During my recent travel to Asia to teach communication, I obviously passed through a number of airports, most of them having the same tax-free business offering universal brands from Toblerone to Hermès, from Rolex to Johnnie Walker.

Between the two World Wars, the Swedish businessman Ivar Kreuger built an emporium with safety matches. They were no doubt of the highest quality, but so was the marketing of these matches, marketing built upon design! Fascinating designs by acknowledged artists, as the profession ‘package designer’ was not yet established. The very diverse designs were not built on today’s positioning, nor on target thinking, but according to the clients’ taste. Unfortunately, Mr Kreuger’s ‘empire’ broke down with his sudden death in 1932.

In my book, as well as on this site, I have written about those books that have had an impact on my way of working and inspired me to do things a little differently.

Brand identity is important. It is certainly not something you play around with. It is something that , if properly handled, increases the strength of a brand every time it is seen. This short article will try to show how it is seen.

Are they particular? Can we learn from them? Are they creative? Do they progress? Can a Westerner understand them? All these questions come to mind when visiting this booming market. After two days’ storechecking, here is my analysis for what it is worth:

While some foods and drinks are global such as pizzas, hamburgers, ice cream, and sugar-loaded soft drinks, most of it is local and rather traditional. We eat and drink the way our parents already were used to.

Package design communication is about words, pictures, graphics, symbols, shapes, materials and layout.

I’ve spent all my life trying to figure out how to sell more. I have always had the ambition to try new things, using creativity, design and communication as tools. But the goal has always been, how can we sell more, longterm. Some wise professor once answered the question “How do you define marketing”? “Marketing is to create longterm survival”, he said.

I could most likely include non-food FMCG companies, but my experience being mostly within the food and drink segment, my comments will relate to these products.

Package design is about selling products. It is about convincing and informing, but it is also about creativity, art and aesthetics.