From the Desk of Packaging Chic | October 2025
October already . . . I’ve been on calls about texture upgrades, sustainability moves, and optimizing brand presence.
It’s less about adding more decoration and more about choosing the right layers, the finishes and materials that tell the brand story without excess.
My friend, Lisa, and I are always going back and forth with how we use AI in our business and life. She created this Packaging Chic song in all of her spare time! Check it out. ➡️➡️➡️
How are you using AI in your business?
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Reserve Padel Gift Bags: Elegant, Recognizable, and Right-Sized
When Reserve Padel came to me, their vision was elegant and understated: matte white lamination, custom green twill handles, and a single-side logo in spot gloss. But when the physical sample arrived, decoration on just one side felt underwhelming and easily forgotten.
We refined the direction: front and back panels now carry the graphic, giving symmetry and presence. An emboss over a clear logo proved too quiet, so the final iteration layers print, emboss, and spot gloss on the logo. From a distance, the bags now read with authority; up close, the tactile embossing rewards the touch.
There are four sizes. Smaller bags carry only the brand’s initial, while larger ones feature the full name, keeping identity balanced and consistent across formats.
TREND INSIGHT
Private Label & Big-Brand Packaging Refresh
Even global players are proving that packaging isn’t static. Aldi is in the middle of its largest packaging overhaul ever, consolidating 90 sub-brands down to 26 and redesigning over 90% of its private-label products for clarity and stronger shelf impact (Retail Brew).
They’re not alone. Target has over time, steadily refreshed its private-label lines (Boots & Barkley, Up & Up) to stay current. Roughly a dozen of Target’s private labels are $1 billion brands, with four on their way to being $3 billion or $4 billion brands. Wow! Did you know that?!
Trader Joe’s regularly updates designs to reflect seasonal and category growth. The lesson for smaller brands:
Stay current. A measured refresh keeps packaging relevant and signals vitality.
Simplify where possible. Unified design systems strengthen recognition and cut cost and complexity.
Use change strategically. Regulatory updates, sustainability goals, or a new market push are natural times to rework graphics and structures.
Whether you’re a startup or an established brand, revisiting your packaging every few years—rather than waiting for a crisis—keeps you in control of the story customers see on shelf.
FEATURED RESOURCE
Packaging Conversation Worksheet
I’m featuring the Packaging Conversation Worksheet, a tool born out of years of guiding packaging projects from idea to production. It mirrors the conversation I instinctively have with potential clients—covering size, materials, graphics, assembly, timing, and budget.
Whether you’re launching a product or refining a mature line, it helps surface key decisions early, saves time later, and keeps everyone on the same page. 👉 Download the worksheet
INDUSTRY VOICE TO KNOW
This month’s spotlight is on Aggie Burnett of ABCreative NYC, a brand strategist with a sharp eye for emerging beauty founders. Her LATEST newsletter, First-Time Beauty Founders: This Is for You! offers practical, experience-backed advice for building beauty brands that connect.
If you’re in beauty or personal care, her insights on brand building and customer experience are worth adding to your regular reading.
QUICK TIP
Consider a Paid Mockup for Complex Finishes
When a project includes multiple finishes—foil, emboss, spot gloss—seeing them on press before a full run can be game-changing. Many mockup services can create short-run or finish-only prototypes for a fee, and large brands build this step into budgets.
Depending on the size of the project or the relationship, suppliers like Utah Paperbox sometimes produce these tests in-house. It’s an investment up front, but it saves costly surprises and gives marketing and creative teams a true-to-life preview.
WHAT’S AHEAD
Finish Strong: Fourth-Quarter Review & Planning
The last quarter of the year is perfect for a packaging reality check. Review which launches went smoothly, where supply chain hiccups happened, and what specs need updating before new projects begin. Many printers lock holiday schedules by mid-October, so a quick review now means fewer surprises later.
📌 Download my Year-End Packaging Checklist to start a clean hand-off into 2026.
