You are in a supermarket to buy yourself a cool, delicious drink. You are scanning every product standing on the beverage aisle, trying to find ‘that one’ drink that will quench your thirst and satisfy you (something refreshing yet tasty). With so many products on the aisle, you are struggling to pick one, and then suddenly something unexpected happens. You reach out for one that catches your eye and feels as if it were meant for you.
That’s the magic of creative beverage packaging and label design.
If you are a beverage brand, you know that this moment can make a real difference between being noticed and being overlooked. With so many similar beverage products competing fiercely for consumers’ attention, it is your beverage’s packaging design that persuades consumers to choose you.
This blog is all you need if you’re looking for the best beverage packaging design or label design for your product and brand. Whether it’s the importance of the beverage label design or the ideas for your specific beverage packaging design, we discuss all in detail. In addition, we outline the advantages of hiring an expert food and beverage packaging design agency for your brand.
In the end, we have answered some of the most common questions. Do check it out to get a greater clarity on the topic.
Ready to begin? Let’s start!
What is Beverage Packaging Design and label Design?
Beverage packaging and label design is all about planning and executing visuals.
If you think the same, here’s something you must know.
That’s only half the truth. It is actually much more than this.
It’s all about communicating what your product is, what its unique selling proposition (USP) is, and why it’s better than its fellow products. It highlights important information about your product, and additionally, conveys your brand’s identity and story.
Together, all the elements of your packaging design create a visual and emotional experience that compels consumers to look at your product and make a purchase.
Let’s elaborate on some of the important elements of your professional beverage packaging and label design:
- Visual Design: As the name implies, visual design stands for the creative graphics, typography, font, and colour palette. These play an indispensable role in making your product appear attractive and grabbing attention.
- Brand Identity: Your packaging and label design convey your brand’s identity, including logo, positioning, messaging, and values.
- Legal Compliance: Your beverage label design also includes certain information for the benefit of the customers. Some of this information is mandatory as per regulatory norms. These include ingredient lists, nutritional values, veg/non-veg symbol, FSSAI logo & license number, manufacturer/marketer details, and net quantity.
Does Beverage Packaging and Label Design Really Matter?
Okay, is that even a question? But we get you. So, understand it this way. Your beverage packaging and label design are your first opportunity to connect and communicate with your consumers. It is this interaction that eventually leads to sales. No wonder, then, your beverage packaging design is crucial.
Good visuals on your design draw people in, but it is not just about the aesthetics. Your beverage label design shares the product’s information with consumers, which in turn builds trust and loyalty. A strategic design also conveys a compelling brand story and message – something that builds real, lasting connections with consumers.
In short, your beverage packaging design can change the fate of your product. An effective one can persuade people to buy your product once and then encourage them to come back to it time and again. It can make your brand memorable.
Packaging Design That Sells: Beverage Design Across Categories
There are just so many beverages in the market. How do you establish a strong presence, increase visibility, and drive sales growth? Your packaging design is your silent superhero on the shelf.
Let’s discuss the right packaging design for every beverage type. However, just bear in mind that these are some general tips. You might need to tweak it a little to suit your vision, mission, market and target audience expectations.
Vitamin Water and Protein Water Packaging Design
Vitamin water and protein water have become people’s new favourites. Product packaging design for this category is based on one principle – simplicity. The complicated and cluttered design is a thing of the past now. Today’s consumers want to know the benefits of what they are putting into their bodies. So, these beverage label designs must showcase the benefits clearly.
Vitamin water is meant to provide hydration and quick energy. Its design should convey a sense of freshness and goodness for every day. Go for a minimalist vitamin water packaging design that has clear visuals, bright colours, and easy-to-read typography. Display necessary information and benefits clearly. This allows consumers to quickly spot what they need to know about the product and the brand at a glance.
