It’s no secret that for as long as humans have roamed the earth, illustrations have served as a powerful visual tool for storytelling. From ancient depictions of animals on the walls of caves to the sketchbooks of the world’s most renowned illustrators, drawing is a universal language that transcends the written word. In a modern context, the world of packaging continues to harness this power, conveying brand identity, product benefits and perhaps most importantly, creating an emotional connection with consumers.
It’s no secret that for as long as humans have roamed the earth, illustrations have served as a powerful visual tool for storytelling. From ancient depictions of animals on the walls of caves to the sketchbooks of the world’s most renowned illustrators, drawing is a universal language that transcends the written word. In a modern context, the world of packaging continues to harness this power, conveying brand identity, product benefits and perhaps most importantly, creating an emotional connection with consumers.
With supermarket shelves stocked to the brim with seemingly endless product options, it has never been more important to ensure brand recognition to cut through the noise. Illustration is not only a compelling tool to showcase a product, but it’s a versatile one too. From abstract and edgy aesthetics to a more sophisticated and elegant approach, there are limitless styles adaptable to various product categories and branding strategies.
Of course, once the initial hurdle of convincing consumers to purchase a product has been crossed, there is the next hurdle, or perhaps long-distance race, of fostering consumer loyalty. With a strong association with nostalgia and childhood memories, along with humour, curiosity and imagination, illustrations evoke emotions and create memorable experiences for consumers, forging deeper connections between brands and their audiences. It’s these experiences and connections that help to establish a loyal following.
From plant-based yoghurt to wine, we’re all about using illustration as a powerful brand tool at Brave. This was our MO when we were tasked with bringing “The Magic is in the Mixer” to life with Alchemy & Tonic. This range of mixer beverages is all about the magical process of creation, transformation, and flavour combinations. It seemed only appropriate to us to drive this messaging home with an illustrated suite of mystical characters. A motley crew including a contortionist, oracle, magician and even an invisible man all brought to life the world of Alchemy & Tonic. Playing on the human fascination with the supernatural, consumers are drawn in by eye-catching graphics that are now synonymous with the Alchemy & Tonic brand. These illustrations have become arguably their most effective asset, ensuring brand recognition, as well as creating memorable interactions with the product.
Another project where illustration played an instrumental role in bringing the brand to life was Dilmah’s latest range of ready to drink iced beverages. With a firm hold as the number one tea brand in the country and most trusted tea brand for the last 8 years, Dilmah still needed to stay relevant to a new generation of tea drinkers. Never resting on their laurels, they developed three new ranges of products to appeal to this new audience. Our brief was to develop a compelling brand that not only stood out from their competitors, but also conveyed the vibrancy of Sri Lanka while telling the story of the impact that Dilmah has on the world. Dilmah is an ethical brand with 15% of their pre-tax profits going to those who need it the most; their people, wildlife and the environment. A set of bespoke artworks were created, each communicating the story of exotic flavours, a commitment to conserving nature, and of the country where the tea leaves are grown and carefully picked by hand. The result was a unique range of beverages that draws consumers in through vibrant visuals, and continues to hold their attention through effective storytelling.
Aside from the initial challenges of finding a style of illustration that resonates with the brand, when it comes to using illustrations on packaging, there are practical challenges to consider as well. Aspects such as scalability, reproduction quality, and suitability for different packaging materials and printing techniques are all key to a great end product. The limitations of printing on aluminium cans, for example, is an area that requires a lot of consideration, as any graphics that involve fine details, or areas with overlapping colours and text can quickly become problematic. It’s important to anticipate any technical difficulties in the early stages of creating a brand and its assets, so engaging an agency with a sound knowledge of the production process is crucial to a high-quality product.
As a long-standing universal language, illustration serves as a powerful visual tool for storytelling. The benefits of incorporating illustration as a brand tool for packaging are wide-ranging, from creating stand-out on shelf to evoking an emotional connection between brand and audience. In order to fully realise these benefits, it's important to be prepared for the complexities of packaging production by working with an agency who have the know-how.
For more information or to take the Brave first step in your brand’s packaging journey, head to https://bravedigital.nz/packaging
