Colors are outstanding psychological triggers (Click here if you’d like to find out more about their effect on our collective subconsciousness). Whether they communicate specific goals, like sustainability via organic origins/materials, trigger feelings, incite action, or play with your basic instincts, colorful packaging designs directly impact the purchasing decision.
Whether they know it or not, 93% of consumers buy products based on color. This makes selecting the right packaging color all the more important.
But how exactly do you pick the color scheme that best suits your brand, showcases your product, helps you build authority alongside a unique identity, and ultimately – appeals to your customer base?
That choice is crucial, hence why the leading packaging design companies take careful consideration when it comes to the ideal palette. We’ve selected the best examples of inspirational colorful packaging designs that are sure to help you ignite your packaging ideas.
Table of Contents
- Minimalism and Hedonism: Millennium by Fabula Branding
- SORPRESO - Wake up for a day by Nespausk bites
- Sugarf by SUKEDACHI DESIGN
- WOW BIO by DA branding
- WATERLOO by Ana Salman
- XIAOHUAN by NiceLab-Studio
- HOLA Espirito by AS ADVERTISING
- Creamy – Embalagem by Mattheus Moura
- Park Hyatt Kyoto by Econosys Design
- Blissful Eid Mubarak by Nero Graphic Atelier
1. Minimalism and Hedonism: Millennium by Fabula Branding
Standout Features:
- Product-focused pattern
- Color-coded
- Contemporary design
First launched back in 1999, Millennium confectionery grew to become synonymous with modern lifestyle, success, and exclusive hedonism. This, of course, had to be reflected in the brand’s packaging design, courtesy of Fabula Branding.
The refreshed product met the refined tastes of its target flawlessly including the visual appeal.
What does this colorful packaging convey exactly? Essentially it is a result of harmony and a perfect balance between elements such as slightly pastel colors, laconic typography, and minimalist philosophy.
What makes it stand out, however, is its innovative way of product showcasing. The packaging shows its yummy content as an intricate pattern. These chocolates stand out on the shelf cram-full of traditional design solutions due to their visual merger of luxury and simplicity.
2. SORPRESO - Wake up for a day by Nespausk bites
Standout Features:
- Color journey
- Evocative illustrations
- Classy serif typography
Coffee might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of colors, but its vibrancy leaves no one indifferent. Sorpreso, a premium-quality coffee brand understands this better than anyone, which is why their new “travel line” aims to take you on a journey with every sip.
Sorpreso is more than coffee it’s an exclusive, freshly roasted experience. The travel coffee collection’s packaging, designed by Nespausk bites, takes you to distant, exotic corners of the world.
Each member of this colorful journey, alongside its illustration, exudes the authenticity of both its contents and the country of origin.
3. Sugarf by SUKEDACHI DESIGN
Standout Features:
- Innovative construction
- Symmetrical design
- Custom typography
"Sugarf" is a Japanese sweets brand based on the theme of Nagasaki’s world-renowned "Sugar Road”, the birthplace of sugar culture. "Sugar road" refers to the sugar unloaded at Dejima in Nagasaki, the only point of contact with foreign countries during the Edo period, the dusk of the Samurai era.
The Nagasaki Kaido Road goes from its namesake through Saga to Kokura and eventually to Kyoto, Osaka. It was called Sugar Road because it was used as the main route for confections transport over centuries.
Sugarf’s packaging, designed by SUKEDACHI DESIGN, aims to untangle said route, personify it, and neatly pack it into a sweet and colorful present. It is adorned with a sweet mascot, the fairy “Sugarf” who loves seeing and inspiring happiness. In the story Sugarf doesn’t usually go out in public, but rather makes yummy goodies in secret, sharing sweet journeys with people to redefine the meaning of Sugar Road.
The character expresses the full story within the packaging itself. Once you open it, the design explodes, enticing sweet tooths to keep it long after munching on its contents.
4. WOW BIO by DA branding
Standout Features:
- Creative use of typography
- Clever messaging
- Seamlessly integrated ingredient visuals
WOW BIO is a brand-new line of cosmetics for the young and active! Showcasing effective care, turning it into a visual element, and pairing it with pleasant textures, the packaging does a perfect job to cheer you up!
There’s just so much you can do with packaging in the cosmetics industry, but DA branding managed to make it unique with a WOW effect - a distinct blend of colors, typeface, and ingredient (or rather ingrAdient) visuals.
