Jeff Sinelli
CEO, Sinelli Concepts
“We’ve only been studying packaging for probably less than a decade, and we don’t know what these materials will be 200 years from now.”
This year wasn’t a year for new innovations in packaging. It was more of a year for refinements of previous designs, little tweaks—whether it be a dual beverage carrier that now has a handle added or a bag with a seatbelt loop added. It was a year of enhancements and adding those special little touches.
But speaking from the operator’s perspective, whenever we look at our packaging, the first thing I look for is something that’s green, that’s OK for the environment. When we’re in meetings, I ask a question I haven’t asked in years passed: “What does this mean for the environment?”
It’s top-of-mind for the operators out there, because these containers, like bottled water or foams, are going in the landfill, and we don’t have the history to know what the actual breakdown is. We’ve only been studying packaging for probably less than a decade, and we don’t know what these materials will be 200 years from now, 500 years from now, because we haven’t been around long enough to figure it out. I think that’s one of the concerns really looking forward, hundreds of years from now, because we’re going to be dead and gone, and we have to be concerned about the decisions we make right now for our legacies.
Tory Bartelt
Art Director, QSR magazine
“Most of the innovation and design intentions— not just graphic design, but design in general— are about the cups.”
I see packaging designs going toward a more upscale, sophisticated feel. But, in general, there’s a definite delineation between brands that want to keep the core quick-service consumer and those that are going upscale. Really, packaging is a great indicator of what segment of the consumer universe a restaurant concept is going after.
The color black is everywhere. It’s become the shorthand indication for sophistication to separate yourself from the pack. Whether it’s a bag, a box, or a ketchup packet, introducing it with lots of black instantly indicates it’s differently defined. It’s the go-to color.
Also, a lot of attention is being paid to cups. Most of the innovation and design intentions—not just graphic design, but design in general—are about the cups. Maybe that’s the endgame of cars having so many cupholders. America has a fascination with the cup, and the packaging industry has definitely recognized that.
Another thing you can clearly see when you look at a family of packaging is that everyone is concerned about carryout dining. We talk a lot about upscaling, and you can clearly see that applied to carryout and drive-thru. Larger purchases need more ways to be taken home, and in that context, the packaging is every bit as important as what’s inside.