In the last couple of decades, the assortment of supermarkets has grown drastically. To give you an idea, between 1975 and 2008, the number of products in the average supermarket increased from 8,948 to about 47,000. The result is that people are increasingly overwhelmed by choice and brands have a much harder time to stand out from the visual fog. Whereas earlier we wrote a short post about the benefit of playful, interactive design to stand out, another great way to stand out is through art.

And a great example of a brand utilizing art on your packaging is Danish craft beer brewer To Øl. Looking at their long history of can designs, it feels closer to an art or photography exhibition rather than a functional label on a beverage. And in a hyper-rational and functional world, consumers are increasingly looking for surprise and awe in the products they buy. 

A recent report by Wunderman Thomspon found that 70% of people can’t even remember the last time a brand did something that excited them, and 65% of people would like brands to wow them with spectacular advertising and marketing. 

Looking to add a touch of wonder and awe to your brand through art and aesthetics? Grab some inspiration by starting with To Øl’s art director’s portfolio where he shows a lot of the cool and creative labels they made so far.