown away all of those ideas and has created a packaging design so beautiful I would proudly display this on top of the counter. Heck! I’d display this on top of my fireplace along with my family photos!
So, the next time you’re at your local Target, or Walmart, or even Kroger, keep an eye out for the beauty of branding! It is a surprisingly powerful tool. I would know, I have a bag of dog food sitting in my dorm with no dog to eat it! (I’m joking…probably).
Abby Chadwick is District’s Chief Social Media Strategist and an interior design major at SCAD. She has been involved with District since her freshman year, with this year being her third as an editor. Apart from her role at District, Abby can be seen around SCAD walking to and from Clark Hall and enjoying the Savannah coffee scene. (Her go to is an espresso tonic, if you were wondering!)
