As one of the biggest commercial opportunities for retail brands every year, the huge demand for products and services requires new offerings to delight customers and drive sales.
Holiday packaging and print achieves this by building excitement for, and celebrating, the sense of occasion.
We know the countdown is on for beauty brands, so we've dug through our archives to provide you with some inspiration: here's five of our festive favourites.
1. Lantern box
A tactile and visual treat
Lantern boxes are a charming way to evoke the occasion.
Traditionally used as holiday ornaments across cultures and religions around the world, when applied to packaging they make a whimsical shape which is guaranteed to delight customers.
The box is multi-purpose and can be used as a greeting card, container, or decoration. Attach a ribbon to the top so you can hang it on your retail display. Or, present it to your customers as a gift to hang from their tree or mantlepiece.
The additional benefit of this festive box is that there's plenty of space on each side for brand storytelling.
This lantern box was laminated, die-cut and glued using our Epic HiLite service. Digital technology enables flawless precision and finishes (and removes the need for costly offline processes).
Luxurious "pearlescent" material made in Italy adds the final sensory touch.
2. Eco-friendly mailing catalogue
Engaging call to arms
Last year saw the triumphant return of the Christmas mailing catalogue. Because customers are expectant of post during the holiday season it makes sense to send thoughtful print marketing, directly to their homes.
Be mindful of waste however, and align your print with your business's sustainable goals; by considering eco-friendly alternatives.
For one of our clients in the beauty industry we chose recycled paper for their winter mailing catalogue. The material tied in perfectly with their brand as they primarily use organic ingredients in their products.
A subtle gold foiling was also applied to the covers to signal luxury.
3. Vibrant product tag
Enhance and add value
An easy way to upgrade your secondary packaging is to apply a festive coat of colour and finishes.
Special colours created using LED technology were applied to the tag pictured below. To intensify the look even further the top CMYK colour is underpinned with white ink.
The overall result is a vibrant, eye-popping red which guarantees the packaging stands out on the shelf.
Alternatively, swap your usual colour palette for bold, metallic colours. Our Epic HiLite Explore Colour+ service offers a rainbow of metallic lustre: innovative technology allows unusual metallic colours in red, blue, and green (or any colour you desire!).
4. Personalised gift token and envelope
A trusted tool to boost your relationship
A suite of a gift token slip and envelope is a convenient gift option for customers, or employees, at any time of the year.
Take it one step further this holiday season by tapping into the popular e-commerce strategy of personalisation. Consider using variable data for the message and name, making it unique to each recipient.
This example was made for a client in the luxury beauty space. The piece was litho printed; and the envelope hot foiled and die-cut.
Learn more about our recent investment in personalised packaging and how it benefits brands in the retail and beauty industries here.
5. A snow globe
Novel designs for maximum impact
Get creative by re-imagining a standard greeting card, print marketing piece, or packaging as a festive object. Communicate your brand’s creativity with out-of-the-box designs.
How about this quirky snow globe christmas card we made for a branding agency?
To create the impression of a snow globe we used Scodix, an advanced ink-jet technology from our Epic HiLite Discover Sensory service. The technology applies a translucent polymer coating to the printed surface for a tactile feel and luxurious look.
When applied over subtle grey artwork inked on Sirio Pearl Ice white paper; it creates the magical illusion of glass.
A perfect example of how combining the right print, special effects and design can transform standard print into something special.We hope these ideas help you during the busy gear up to the holidays.
Have something in mind that isn't on the list?
We welcome exciting ideas, however challenging, and offer our expertise in enhanced print to help you craft a magical experience for your customers.
Get in touch with Jack Downey, New Business Manager at Epic Print to discuss at jack.downey@epciprint.co.uk or call 01305 266055.
