rosupack: how packaging influences product promotion

Our Creative director, Alexey Molchanov, spoke at the international packaging exhibition, where he shared how packaging influences product promotion.

A real case can clearly show how packaging helps promote a product. The Nesquik brand underwent a rebranding, focusing on packaging, which impacted the company’s communication:

– A dynamic food zone designed for a younger audience.

– The typography zone conveys a playful tone that evolves into broader communication, such as slogans.

– Storytelling on the packaging enables the creation of various universes and gamification mechanics for promotion.

But what if your product blends in with others on the shelf due to the abundance of similar options? Stand out through packaging design. Successful cases from the dairy category include Milgrad and mlk. For these brands, the shelf itself becomes a tool of promotion. The design conveys the character of the product, distinguishing it from colorful dairy competitors through monochrome — mlk — and unconventional display — Milgrad.

In our project for developing packaging for the innovative product Metoplax, a liquid metal, we shifted from industrial associations to the décor category during the research stage. As a result, the design became minimalist, with the introduction of a serif font. At the same time, the concept was based on the principle of metallization, referencing the brand's core feature.

How did this affect the promotion of the Metoplax brand?

The key visuals are linked to the décor field:

- textures

- unconventional and even artistic imagery

- a fashion industry atmosphere — think Vogue-style magazine, not a typical industrial materials catalog

- metallized paper for print materials

A brand is a story, and to create and develop that story, it’s essential to define an archetype for each product. For example, Nesquik is “the Innocent.” This trait is reflected in details on the packaging, such as a helmet on the character while skateboarding. To find the archetype, you should answer three questions:

1. What are the product’s benefits for the audience?

2. How is it different from competitors?

3. What is the audience thinking about?

Packaging is effective when it’s recognizable. To increase memorability, cognitive fluency is essential. It consists of four elements:

- familiarity

- clarity

- simplicity

- correctness

By addressing these points in packaging design, a company can improve future communication. But that’s not all. Designers focus on graphics when creating packaging. Brand designers and marketers consider the broader concept, which includes not only graphics but also materials, copywriting, associations — the meanings built around the visual.

Every element of the packaging must be carefully refined to ensure cohesion. Only then will you achieve unified communication capable of selling the product through packaging alone.

You can watch the full talk by our ICU branding agency’s creative director via the link.