Summer is the favourite time of year for a lot of people. If we are lucky in the UK, the weather improves and reminds us to make the most of opportunities to get outside and enjoy spending time with our friends and family. Summer is also a time of year when fashion trends tend to shift as we look for lighter, more breathable materials, but also clothes that are lighter in colour.
Seasonal colour trends for the summer can also be widely seen in the world of packaging design. When you think of seasonal packaging, most people’s minds will be drawn to the reds, greens and snowy scenes of Christmas, the reds and hearts of Valentine’s Day, or even the oranges and blacks commonly linked with Halloween. However, summer product packaging designs are increasingly common. As people start to change up their wardrobes for a lot more whites and lights, white packaging starts to make its move onto retail shelves, with clean, fresh designs catching the customer’s eye and stimulating summery thoughts. An increasing number of brands are creating exclusive collections to suit the summer season, or at least overhauling their packaging to make goods seem more seasonal.
Certain brands and products trade extremely well during the summer, for example, ice cream, barbeque food, salad, sunscreen and cider. As a result, there is less of a need to invest in summer-centric packaging designs. However, for some brands and product categories that are more frequently linked with the colder parts of the year, or that experience a relatively constant level of sales throughout the year, summer packaging can be highly effective in helping them stand out on the shelves and appear seasonally relevant.
Here are our top tips for creating effective summer packaging designs:
Use summery imagery
One of the best ways to make the most of creating summer packaging for a brand or specific products is to use imagery that is commonly associated with summer. Just as you might decide to use Christmassy imagery during November and December to create interest, the same can be done using summer themes, for example, beaches, holidays and sunny weather.
Create a positive message
It’s always advisable to avoid alluding to any negative connotations of summer. For example, even if you are designing packaging for a product such as hay fever tablets, rather than focusing on itchy eyes or bad sneezes, focus on the enjoyable aspects of summer and curing the symptoms associated with hay fever.
Choose colour schemes carefully
Oranges and yellows are commonly associated with summer, however, using white as the main colour for packaging materials can help you to stand out on the shelves and separate your brand/product from the hordes of competitors using seasonal packaging. White is a popular colour for clothing during the summer as it reflects heat well on hotter days, however, it is also a neutral colour that is ideal for products and brands for which brighter colours aren’t a good fit.
Look for gaps in the packaging market
Summer seasonal packaging isn’t necessarily just for traditionally summer products. By investing in summer packaging, you could differentiate yourself from other brands that aren’t capitalising on seasonal packaging opportunities.
If you don’t feel that you are taking advantage of the opportunity to create seasonal packaging for this summer, or you want to maximise the efforts of your packaging design, you can contact us today by calling 01256 352415 or send us an email to info@thepackagingexperts.co.uk.
