Rain, shine, and even during uncertain economic times, there’s no stopping the holiday season rush. This December, retailers across the country are projected to take in a whopping $966.6 billion, and while this is a smaller year-on-year increase than in recent years, holiday spending is still growing.
While high interest rates and inflation have created challenges for many businesses and consumers this year, holiday cheer is difficult to put a dampener on. The holidays bring unparalleled opportunities for connecting with your customers in ways that bring moments of joy, and also boost sales, during the festive season.
 | Read this related article from 99designs, “Four Packaging Design Trends for 2023” |
Here are three ideas around how to tap into the magic and emotion of the holidays, and capture the attention of your audience at such a busy time of year.
1. Add seasonal design elements
When it comes to holiday branding, Starbucks leads the way, with the annual unveiling of the latest red holiday cup design making headlines and becoming a cultural moment in its own right. By running a promotion giving away free reusable red cups on Red Cup Day, Starbucks creates the kind of hype that has consumers flocking to the nearest Starbucks as the temperature drops.
When it comes to holiday branding, Starbucks leads the way, with the annual unveiling of the latest red holiday cup design.
This is a tactic that all brands can tap into, even with something as simple as adding festive elements to an existing logo design. Michael Mills, owner of Symmetry Coffee Co. in Florida, worked with 99designs by Vista to add a Christmas twist to his already striking logos, printing them on everything from coffee cups to signage.
Symmetry Coffee Co. has taken a page from Starbucks’ book, retaining its core visual brand elements, but adding seasonal twist. Image credit: Symmetry Coffee designs by Cinque” on 99designs by Vista
Symmetry Coffee’s Christmas logos have already proved a hit with investors and focus groups. With the company set to expand to four locations, they are about to debut to a wider public than ever before, and seasonal designs differentiate them from other players in the market. “With our branding, we’ve leaned into nautical characters and wildlife because of where we are based in Florida. So in that sense, we’ve made ourselves more locally relevant,” Mills says. “Now with our holiday-themed versions, we are becoming more seasonally relevant. That is a powerful combination that will work well for our business.” Starbucks, watch out!
2. Think limited edition
Gifts are all about making someone feel special, and there’s no better way of communicating that than by giving a loved one (or yourself!) a unique, limited-edition gift. Brands everywhere can easily lean into this trend through seasonal packaging design, but also by creating unique products tailored for the holiday season.
Willams Sonoma’s baking advent calendar draws the viewer in with its enticing storefront design.
An advent calendar-style offering from Local Eclectic combines selected earrings, necklaces, and rings within calendar packaging that doubles as a jewelry box.
3. Take a chance on trends
One of the most exciting possibilities when it comes to seasonal branding is the opportunity to embrace trends, have fun with your brand, and take bigger creative chances.
Holiday packaging in particular is a bit of a creative sandbox, experimenting with and leveraging elements of your visual identity—for example, your brand color palette or typography—and trying something new is much less of a risk when it’s a limited run, and not a rebrand. This is an excellent opportunity to tap into visual trends that are of the moment, even if they don’t align completely with your brand guidelines or typical look and feel. The trick is to identify the design trends that will resonate with your target customers and demographics, and leverage the shelf appeal that will give your products.
This holiday season, Sephora is embracing packaging designs that lean into the Gen Z checkerboard aesthetic overlaid with sticker-like motifs, a graphic design trend referred to as ‘cluttercore.’
The illustrations on the holiday packaging for Feel Good Tea lean into the flat graphics trend. Image credit: Design by Raveart for Feel Good Tea
A final word on holiday packaging design
It’s been a rough year economically, but there is always opportunity at this time of year to push the boundaries of your branding and engage with consumers who are still seeking out some holiday spirit. Just remember, whether it’s your packaging design or a themed holiday version of your logo for your socials, consistency across design, messaging, and any promotions you run will help, not harm, your brand image during the festive season. PW
Patrick Llewellyn is CEO of 99designs by Vista, a global creative platform enables small businesses to work with professional freelance designers around the world.
