Badger Color Concentrates Inc.’s very own color trend guru shares with us the upcoming 2018 trends to watch out for in packaging design.
Mold-Rite Plastics is a single-source supplier of a broad range of plastic closures and jars. What set us apart from others is our outstanding innovation and keeping up the latest industry trends.
We met with Amie Pernitzke, Marketing Solutions Manager at Badger Color Concentrates Inc., to discuss the upcoming color packaging trends and their impact on the plastic packaging industry.
Q: Can you share some background about Badger Color?
Amie: Located in Mukwonago Wisconsin, Badger Color Concentrates is an industry leader in Masterbatch and liquid color manufacturing for the plastics industry. At Badger Color, we strive to take your challenges and turn them into triumphs by providing the color you want at a competitive price, which gives you the ability to showcase and sell your product effortlessly.
Badger Color has been bringing color to life since 1998 with Injection Molded Products, Blow Molded Services, Extrusion Grade Products, and most recently Liquid Color. Badger Color is committed to providing its customers with quality, delivery, and technical service second to none in the Industry. This standard is achieved through an aggressive understanding of our competition, our customers’ application, and cross-functional commitments to continual improvement.
Inside our 60,000 square foot facility in Mukwonago, WI, and our 45,000 square foot facility in Kings Mountain, NC, are many of the industry’s best innovators and formulators. Our research team is renowned for developing new formulations to make our products more aesthetically pleasing. We get you the color and effect you’re looking for the first time.
Q: What are the differences between mega, macro and micro trends?
Amie: Mega-trends describe structural changes in society. They influence all aspects of society and have a long-lasting effect.
Macro-trends are specific variations of mega-trends. They describe partial trends that feature a different degree of effectiveness.
Lastly, Micro-trends are new, intelligent, leading- and structure-changing innovations. They are the first concrete signs of emerging trend movements.
Q: How do trends translate across various industries?
Amie: Trends start in the fast-paced ever changing fashion industry and many different industries take their cues from fashion design; however, some industries such as automotive and architectural design are driven mainly by the trend stories and drivers since they are designs that must withstand for much longer than fashion, home goods, and packaging.
Other industries such as interior design, home goods, consumer goods, and packaging follow a trickle-down effect and take their cues from the fashion industry because it changes so quickly.
Q: What are the major color trends expected to happen in 2018?
Amie: Some of the main trends being discussed for 2018+ include (1) Distrust as a whole people, (2) the presence of/dependence on machines in our lives, (3) the growing amount of clutter in our lives – physical and emotional, and (4) the need to return to simpler times.
(1) Let’s face it - people are torn apart now more than ever – The Trump election and Brexit are examples of how people are trying to express and search for change. They are looking for something to believe in, and are willing to start from scratch to find it.
(2) Robots, automation, using our phones to pay, virtual reality, augmented reality – where do we fit? Are the machines taking over – or are they making things better?
(3) Time to let go and reset – physically and emotionally. Somehow we got all this stuff and lost track of time. Now we are searching for a way to declutter and focus more on experience and less on materialist drivers.
(4) People are looking at earlier generations to shape the future: not only with regard to color and product trends – but for the purpose of a less stressful life.
With regard to color, you will see a lot of colors mimicking natural materials and nature – some gaining their appearance from special effects. In addition, you will not see the bright prime colors; instead, you will see 2018+ colors stemming from unique combinations and reaching across a more diverse palette hovering between left and right. White and black will also have a strong presence in this palette.
Q: How do these consumer trends relate to packaging?
Amie: Packaging is going to be driven by the consumer to create new and innovative ways to combine colors, materials, geometry, and effects for looks that intimidate a sleek futuristic feeling in addition to neutral color and effect combinations that scream simplistic quite times.
For the first time in a while we have very diverse trend drivers that span from cutting edge technological advances to minimalistic nostalgia and everything in between.
Q: What can plastic packaging experts expect in 2018?
Amie: Packaging experts can expect more consumer demand for sustainability and customization. With information at their fingertips, the consumer will not necessarily understand the emerging innovations fully – but will expect the brands they purchase to be incorporating them into their packaging. 2018 is going to be the start of the consumer driving their suppliers to push the envelope for design, color, effect, and sustainability like never before.
