Illustrated = want?

Does illustrated packaging make us want products we don't need?

Fig. 1Versace for Disaronno

The topic of this post is the product of several strains of thought, a little bit of research and some accidental findings. In my recent research looking at GIFS and QR codes I started to think about whether this could be translated on to packaging, as like I have said before I'm quite keen on the idea of a digital/physical crossover at the moment (the physical object here would be the packaging). 

Around the same time, when browsing on an art site I saw an advert for Versace's new limited edition bottle for Disarono (Fig 1).  It looks super pretty, almost like an ornament or decorative piece rather than a liquor bottle, and I am certain that many consumers who only occasionally bought Disaronno were eager to snap this one up based on the aesthetic rather than the drink itself.  The added element of it being a designer piece is another layer to the "want" factor, as a brand such as Versace has a very exclusive market and a bottle such as this would be an entry product to the high-fashion world.  This again ties into a visual rhetoric which I am researching separately to this.

After I began to think about illustration being a drive for a purchase, I began to notice products in the supermarket that were marketed in this way.  The boxes of Kleenex are a prime example.   Tissues are a secondary necessity product, after toilet roll and kitchen roll - in other words, I don't really need them.  But the quirky illustrations on the boxes in Figure 2 easily trigger an "Oh, cute!" response in women in particular, and the themes that fit with many home decoration prints make it a buy that many people can decide they want.   Another example is the illustrated box of Earl Grey teas (Figure 3) - tea already comes in packaging so there is not much of a need for a purchase like this one, but it looks pretty.  

  

Fig. 2 Kleenex boxes

Fig. 3 Earl Grey box

Fig. 4 Divine Chocolate wrappers

Fig. 5

Divine Chocolate (Figures 4 and 5) is slightly different as it is a fair trade brand with roots in Africa.  The illustrations serve a dual purpose, in that they present elements of the African identity in the design while looking desirable and therefore implying that the chocolate is quality made and tastes good.  

Another purely illustrated example I found was from an illustrator whose work I love called Aitch, a Hungarian artist who does quirky, flat work that could appeal to a similar market.   The project linked was found on the website The Jealous Curator, which I have found a lot of great inspiration on recently.    These have not been made into real products (yet?) but it is easy to covet them even in the stages of early concept.  The packaging is not different from any other of the same kind in form or function, but it is the illustrated elements that would make them stand out on the shelf.   

Fig. 6 Packaging Illustrations by Aitch

Fig. 8 Absolut Cities editions

Fig. 9 Absolut London edition by Jamie Hewlett

Absolut Vodka have always used illustration to aid the sales of limited edition flavours really well.  The examples above fuse the drawn element with a personal appeal of the city themes, and on top of that they commissioned artists from each city to add a unique twist.    Jamie Hewlett's illustrations for London are a interesting example which again relies on visual rhetoric to an extent.  Hewlett is responsible for the visual style that is now synonymous with the English band Gorillaz, one of the biggest bands to come out of the UK in the 1990s and whose visual persona relies almost solely on Hewlett's animations. Added to this are the historical references seen in the art, which charts the historical periods that shaped London.  By commissioning an English artist for an English band whose work was already iconic, and well as presenting a slice of English history, Absolut attracted both fans of London and fans of the band in one campaign.  This encourages a buying decision that is based on having something that looks pretty and Absolut do this again and again in various contexts, which makes me believe that it is a sales technique that works especially well in certain markets.    For my own project I think that a purely illustrated angle would be a fun place to start, but on it's own I don't feel it is a deep enough approach to link to the themes in my dissertation question on more than one level (visual persuasion/rhetoric and cross media experiences - this is a working title!)  

However, aesthetics will of course be hugely important in the delivery of the project, especially the message behind them.  What are these examples I have used here trying to say about the existing product, or about the company?  Are they aimed at someone with an expensive taste or someone who lives on a regular budget, and what are they saying about THAT person?  I have been reading "The Design of Everyday Things" by Donald Norman, which speaks to designing for the person in a way that considers the kind of person that they are, and making sure they know that a product has been designed with this in mind.  This is an angle that I have not considered so much before and I will speak about this more when I write about the book properly, but for now I can consider ways to apply this to a visual brand.  I have plans to carry out a much-delayed mini project where I will illustrate an already branded product; I'm not 100% sure what I am looking to achieve from it outside of aesthetic appeal, but perhaps at this stage it is all I need to as it is important.  

References

Fig. 1 Versace, Dontalla, 2014.  #DISARONNOwearsVERSACE [online image] Available at: 

https://www.facebook.com/Disaronno/photos/a.205661402803768.45395.201224786580763/748484891854747/?type=1&theater

[Accessed 21st October 2014]

Fig. 6 Aitch, 2014.  Packaging Illustrations [online image] Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/19490863/Packaging-Illustrations

[Accessed 29th October 2014]

Fig. 8 Multiple authors, 2010.  Absolut Cities collection [online image] Available at:

http://thesipadvisor.com/tag/absolut-city-series/

[Accessed 28th October 2014]

Fig. 9 Hewlett, Jamie, 2012.  Absolut London bottle [online image] Available at:

http://designcollector.net/absolut-london-jamie-hewlett/

[Accessed 29th October 2014]