4 Packaging Standbys that Might Be Going Bye-Bye

We all thought that pagers were here to stay. Here are some packaging designs we were also wrong about.

Remember the charm of boil-in-a-bag frozen dinners? How about those ultra-long CD packages? Don’t you miss zip-top beer cans? No? Well, that’s because those are what we call outdated packaging designs. Some marketing genius discovered more effective packaging strategies, and we haven’t looked back. We don’t fondly remember the days of waiting in line at the post office, or manually balancing checkbooks, either.

Packaging design is ever evolving. Thanks to scientific, engineering, and technological advances, specific packaging structures are no longer meeting the standards. Oh, it’s not anyone’s fault, really – it’s not like the designs were inherently flawed, or anything. It’s just that we know so much more now than we used to. For example, thanks to market research, we can gain precise insights into what consumers think and gain an understanding of a package design that performs in market. It’s not always pretty, and it doesn’t always make total sense. Nevertheless, if our products are going to compete, we have to know if buyers want to squeeze their bottles or pump them, what color they want those bottles, and if they wish to have Taylor Swift’s picture on them.

Although classic packaging concepts will always make a nostalgic resurgence, some might be more trouble than they’re worth. Here are a few ideas that are no longer as ubiquitous as they once were.

Jar packaging for cosmetics.

We still see jars of various creams and gels on store shelves, but with some research studies indicating that specific formulas lose their efficacy when exposed to light and the oxidation process, many buyers are opting for more affordable, non-jarred products. This makes sense; if they’ll be rendered ineffective by their packaging in a matter of days, then why waste perfect money?

Also, albeit less importantly, although jarred cosmetics contain preservatives and antibacterial agents, constantly dipping your fingers into the same pot of moisturizer over and over is, well, gross.

Non-squeeze ketchup bottles

Glass ketchup bottles, and certainly the artisanal ketchup jars, are undoubtedly cute and nostalgic, but they aren’t the most efficient product-extracting mechanisms in the world. There’s no practical reason to sit at a diner table, vigorously shaking and pounding on a glass bottle when you could have squeezed the desired amount in a fraction of a second. When it comes to smooth condiments, we demand the option of squeezing.

Cork closures in wine bottles

Wine corks are slowly beginning to lose their wine-closing dominance – but not without a massive struggle. Although it is becoming increasingly apparent that screw cap wines can be just as fine as their cork-closed counterparts, there are still enthusiasts who cling to the ceremony and the antiquity of the traditional cork. But, in addition to being easier to open, screw caps don’t produce what is called “cork taint,” a wine-ruining phenomenon that is caused by chemical compounds that are either transferred through the cork or by it. There are arguments in favor of using corks, namely that they allow just enough oxygen during the aging process to add mellowness and complexity. However, for wines that aren’t meant to be aged for several decades, screw tops might be the way to go.

Non-resealable containers

Is it so hard to put a Ziplock bag on? If a bag or box of snacks contains multiple servings, why not make the packaging easy to close securely again? We are a frugal and mobile society. We carry our snacks in our bags and eat them on the go – we don’t want our Spicy Street Taco Doritos spilling out all over the bottoms of our designer man purses.

We’re not predicting that these outdated package designs will be gone by winter, but the public has made its preferences clear. Ensure you are aware of your market’s habits before committing to a design that may soon generate its own series of obnoxious blog posts.