JKR

Introduction – It’s not easy!

With consumers, retailers and Mother Earth all pressing for change, lacking a sustainability plan is no longer an option for any decent brand. But from here the choices become more complex and difficult. There are no magic solutions, and even doing the “right” thing can have bad consequences (as the recent food miles debate over organic produce highlights). While much hot air’s expended on manifestos and plans, many of us will be familiar with that sinking feeling as good intentions lose traction in the face of capital expenditure (capex) and other challenges, and bold plans mutate into compromised solutions.

This piece is not about the practicalities of more sustainable packaging, but instead focuses on the implications for powerful branding that sustainability initiatives can offer. Such a massive topic makes it impossible to give a comprehensive overview, (and most of the points made here are open to contradiction and debate, such is the nature of the subject) but the following thoughts are offered as, hopefully, a little pragmatic inspiration…

1. Green aesthetics are no longer a design ghetto. Consumers expect sustainable packaging that looks stunning.

In the past eco brands could get away with less-than-beautiful branding, secure in the belief that their devotees were more interested in content than style. But, as green has gone mass-market, consumers have come to expect brands that move beyond the old “hair shirt template”. They don’t expect better ethics to compromise the shininess of the packaging. Method is a great example of a brand with a green agenda (less toxic products), pragmatism (recycled substrates) but ultimately gorgeous design. It has effectively made Ecover look like yesterday’s man.

Our own design for The London Tea Company presents organic and fair-trade tea in a box whose construct does not require glue. But the graphics are colourful and contemporary, and the structure is exploited to tell stories that engage the consumer. Rather than compromising aesthetics, sustainable choices can and should inspire better branding.

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