While undoubtedly clever and evocative of Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland (Eat me!), individual taglines (used as product names) stand out with their purposefully uneven typography and the brand’s distinct logo.
5. WATERLOO by Ana Salman
Standout Features:
- Minimal
- Summer-inspired
- Flavors as design focal points
Waterloo is a famous sparkling water brand that “goes all in on full flavor every day.” Known for its rich seltzer taste, it sports a rather traditional packaging that shows “refreshing” isn’t devoid of traditional.
Ana Salman, however, went in the opposite direction and focused on the “all in” aspect of the brand. Her illustrations are fun, simple, and sweet and they perfectly encapsulate that old summer feeling. Cheers!
These drawings are a seamless mix of cutesy and artsy. On one hand, these cans look as if they jumped right out of the anime show, on the other, we wouldn't be surprised if we found one of these exhibited in the Andy Warhol Museum.
6. XIAOHUAN by NiceLab-Studio
Standout Features:
- Rounded “windows”
- Embossed elements
- Colorful patterns
XIAOHUAN’s new, functional tea series is based on traditional Chinese tea, which is why NiceLab-Studio introduced a more diverse design approach, i.e., the fusion of contemporary aesthetics the brand is known for and time-honored styles of old.
The main design inspiration for this packaging comes from the Chinese-style round windows and circular doors in the garden. In traditional architecture, the use of the circle makes the overall aesthetics feel whole in more ways than one. The circle represents a multi-layered richness of senses. Through it, you can see the unique Another sight.
When incorporated into the box it gives customers a unique opportunity to see more than the product, but its intrinsic principles.
7. HOLA Espirito by AS ADVERTISING
Standout Features:
- “Ferocious” design
- Uniform individuality
- Strong typography
While surprising initially, studies have shown that the so-called Zoomers drink alcohol significantly less than preceding generations. Additionally, spending “unnecessary time” on something like cocktail preparation is also far from their scope.
When designing HOLA Espirito’s packaging, AS ADVERTISING’s main focus was the reintroduction of signature cocktails to young people, in the form of ready-to-drink products. Creating a new brand that would encompass this (by using the greeting word “Holla”) was just the start.
The bottle, on the other hand, offers a ferocious preview of what’s inside them. This way consumers could effortlessly link their experiences with the packaging itself. Every single bottle is adorned with the untamed and natural exoticness of a tiger to express the refreshing metamorphosis of one’s spirit through Hola.
8. Creamy – Embalagem by Mattheus Moura
Standout Features:
- Cartoony illustrations/faces
- Pastel color scheme
- Unconventional communication
Creamy is an ice cream shop located in downtown São Paulo. In their new phase, the brand underwent a new market positioning, so the company needed a refreshed visual identity, from the logo to the ice cream packaging.
Enter Mattheus Moura!
He established a connection with Creamy's consumers in a happy and relaxed way, bringing more customers to the establishment.
Since the company focuses on non-standard communication, Moura introduced striking, fun visual language that ideally reflects the lives of people who come to the store to consume the ice cream.
9. Park Hyatt Kyoto by Econosys Design
Standout Features:
- Mark of Elegance
- On-brand color scheme
- Wood decals
Park Hyatt Kyoto is a luxury hotel located close to Kodai-Ji Temple surrounded by the Higashiyama landscape, boasting panoramic views of Kyoto City and the Yasaka Pagoda.
As a collaboration with Park Hyatt Kyoto, Econosys Design created Christmas hamper gift sets that embody not only the exclusivity of the hotel itself but its location as well. The packaging balances the recognizable aesthetics the brand is known for with the Japanese minimalism to redefine the meaning of a gift box.
10. Blissful Eid Mubarak by Nero Graphic Atelier
Standout Features:
- Typography and color combo
- Intricate patterns
- Modern design
As a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, it is not surprising that the celebration of Eid is always eagerly awaited every year. The tradition of sending Eid hampers is one of the cultural attractions of its own.
Now, in celebrating Eid al-Fitr, Nero Graphic Atelier created exclusive hampers for relatives and partners. Their premium artisan tea hampers seamlessly merge the contemporary packaging design with local, traditional patterns to honor the meaningful holiday. With its custom color gradient and typography combination it is truly unique and exclusive and above all - blissful.
