I finally saw The Substance and I will say, the titular treatment "kit" is such a perfect example of millennial-coded packaging. Textbook even. (Ironically I don't think there is a single millennial character in the movie, full gen X -> gen Z skiperoo. Erasure!?)
"Why do tinned sardines need to look like a storybook?"
i felt very seen by that one because i'm a frequent r/CannedSardines lurker and just the other day i saw this pic of a haul that looked very pretty and i stopped to think about the difference between "pretty" (clean and cute) and "beautiful" (god-like, complex), and if i'd rather a can of sardines look pretty or just look straightforward (like that bottle of apple cider vinegar maybe)
i wouldn't put those cans in the same level as the cursed affluent-millenial packaging you highlight in this article because they are not bland and i actually like them, but it feels adjacent to that trend in some way
i actually kinda dig the new Honda logo??? pleasantly assymetrical? at least on that pic, covered by rain and with that hue of greenish blue on the car, and the cool California license plate below. looks futuristic and a bit gorpy???? im reaching but kinda modern equivalent vibes to that Pentax camera packaging?
it also looks like the kind of thing that could age badly and feel torched after a few months of owning it (the opposite of timeless and versatile, especially with that color) so im not sure
I used to follow an account on Instagram called h0le_foods... looks like it's gone now but it was just a submissions catalog of insanely time warped local inkjet packages from health food stores… I was a Berkeley bowl lurker for 20 years and really considered starting a similar account what with my proximity to the promised land... That Delightfully Turkish brand w the photo of the absolutely ancient Turkish grandma has to be one of my faves. And whatever that really spicy Jamaican Pineapple ginger drink is they used to carry... I can feel the label disintegrating in my palms after one drop of juice runs down the bottle. That kind of old farmers market swag sends me into states of ecstasy. Protect Braggs ACV at all costs, especially now that it's owned by Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom 😮💨
hahah hell yeah - few more enjoyable places to pass an hour every other week than berkeley bowl (we are berkeley bowl west partisans fwiw but we salute both)
“Good” might be a strong descriptor for how bland the flavor is, but I came around to how honest and unsugar-y they are. I kinda think of it more as an oral utility than a treat!
Was watching Janet Planet the other day and was immediately struck by nostalgia for the old St. Ives Swiss Formula shampoos. The cool cutout on the lefthand side of the wide-shaped, flattish bottles, the logos, and the herbal scents! I loved the smells. I think it was the jojoba that was the best, but can't say for sure. Maybe chamomile. Miss those.
katalis soap (shoutout to sami reiss over at snake super health) is the best purchase i have made in months of not years both from a functional and aesthetic standpoint(pardon the amazon link): https://a.co/d/65Etmtq
the yassification of everything is unfortunately the defining aesthetic of this time and i dont see it changing any time soon. people love their food to look like this for some reason. it is insanely annoying. but par for the course for how infantilizing millennials tend to be about basically everything, my least favorite part of my generation for sure.
Arguably another rich source of branding excellence: Costco. Their food court menus: they haven’t felt the need to ‘refresh’ them since 1988(?); and much of their own brand packaging (check the Kirkland Signature logo itself) is, imho, near perfect.
This touched on a feeling I've had for a bit and couldn't quite put my finger on it! Would be interested to see if there's a conversation to be had about this and gentrification as well. My wife and I always talk about and point out what we call "gentrification font!!!" when we see it pop up (all too frequently) in our once super vibey and diverse hometown (Jersey City) that has kind of been torched in much the same way those brands have been.
Yes! I couldn’t handle the terrible house number situation and designed my own. That’s your castle, kings and queens. Don’t add played-out house numbers!
Blackbird Spyplane, you have to read this response(ish) by goated design writer Elizabeth Goodspeed. No shade just another take https://open.substack.com/pub/thecherryontop/p/hot-take-branding-has-never-mattered?r=4w9rs&utm_medium=ios
Look at the comments on the piece from yesterday — one step ahead of you!
Beast, my b
not at all, thanks for sharing it
I finally saw The Substance and I will say, the titular treatment "kit" is such a perfect example of millennial-coded packaging. Textbook even. (Ironically I don't think there is a single millennial character in the movie, full gen X -> gen Z skiperoo. Erasure!?)
been on the list, we are waiting to be in the right headspace to watch haha
that packaging of Sony's Car Discman looks so good, it could be framed
i never save packaging but only because no modern packaging looks that good
"Why do tinned sardines need to look like a storybook?"
