Color long has been king in the visual hierarchy of packaging, but there are signs that shape might be poised to step into a more prominent role. Anecdotally, defining package shapes seem to be occurring more frequently for new-product introductions—an observation shared by several brand owners and design consultancies. The trend could accelerate in 2009 and beyond if the economy begins to rebound and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies become more comfortable about allocating precious marketing dollars for structural design.
The long-accepted visual hierarchy in package design has been color first, followed by shape, graphics, and text. But some branding experts believe that shape might be in the early stages of moving into a “1-A” status with color as the continued proliferation of products and shelf-keeping units (SKUs) has created an exhaustive rainbow of packaging color down every aisle of the store.
