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In terms of branding and tone, beauty packaging has largely remained the same over the years. While this has helped buyers know what to expect when purchasing beauty products, this has also made it difficult for beauty brands to stand out from the competition.
At the same time, because packaging for different types of beauty products can vary so widely, it can also be a challenge for brands trying to get the attention of social media influencers through PR boxes. The wrong box design could struggle to protect and organize the items sent to beauty influencers. The most attractive box won’t work for social media if everything inside gets broken. However, the packaging must still be designed in a way that appeals for visual content producers.
Shuairen Wang, a New York City-based graphic and package designer, recently took this challenge head-on with the Nicka K New York PR Box. Wang’s mindset has resonated in the design space, earning a Gold Award from Graphis, as well as recognition in Packaging Graphic Design from GDUSA and in the World Brand Design awards.
As Wang explains, reframing beauty packaging based on the needs of modern audiences — especially in the social media space — is key for building beauty brands.
Packaging as the Brand’s Visual Language
“For their PR gift box project, Nicka K New York had two main needs,” Wang explains.
“The box needed to match their trendy and youthful identity, but it also needed to protect and organize the full range of their cosmetics and beauty products. It needed to be both practical and stylish so that it would work well with social media unboxing experiences, which have become increasingly important in the industry. The box needs to be more than just a way to protect the products. It needs to have the right design and aesthetic for photos and videos.”
When focusing on the visual language of the PR box, Wang emphasized aligning the packaging design with the brand personality Nicka K had already established. “The color palette and typography were key for supporting Nicka K’s brand identity,” Wang says.
“I focused on youthful and bold graphic elements that could provide a consistent visual across all aspects of the packaging. We didn’t want the packaging to get so busy and intricate with its design that it distracted from the products. The packaging needed to be fun and aligned with the brand, but not so out there that it dominated the unboxing experience. Striking this careful balance was especially important for PR-focused packaging.”
Supporting the Brand and the Products
As a PR box that was meant to be delivered to influencers across the country, the other unique challenge Wang faced was ensuring that all of Nicka K New York’s products would be organized in a unified way, even when the contents of individual PR boxes varied.
“We carefully measured and categorized all of Nicka K New York’s products to develop multiple inner box sizes that could have a consistent placement logic so the main box would have a unified presentation when opened. At the same time, the packaging system was designed with a high level of modularity, allowing for flexible configurations based on the specific product needs of different beauty influencers. The inner boxes can also function as independent units for separate distribution. Even when used individually, each box fully carries the brand’s visual system and structural logic, ensuring consistent brand recognition across multiple distribution and presentation channels,” Wang says.
“Beauty brands have such diverse product ranges, so having curated inner boxes is essential for securely and neatly packaging everything. Inner boxes need to have the right proportions, spacing and layout, otherwise, they can shift in a way that damages the products or ruins the presentation. The outer box design also needs to be stable enough to protect the inner boxes and keep them organized through the delivery process.”
To achieve this, Wang used corrugated paper with a single seal design for the outer box for extra protection, while inner boxes used coated paperboard for a glossier and more attractive finish. Durable yet attractive materials, combined with a carefully structured packaging framework that took advantage of the various packaging options, helped ensure that inner boxes could be presented in a social media-friendly manner from the moment the primary outer box was opened.
Packaging as Storytelling
To Wang, beauty packaging can be much more than just a container. It is a part of the brand’s overall story and identity. “This packaging system was really designed to support Nicka K New York’s storytelling, because packaging is part of the story,” she says.
“Providing a cohesive, balanced and visually appealing unboxing experience creates powerful visual storytelling that drives engagement with social media influencers and others. It helps support the brand identity for both physical and digital spaces, creating a more memorable persona that builds awareness and equity for the brand. Strong packaging helps heighten expectations and excitement from the moment the PR box arrives, which carries through the rest of the unboxing experience.”
With the packaging playing a big role in driving reach and engagement among social media influencers and their audiences, it is clear that Wang’s approach resonated with Nicka K New York’s target audience.
A Forward-Thinking Approach to Beauty Packaging
As Wang’s example reveals, packaging can and should be an integrated part of any beauty company’s branding, especially when approaching social media influencers. The right structural organization and visual approach helps ensure that packaging is a fully integrated part of the brand identity, even as product lineups change. When done right, packaging helps build a distinct brand that is equally ready for store shelves and social media.
In Partnership with APG
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