What lessons have we learned designing brands for packaging and retail?

Food, like art, fashion and music, is an essential expression of local culture. Its importance varies from region to region, but for international brands it poses a challenge: a one‑size‑fits‑all packaging strategy can undermine market positions that have taken years to build.

We’ve learned that there are several aspects that need cultural ‘appropriation’, not just on design aspect, but most importantly in your own thinking. It’s more than “How should food be depicted on packaging?”. Experience across many projects shows that what resonates with most markets can undermine a brand in a specific culture. For example, French customers were dismayed by the international packaging proposals for their beloved Knorr soup range. Designs that tested well in other major markets made the soups appear industrially processed, stripping away their perceived quality and taste appeal.

It’s not just about product visuals; it’s also about understanding what a brand means in each market. As a Dutch consumer, you might see Calvé as something you grew up with and tipical Dutch. As a brand owner at Unilever you will see it as a successful international brand. In Italy, however, it’s promoted as il più gustoso Italiano – the most flavourful Italian – and it’s the number‑one sauce range, surpassing international icons like Heinz.

Another example is how Nigerians view the starch‑based component of their diet: for them, it’s all about how a food can be swallowed. It’s not about the bite, it’s about the ‘swallow’. So how do you translate Lamb Weston’s Irish potato range for that cultural frame?

It becomes tricky if you want to translate an expresion rooted in the cultural heritage to a brand. Cliché’s, tackiness or old fashioned might lurk around the corner when you want to apply them for a brand style and packaging identity. Is it simply exploitation or do you bring something new that a brand it can really own. You need to be genuine and it needs to support the story of the brand and its products. For Królewski it worked on multiple aspects. Not only did it give a commodity – sugar – providence, but it tapped into a newly found interest and pride for Polish produce. What you need to do is bring the ‘old’ to be relevant for today. Not exploit but reinvigorate.

For international brands to you need to bridge the gap between the efficiencies of centralised brand and packaging management and local cultural requirements. Requirements that form a barrier for a global packaging design. The goal is a design that aligns with international brand positioning while giving local teams a strong proposition for building the business.

For us, that process begins with open conversations with local teams, experiencing the market first‑hand, and understanding the culture before integrating those insights into the broader brand and packaging approach. It may sound contradictory to go for such an approach, but it is more efficient to do this without losing the benefits of uniformity. With the new AI tools in the adaptive and pre-press stages of packaging design, the concern of managing these ‘cultural appropriations’ is also much easier managed.

“AI can generate anything, but who ensures it makes sense?” The rise of generative AI tools in graphic design is transforming the packaging industry faster than most anticipated. What began as curiosity – “Can AI really design packaging?”- is evolving into real-world experiments with moodboards, dielines, 3D mock-ups, and even full brand refreshes.

For design agencies, the shift is both promising and disruptive. We’re no longer just creators; we’re curators, editors, and strategic guides. AI speeds up iteration and opens new possibilities for testing and visualization, but it also complicates the landscape. One of the most pressing issues is copyright: who truly owns AI-generated visuals? What if an AI “inspired” layout too closely resembles an existing design?

These questions aren’t just legal—they’re strategic. Clients need packaging they can defend, replicate, and scale globally. Trust, originality, and ownership are non-negotiable. That’s why the agency role – ensuring IP integrity and brand distinctiveness – becomes even more critical, not less.

Client organizations, especially those managing large portfolios of branded goods, are at a crossroads. With AI tools now accessible in-house, the temptation to bypass agencies is real. But speed without system, or inspiration without ownership, comes at a cost. Without strong brand governance and design strategy, AI can generate noise instead of clarity.

What we’re seeing is a redefinition of value. Speed is no longer a premium; it’s expected. The new premium is clarity; knowing when to use AI, how to ensure it aligns with your brand, and how to protect what’s yours.

Forward-thinking clients are adapting already: rethinking briefs, setting clearer creative boundaries, and choosing partners who can navigate this evolving terrain. AI won’t replace creativity, but it will demand we use it more responsibly.

The future of packaging design won’t be about how fast you create. It will be about what you can confidently choose and own.