Protein water supports muscle recovery & growth and is a better option for post-workout recovery, increasing daily protein intake, and satisfaction. Its design direction should therefore be clean, minimal, and performance-driven. Use strong typography, neutral colours and clear information hierarchy to communicate benefits. Also, make sure to highlight protein quantity prominently.
For both the vitamin water and protein water label design, you can experiment with interactive elements like QR codes. Scanning the code can reveal more information about the brand and the product.
Juice Packaging Design
Okay, what do you think of when you hear the word – juice? Something bright and playful? Well, yes, that’s what the product is all about, so your juice packaging design should speak the same.
Since juice stands for freshness and taste, your juice label design or juice can design should evoke similar emotions. Use flavour-oriented colours and visuals for each variant. For instance, an orange juice bottle label design can have orange colour as well as visuals of the fruit (whole or sliced) on its label. The layout must be balanced, and its information hierarchy should present brand identity and product health benefits clearly. Depending on your target audience, you can also refine your design to give it a more premium feel.
The fruit juice label design should feel uncluttered, pure and modern. It should persuade people to buy it and take a sip immediately.
Energy Drink Packaging Design
Energy drinks have always been people’s favourite, and are meant to quickly increase mental focus, alertness, as well as physical performance and stamina. So, your energy drink packaging design must feel bold, powerful and energetic to resonate with your target audience. They could be gym lovers, athletes, or even working professionals. factor and vital functional claims (such as the presence of B-Vitamins and Zero Sugar). However, make sure that these claims do not overwhelm the overall design.
Soft, pastel, or muted colours usually don’t work for energy drink label design. Instead, go for high-contrast colours (like blue/orange or red/green) and strong (but clear) typography. The label should draw clear attention to the energy factor and vital functional claims (such as the presence of B-Vitamins and Zero Sugar). However, make sure that these claims do not overwhelm the overall design.
You can take your energy drink packaging design to the next level by introducing limited-edition packaging designs. These designs are inspired by popular festivals, various events and pop culture and are meant to spark curiosity and form an emotional connection with the customers. You can experiment with your limited-edition design. However, the important thing to remember is that the brand identity and energy factor must never get lost in the process.
Sparkling Water Packaging Design
And there is one more drink that is slowly and steadily making its place in the beverage market and witnessing a large surge in demand - sparkling water. Since it is one of the calorie-free, sugar-free, and clean fizzy beverages, its packaging design must feel pure, premium, and refreshing.
Soft, pastel-hued colours as well as minimal abstract graphics (waves & bubbles) can lend a sense of calmness to the design, while elegant typography and lots of negative spaces can make it appear clean and sophisticated. Information on the sparkling water packaging design should highlight flavours and claims, if any.
In short, the design should feel fresh, pure and restrained.
Tea Packaging Design
Who doesn’t love tea? Whether it’s summer or winter, day or night, Indians love tea. It’s our go-to stress buster at any time of the day. Tea comes in two different forms. The first one comes in the traditional form - tea leaves or tea bags meant to be brewed at home all by yourself. The second, which is fast becoming popular, is the RTD (ready-to-drink) tea drinks.
For the former, the packaging design must reflect tradition, trust and quality with modern minimalism. Whether it is black tea, herbal tea, green tea, or any other category, tea packaging design must speak about health and the product’s connection to nature. The colour palette must have warm, natural tones, and the images should also reflect tradition & nature. You may also add hand-drawn botanical illustrations with clean fonts that would put the spotlight on the product’s flavour and health benefits. The idea is - keep the focus on simplicity, but don’t forget the ‘luxury’ factor.
The RTD tea packaging design should feel refreshing and appear premium and modern. Use colours and graphics that highlight the fruit or tea flavour. Highlight key information like flavour and quality claims (like no added sugar, or cold-pressed). The tea label design should essentially attract the customers within seconds and persuade them to make a purchase.
Yoghurt Drink Packaging Design
Yoghurt is one of the healthiest and most refreshing snacks we Indians often have. Yoghurt beverage enjoys the same level of popularity as well. Sweet and savoury yoghurt drinks (read lassi, buttermilk/chaas and smoothies) are a hit amongst people of all age groups, especially in summers.
