Packagers and filmmakers strike a nerve with consumers through nostalgia

packagers-and-filmmakers-strike-a-nerve-with-consumers-through-nostalgiaIt's February. Typically a lead-in like this would translate into some hokey, pseudo-romantic haiku about Valentine's Day, but not this time. Sure it's the season of love, but Cupid isn't the only one hard at work this month. It's also the time for Oscar to shine. Keep reading to witness what may appear to be a shameless attempt to connect bottle designs with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood but is in fact a look at how nostalgia can play to the desires of consumers and moviegoers alike. Nostalgic or retro packaging designs are meant to lure in buyers by conjuring up fond memories and associating those memories with their product. A particular pattern or look on a bottle can capture an era or the emotion of a moment. Movies do this too! Some of The Academy Award's Best Picture contenders prove that the packaging industry isn't the only group to capitalize on nostalgia. Have a bit of fun below, reading as I match each bottle product with its nostalgic cinema counterpart. The Help and Ben Shaws Set in the 1960s, The Help depicts the life of an African-American woman working as house-help in Mississippi. The film is nostalgic in its setting but also in the sense of recalling what so many endured through the years leading to the Civil Rights Movement. It wouldn’t seem out of place to see a can of <a href=http://www.benshawsdrinks.co.uk/our-drinks/>Ben Shaws </a>(first canned in 1959) captured in a scene from the film. The period-perfect flavored sodas (Cream Soda, Dandelion & Burlock, Bitter Shandy and Cloudy Lemonade) are adorned with authentic black and white photos of that time, capturing what many (people who obviously lead different lives than those portrayed in The Help) remember as the good old days. Midnight in Paris and Prada fragrances Midnight in Paris embodies nostalgia naturally, through the protagonist who dreams of living in times past. SPOILER ALERT: Lucky for him, the city of Paris gets magical at midnight, allowing the dreamer to actually experience the sparkle and allure of the 1920s (did I mention that he gets to hang out with F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway?). What captures the flapper mentality better than a large, glamorous bottle of perfume, accessorized by the all-important bulb atomizer? Nothing I can think of. <a href=http://www.prada.com/en/fragrances-female/amber-products>Prada</a> keeps the lively decade alive, allowing women to experience the freedom and excitement of the period yet still enjoy the conveniences of being a modern woman, all done through packaging in a square glass bottle. Not to mention, the perfect “puff” of perfume we’ve all been looking for that the classic 20s bulb atomizer offers. (That doesn’t hurt either.) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Lieb Family Cellars' 9/11 Wines Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is hard to watch, due to the somber and painfully real nostalgia it evokes, depicting a time not too long ago. <a href=http://liebcellars.com/our-wines/911-memorial-benefit.htm>Lieb Family Cellars</a> is currently selling two wines; each packaged in a standard wine bottle. Unlike our previous examples, the products are not nostalgic in a physical sense, but instead employ nostalgia through the spirit of the product, honoring those whose lives were lost on September 11, 2001. (A portion of the proceeds generated from the 9/11 Memorial Commemorative Merlot and Chardonnay will be donated to the 9/11 Memorial.) <a href=http://oscar.go.com/>The Academy Awards</a> air Sunday, February 26th. I'll be the one sipping (Pepsi Throwback, anyone?) and snacking (candy necklaces are so hot right now!) on nostalgic goodies in front of the television. Until then, consider offering consumers a nostalgic experience through your product that they might never behold otherwise. A <a href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/services/cpsdesign.asp>CPS Design</a> expert is anxiously waiting in the wings to help you!