JKR

2. Retro can be well exploited without making the core pack look kitsch.

The trouble with the Monster Munch packaging is that the design heritage it celebrates is basically a bit rubbish. So once the novelty has gone they will be left with a pack that looks more crude than charming. While Chupa Chups are also not exactly the last word in refined design (despite having a logo created by Salvador Dali), these tins found in duty free manage to evoke the brands slightly retro kitsch personality while also having a sense of design quality.

And because they are a secondary pack, they ride the retro trend without dragging down the core pack. Such gift boxes and limited editions can smartly exploit nostalgia without giving the brand a design hangover.

3. There is a subtle difference between “retro” and “heritage”.

We recently re-designed the Hovis brand. It has been cited in articles as an example of the retro trend (probably because going on about re-launching baby boomers’ old snacks soon seems a bit one-dimensional). We would suggest that while “retro” branding tends towards novelty and fun, Hovis plays a slightly different card. It uses the “boy on the bike” to tap into the brand’s fondly remembered communication. And the overall look of the packaging uses simplicity and classic typography to evoke a feel that sits comfortably with the brand’s roots as a traditional baker. But the colours are less inspired by Jarrow than Farrow and Ball. Similarly the split half-and-half architecture creates a distinctive presence on shelf that is entirely up to date. In other words, we have capitalised on the brand’s authentic roots, but have overlaid this with a contemporary design sensibility. Obviously the distinction between retro pastiche and celebrating a brand’s heritage is a fairly subtle one. However, one approach relies on the past but says nothing new, while the other draws on the past to re-build the brand for today.

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