Yoghurt drink is meant to refresh and cool you, and simultaneously appeal to your taste buds, too. Its packaging design, therefore, must communicate a sense of freshness, health and taste. For buttermilk, you can use cool and earthy colours and pair it up with traditional images like leaf motifs.
Lassi, as a product, is a little richer and indulgent; therefore, you can use a slightly richer colour for its packaging. Flavoured lassi can have images and illustrations of fruits as well. Now, coming to smoothies, you can go for bright, bold and high-energy colours together with visuals that highlight the ingredients (fruits and seeds).
The packaging design for all three must appear modern, minimal and clean. Also, the messaging, feature and benefits for each should appear prominently. For instance, it could be cooling and digestive for buttermilk and thick and creamy for lassi.
Coffee Packaging Design
When it comes to popular beverages, coffee is not far behind. Online stores and physical retail stores are full of RTD coffee products. Coffee packaging design should appear premium, bold and confident. The design should feel clean and exude energy and trust. The colours should be inspired by the type of coffee – darker shades for cold brew and softer tones for milk coffee/latte. Use strong and clean typography. This beverage label design should clearly indicate strength, flavour, and lifestyle.
Why Does Your Beverage Brand Need a Packaging and Label Design Agency?
Sure, you can make your packaging and label design work all by yourself, but the real magic happens when experts step in. An expert food and beverage packaging design agency can work to make your product hard to ignore.
Here, we elaborate on why your beverage brand needs a food and beverage packaging design agency.
Your Packaging and Label Design Conveys Your Brand’s Identity
Your beverage packaging and label design are an important aspect of your brand identity. When used strategically, it can effectively communicate your brand's personality, message, and values. A well-designed beverage packaging design can tell your brand’s story at a glance, which helps connect and engage with your target customers.
A creative design agency knows exactly how to communicate through design. This is why it is perfectly capable of crafting a design that directly speaks and resonates with your audience.
Agency Experts Know the Trends and Even Set Them
Beverage packaging design trends continue to evolve. What was trendy a few years back may not be relevant today. With all your work commitments, it is not easy for you to stay up to date with these changing trends. However, a food and beverage packaging design agency keeps up with the trends and even sets them. They can help you with timeless yet trendy designs to make sure your brand doesn’t blend in but stands out.
They Ensure Consistency Across Your Product Line
Do you have multiple product lines, such as protein water, energy drinks, and sparkling water? Though each product must have its own unique identity, it must also feel like it’s a part of your brand. In this case, a food and beverage branding agency can help you maintain consistency across your product line - both existing and new ones. They can make sure your products appear unique but still have a consistent brand identity.
You Need to Claim the Power of First Impression
We have already discussed how important the first impression is in grabbing people’s attention. A professional designing agency understands consumer psychology and knows how to capture your audience’s attention and make them buy your product. They know how to create a beverage label design or a beverage can design that pops and wows while communicating your product’s key information. It’s more than just looking aesthetically good; it’s communicating everything people must know about your product in a split second.
An Agency Helps You Break into Niche Markets
So, which market are you tapping into – eco-friendly or something crafted especially for athletes? Whatever niche market you are planning to target, your package and label design should be designed accordingly. A creative design agency can help you customise your beverage packaging design for these specific markets. They ensure a nuanced design that speaks and engages with your target audience.
Give Your Brand Something It Deserves
This year, with more and more companies launching their beverage brands, the competition is going to intensify. Your beverage brand will need to face and stand out in this fierce competition. By collaborating with an expert food and beverage branding agency, you can rest assured that your designs look great, connect with consumers and drive sales.
DN Designs, an expert branding and packaging design agency, can help you not just stand out but win minds, hearts, and even shopping carts.
Call us at +91 941 601 1100 today because your packaging and label design is something you cannot afford to overlook.