i felt very seen by that one because i'm a frequent r/CannedSardines lurker and just the other day i saw this pic of a haul that looked very pretty and i stopped to think about the difference between "pretty" (clean and cute) and "beautiful" (god-like, complex), and if i'd rather a can of sardines look pretty or just look straightforward (like that bottle of apple cider vinegar maybe)
https://www.reddit.com/r/CannedSardines/comments/1i0q26v/comment/m701g47/
i wouldn't put those cans in the same level as the cursed affluent-millenial packaging you highlight in this article because they are not bland and i actually like them, but it feels adjacent to that trend in some way
yes. there's also a soundtrack to this that involves either stomp/clap fake Americana or twee indie rock
haha true
i actually kinda dig the new Honda logo??? pleasantly assymetrical? at least on that pic, covered by rain and with that hue of greenish blue on the car, and the cool California license plate below. looks futuristic and a bit gorpy???? im reaching but kinda modern equivalent vibes to that Pentax camera packaging?
it also looks like the kind of thing that could age badly and feel torched after a few months of owning it (the opposite of timeless and versatile, especially with that color) so im not sure
it should also be noted that the same car has the legenday OG Honda logo on the front: https://www.cars.com/articles/2024-honda-prologue-review-a-wrapper-fresh-ev-478401/
but they also just launched a new logo for their EVs: https://www.dezeen.com/2025/01/14/honda-ev-logo-rebrand-0-series/
yeah you're not alone; when our "jury" comes back with a verdict on this wordmark it may indeed be: "the goats at honda did it again"
I used to follow an account on Instagram called h0le_foods... looks like it's gone now but it was just a submissions catalog of insanely time warped local inkjet packages from health food stores… I was a Berkeley bowl lurker for 20 years and really considered starting a similar account what with my proximity to the promised land... That Delightfully Turkish brand w the photo of the absolutely ancient Turkish grandma has to be one of my faves. And whatever that really spicy Jamaican Pineapple ginger drink is they used to carry... I can feel the label disintegrating in my palms after one drop of juice runs down the bottle. That kind of old farmers market swag sends me into states of ecstasy. Protect Braggs ACV at all costs, especially now that it's owned by Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom 😮💨
hahah hell yeah - few more enjoyable places to pass an hour every other week than berkeley bowl (we are berkeley bowl west partisans fwiw but we salute both)
Berkeley bowl West for the foods, Berkeley bowl Orig for the freak watching 🤌🏼
😂
Ok hold up... I found the account 🙌🏼
the perf companion to this piece
https://www.instagram.com/hole.foodvision?igsh=MXgyMGFkangzNnNzaw==
My two package design goats: FALIM 🤝 YAKULT
whoa, is falim any good?
“Good” might be a strong descriptor for how bland the flavor is, but I came around to how honest and unsugar-y they are. I kinda think of it more as an oral utility than a treat!
Was watching Janet Planet the other day and was immediately struck by nostalgia for the old St. Ives Swiss Formula shampoos. The cool cutout on the lefthand side of the wide-shaped, flattish bottles, the logos, and the herbal scents! I loved the smells. I think it was the jojoba that was the best, but can't say for sure. Maybe chamomile. Miss those.
katalis soap (shoutout to sami reiss over at snake super health) is the best purchase i have made in months of not years both from a functional and aesthetic standpoint(pardon the amazon link): https://a.co/d/65Etmtq
the yassification of everything is unfortunately the defining aesthetic of this time and i dont see it changing any time soon. people love their food to look like this for some reason. it is insanely annoying. but par for the course for how infantilizing millennials tend to be about basically everything, my least favorite part of my generation for sure.
Shout out Sami, so good
DR. BRONNER'S REMAINS UNDEFEATED.
Plus,I kind of love the new Honda logo?
Arguably another rich source of branding excellence: Costco. Their food court menus: they haven’t felt the need to ‘refresh’ them since 1988(?); and much of their own brand packaging (check the Kirkland Signature logo itself) is, imho, near perfect.
Ok is no one going to bring up Dr Bronners??? Or do I have to ????
a couple people have but you should too !
The Rain X 1970s bottle reminds me that I love the impenetrable wall of text on the Dr. Bronner's labels - I hope that never changes.
I thought the same thing:)
They’d be insane to lose that text (which I am not insane enough to have ever read in full!)
This touched on a feeling I've had for a bit and couldn't quite put my finger on it! Would be interested to see if there's a conversation to be had about this and gentrification as well. My wife and I always talk about and point out what we call "gentrification font!!!" when we see it pop up (all too frequently) in our once super vibey and diverse hometown (Jersey City) that has kind of been torched in much the same way those brands have been.
haha neutraface house numbers definitely became a beloved cliche among house flippers within the last ~10-15 years
Yes! I couldn’t handle the terrible house number situation and designed my own. That’s your castle, kings and queens. Don’t add played-out house numbers!
(no disrespect to neutraface itself!!)
Just found a really great write up on this same thing. Definitely worth a read as well. https://maryahamin.substack.com/p/why-does-everything-look-infantilized
looks great, stoked to dig in