Those look amazing! So tired of seeing same decorative typefaces literally everywhere (take Scriptina or Giddyup - ugh!), and custom-made lettering is always, ALWAYS more attractive, if only because it shows that you could be bothered to do more than the rest. "Design like you give a damn" is a slogan for a humanitarian architects' society, but it should apply to ALL designers.
I'd agree that found type is great and that custom lettering can work on a much deeper and more bespoke level, but wouldn't go as far as to say it's always better. there's a lot of different contexts and possible applications out there, with a lot of very skilled people working for years on different typefaces
love the concept, and the big recognisable letter would make it easy to pick off the shelf from a functional consumers point of view, as a lot of these things look the same and you have to spend ages reading the small soup flavors, or maybe I'm just getting old. But anyway, the execution is horrible. The colours feel cheap and the styling of all the letters looks like a tacky tutorial straight out of computer arts, and doesn't in the slightest do the job of supporting the flavor, which is why it's ironic they use the word 'authentic' to describe the representation of each, because they look about as far form authentic as you could get, in fact they leave me completely cold. The spoon as an exclamation mark also gets completely lost up there as well next to all the fussiness of illustration, which is a shame. It's all a bit of a missed opportunity I think.
Soup Packaging has a limited shelf life ( no pun intended ) and it's a very crowded market - it's essential to grab the attention of a consumer - and build up customer loyalty for a very short period of time. These are destined for the American market and they have a very different relationship with humour and visual puns, and don't forget that there are real limitations to the colour and print quality on this kind of packaging material - hence the colour and repro issues, they are transluscent and will always look a bit 'milky'.
Frankly - most food packaging relies on obvious visual relationships - food type, ingredient, colour etc - and it's very brave to break away from that - and creates a different consumer group. The Jamie Oliver ranges are a good parallel, they are design led rather than obvious cliches, so they appeal to a different sensibility and create a new kind of customer loyalty ( include snobbery and elitism in the design profile ).
They have chosen to give each product a visual personality - and the found letters are full of meaning, familiarity and reference. They are also warm and human, think about why you buy soup - it's comforting and familiar.
Sometimes, 'design' had to take a back seat and the emotion of retailing and purchasing takes over, look at the new Jamie Adds in Hastings - they are not about food really, they are about creating a romance associated with how we eat - same thing as Ridley Scott and his Hovis Adds from the 1970's.
People tend to dislike 'over designed' food packaging because it feels tampered with. It's subliminal.
( yes, David - I've done a of of work in the retail food industry - it's actually really interesting - but you would HATE it!)
Disagree with you David! The agency got Commissioned to create these designs for there reputation for illustration. I think the packaging is brilliant and definitely represents the culture of the flavor of the soup (if that makes sense). I'm sure if the soup had 'Helvetica' on the label you would love it :)...
Interesting points, I think the fact it's headed for an American market is probably the key thing to consider so baring that in mind, the garishness makes sense, they probably had to consider a very different kind of consumer mentality when designing.
I do however disagree that they are warm and human, that's my main issue with them, like you say they should be comforting, just like warm soup itself in the winter. The actual STYLE of illustration just doesn't create that kind of response.
Dan- my point is not that I have a problem with the illustrations being there, my problem is that I don't feel it does its job as a visual anchor for representing the soups heritage and evoking the emotional response that they are intended/described to do. Just my opinion, and my response to them, but like I say, if they are intended for an American consumer, that's a very different kettle of fish.
Rich, I'm currently on about my 100th hour of a food packaging brief at work. Soup to be exact. I was really enjoying it, but it's recently become unbearably political and if you're in tomorrow (Thurs) I might come and find you for some quick advice if you don't mind
Those look amazing! So tired of seeing same decorative typefaces literally everywhere (take Scriptina or Giddyup - ugh!), and custom-made lettering is always, ALWAYS more attractive, if only because it shows that you could be bothered to do more than the rest.
ReplyDelete"Design like you give a damn" is a slogan for a humanitarian architects' society, but it should apply to ALL designers.
I'd agree that found type is great and that custom lettering can work on a much deeper and more bespoke level, but wouldn't go as far as to say it's always better. there's a lot of different contexts and possible applications out there, with a lot of very skilled people working for years on different typefaces
ReplyDeletelove the concept, and the big recognisable letter would make it easy to pick off the shelf from a functional consumers point of view, as a lot of these things look the same and you have to spend ages reading the small soup flavors, or maybe I'm just getting old. But anyway, the execution is horrible. The colours feel cheap and the styling of all the letters looks like a tacky tutorial straight out of computer arts, and doesn't in the slightest do the job of supporting the flavor, which is why it's ironic they use the word 'authentic' to describe the representation of each, because they look about as far form authentic as you could get, in fact they leave me completely cold. The spoon as an exclamation mark also gets completely lost up there as well next to all the fussiness of illustration, which is a shame. It's all a bit of a missed opportunity I think.
ReplyDeleteSoup Packaging has a limited shelf life ( no pun intended ) and it's a very crowded market - it's essential to grab the attention of a consumer - and build up customer loyalty for a very short period of time. These are destined for the American market and they have a very different relationship with humour and visual puns, and don't forget that there are real limitations to the colour and print quality on this kind of packaging material - hence the colour and repro issues, they are transluscent and will always look a bit 'milky'.
ReplyDeleteFrankly - most food packaging relies on obvious visual relationships - food type, ingredient, colour etc - and it's very brave to break away from that - and creates a different consumer group. The Jamie Oliver ranges are a good parallel, they are design led rather than obvious cliches, so they appeal to a different sensibility and create a new kind of customer loyalty ( include snobbery and elitism in the design profile ).
They have chosen to give each product a visual personality - and the found letters are full of meaning, familiarity and reference. They are also warm and human, think about why you buy soup - it's comforting and familiar.
Sometimes, 'design' had to take a back seat and the emotion of retailing and purchasing takes over, look at the new Jamie Adds in Hastings - they are not about food really, they are about creating a romance associated with how we eat - same thing as Ridley Scott and his Hovis Adds from the 1970's.
People tend to dislike 'over designed' food packaging because it feels tampered with. It's subliminal.
( yes, David - I've done a of of work in the retail food industry - it's actually really interesting - but you would HATE it!)
Disagree with you David! The agency got Commissioned to create these designs for there reputation for illustration. I think the packaging is brilliant and definitely represents the culture of the flavor of the soup (if that makes sense). I'm sure if the soup had 'Helvetica' on the label you would love it :)...
ReplyDeleteAnd Dan - is FDA 2
Happy days
Interesting points, I think the fact it's headed for an American market is probably the key thing to consider so baring that in mind, the garishness makes sense, they probably had to consider a very different kind of consumer mentality when designing.
ReplyDeleteI do however disagree that they are warm and human, that's my main issue with them, like you say they should be comforting, just like warm soup itself in the winter. The actual STYLE of illustration just doesn't create that kind of response.
Dan- my point is not that I have a problem with the illustrations being there, my problem is that I don't feel it does its job as a visual anchor for representing the soups heritage and evoking the emotional response that they are intended/described to do. Just my opinion, and my response to them, but like I say, if they are intended for an American consumer, that's a very different kettle of fish.
Rich, I'm currently on about my 100th hour of a food packaging brief at work. Soup to be exact. I was really enjoying it, but it's recently become unbearably political and if you're in tomorrow (Thurs) I might come and find you for some quick advice if you don't mind
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my world....
ReplyDeleteI'm in all day Thursday and most of Friday.