Packaging as the 5th P

One of the great advantages of work in packaging is the many touchpoints packaging has. Packaging has been cited as the 5th P in a marketing paradigm. Certainly, packaging has been used to revitalize brands, launch new concepts and differentiate use. Anyone who i sinvolved in supply chain recognizes the ripple effect packaging has on costs, service and distribution.

To me it doesn’t matter what part of the packaging world you see, it’s always interesting to find the newest things that designers come up with. Okay, I’ll grant you that some of the things they dream of can border on the kooky, impractical, and just plain odd. But...

Regardless, even those “out-there” ideas can yield a wealth of inspiration and insight on packaging of all types. Often, the concepts that challenge us the most are the ones that are the most valuable in terms of making us really think of how we view packaging and the many possibilities for it.

Two excellent sites for packaging design are The Dieline and Box Vox. They're updated frequently and are almost always loaded with new stuff -- a feast for anyone who enjoys thought-provoking visuals and "out-of-the-box" structures.