Branding & Packaging: Notable Seed stories from 2009

San Francisco, London, Adelaide – The year saw a number of pared-down packaging designs, appealing to a growing number of value-seeking consumers. The new Value range by retailer John Lewis, which included 100 homeware items at low prices, came in suitably pared-down packaging to catch the eye of the bargain-seeking No Frills Affluent consumer.

Wine bottle design lost its stuffiness in 2009, as designers opted instead for simplistic but distinguishable labeling. A design for Southpaw Vineyard by Parallax , which makes organic wines free of fertilizers and chemical pesticides, took a minimal, text-only approach that mirrored the purity of the product.

One of the fastest-growing restaurant chains in the US turned to its customers to help create its new packaging identity. Chipotle Mexican Grill, called on design agency Sequence to create packaging for its paper bags and cups that featured handwritten personal messages from customers.