“The Americans Create Eye-catching Packaging”

Food blogger Sonja Meise aka Foodnewsgermany travels the world as a Stewardess and looks for new foods everywhere she goes that she then presents to her fan base. In this interview, she talks about her impressions.

Which designs catch your eye again and again?

All designs which leave the cookie-cutter-approach behind. Even if it is just the color of the packaging or the font and the shape that are a departure from convention. For example, Hitschler introduced a new product to the market in 2018, which was completely new packaging-design-wise. The Hitschler logo stayed the same but the rest was steeped in white, black, purple. The packaging was less colorful and less shrill. My foodies went downright crazy, ran to the supermarket immediately and bought the bag. I have never gotten as many pack shots of a new product as of this one. Apart from that, it was also really tasty. True Fruits also delights me repeatedly, because they create new attention with the design of the never changing bottle shape. However, they often do that with their controversial advertisements.

Are there trends in the food sector?

As soon as there is a trend, all manufacturers try to implement it. This was true with the unicorn and it also is for protein. Suddenly, “with protein” is written on every packaging. In my opinion, the next trend is “less sugar” and the issue of “plastic” is also gaining momentum. Maybe it will be written on all packaging soon that the material is made from recyclate. Already, packaging design is adapting to his trend towards more “naturalness”.

Which country has the most beautiful packaging?

Every country has its highlights. However, the United States stand out a little more. The Americans create eye-catching packaging. And they offer flavors of cookies, chips and chocolate we Germans can only dream of. In 2018, for example, for Halloween there was a lot of packaging that glowed in the dark. A great idea.
Germany is picking up speed as well. Some manufacturers are creating courageously cool and eye-catching packaging. Lorenz, for example, is entering the market with a new UK-edition. The packaging looks like the Union Jack. Really cool and remarkable, because it is different.

You present extraordinary and new products that catch the eye because of their packaging. The unpackaged idea missed its mark with you?

AAbsolutely. Packaging is a must-have for me just for reasons of hygiene and storage life. Additionally, this is an era in which the visual plays a big role. Instagram, for example, consists almost only of images. Thus, packaging needs to be flashy. If it is sustainable on top of that, the manufacturer has done everything right. Then, the product just has to taste good as well.

When you travel to the future: What will packaging look like in 30 years?

It is convenient, especially on the go, because we won’t be driving cars ourselves anymore. So we have the time to drink and eat. It is easy to open, especially for old people. The packaging is individualized for me just like the product. And with the barcode on the packaging we can reconstruct where the ingredients came from. In addition, the packaging is sustainable and plastic-free.

Unboxing – Live: We are recording a live unboxing video. Learn from food blogger Sonja Meise why young people enjoy packaging so much. The food blogger is one of the lecturers and experts of the independent packaging conference by PACKAGING360°. The conference is taking place on November 28th and 29th 2019 at the Hilton in Frankfurt on the Main. You can find more information regarding sign up and its program here.

Interview: Anna Ntemiris