The staying power of packaging

In today’s age, imagery is fleeting. If you don’t check Facebook every 15 minutes you miss a post, article, or funny cat video. With print media, it’s the same way. I know I have stacks of magazines and online subscriptions that I skim or sometimes never even get to. But packaging is a medium that has longevity, staying power.

The other day, while doing my Costco shopping, I strolled down the canned aisle and came across a pallet of Stagg Chili. I smiled and took this funny picture because I became nostalgic. I worked on the Stagg Chili account in 1995. It was at that time that we did the “big redesign”. We transformed a basic straight logo into a 3-dimensional arched gold emblem. In addition, we chose to combine photo realistic illustration of ingredients with a real photo of the chili. The rich black background, gold emblem and textural changes between illustration and photography made for a striking label. Twenty years later, the labels had not changed much. I am sure it has been tweaked over time to make room for nutritional updates, and regulatory changes but all in all the brand, the equity of label, is intact.

I encourage you to look around your own pantry and keep an eye open as you walk the shelves to look for brands and packages that have maintained their overall brand look and feel over the decades. There are many of them and we will definitely share more! For now, I will revel in my nostalgic walk down memory lane with Stagg Chili.