All festive occasions are special. What makes them fascinating is not just the reason why they happen, but most importantly, the unique celebrations that are associated with them. Even with unstable economies, unpredictable fashions, and ephemeral trends; some traditions stick around. From Easter eggs to Halloween pumpkins, some things stay the same. Keeping this in mind and the upcoming zombie apocalypse, how can famous brands use it to their advantage?
• What’s in it for the BIG brands?
A lot, actually! No reputable brand can ignore the important cultural events observed by its clientele. The bigger the corporation, the more it has to honor the likes of its customers in order to secure their loyalty. The famous brands of the world deal with bitter competition in order to meet their fans’ expectations and keep them interested in their brands. Some brands can afford to go through experiments, but, definitely, not all.
One way to get the attention of general public or existing customers is seasonal packaging design campaigns. These campaigns are exciting not only because of the sheer creative genius behind them, but also, for the way they interact with the customers who wait all year for the Halloween edition or the Valentines design of their favorite product.
Perhaps, the best thing about festive packaging is the refreshing aspect for a brand without having to rebrand. Just a slight alteration in logo or tagline, in accordance with the occasion, can create quite a stir in the minds of the customers. Moreover, the design elements that remain consistent during these campaigns; they imprint the brand on the clients’ minds. This way, the customers can recall the brand instantly whenever he needs the product or prefers the brand among a variety of others while shopping.
• The “care” factor!
Customers usually go after the brands who (they think) take an interest in their well-being.
In this era of instant feedback and communication, no brand can stay aloof from its customers, or, let’s just say that no ‘BIG’ brand can afford to do such a thing. Brands need to show that they care for the community of their buyers and sellers, they need to contribute in the betterment of society, they are supposed to be environment friendly; and similarly, they need to share the happiness and sorrows of their customers.
• Conserving the “values”!
By running festive campaigns, these brands also adhere to the community’s customs and traditions. They show respect to what their customers value the most in life; i.e. certain enjoyable moments with friends and family. From Christmas to Islamic Eid, companies need to show that they are involved just as much as the people who use their products.
• Famous Brands who care!
Now, I realize that many of you might be thinking of a few brands whose actions are quite contrary to what they claim in this regard. Many famous brands incorporate slogans and symbols that deceive the buyers into thinking that they are making the best possible choice, whereas, their products are actually harmful because of one reason or another. Take, for example, the Starbucks coffee or McDonald’s which run awesome campaigns to please the customers, but those indulging excessively in that pleasure have to pay the price later on in terms of health issues.
Therefore, in today’s post, we are only focusing on the branding aspect of these companies. How special packaging benefits these brands is what the upcoming entrepreneurs and companies can learn from them.
By showing the lighter side and chipping into the joy of the customers, these companies earn a fortune. The amount they invest is nothing compared to what they receive in return. People collect those packages and buy them for friends on special occasions.
Cadbury does an excellent job when it comes to seasonal packaging designs. Their limited time offers are tempting to the point of absurd for the chocolate lovers and kids. Have a look at what they created for last year’s Halloween:
Similarly, one of the best examples in this regard is of Coca Cola company. Each year, it celebrates a number of occasions with its fans. Their campaigns are normally so traditional for the targeted audience that it’s difficult to tell who is celebrating with whom. It could be the brand celebrating with its clients or vice versa.
• Here comes Hell-o-ween!
I hope that you understand the significance of these occasion-based packages by now. We have also reviewed some of the brands who are heavily involved in these activities. Let’s now explore the possibilities of creative logo revamps of famous brands for the most exciting event of the year; i.e. Halloween. All right then… Ready… Set… Booooo…..
Really interesting points, especially the section on ‘The “care” factor’. Nike had it easiest with their logo in my opinion. Thanks for the thought provoking article.
Halloween llega a los logos de las grandes marcas | Mr. Brief
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October 23rd, 2013
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6:44 am
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[...] Visto en Graphic Design Blog. [...]
Bianca Board
On
October 23rd, 2013
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7:21 pm
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I love seeing all these little logos spring up when Halloween comes around. Great article. Really enjoyed reading it.
Best Halloween Brand Efforts of 2013 | Branding Magazine
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November 4th, 2013
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5:42 am
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[...] The Graphic Design Blog recently featured a cute collection of Halloween-styled brand logos. Check them out, here. [...]
Branding Sheffield
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January 3rd, 2014
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9:08 am
5
Great to see big brands having some fun with their logos.
I’d like to see more for different seasonal branding.
Mashable logo looks like a plunger though!
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Really interesting points, especially the section on ‘The “care” factor’. Nike had it easiest with their logo in my opinion. Thanks for the thought provoking article.