10 Directions - Packaging: Trends to Watch in 2008

by Steven Dupuis

From food trends—such as the introduction of chocolate to Europeans in the 16th century, to social trends like the mass migration to the U.S. in the 19th century, to the many environmentally conscious trends prevalent today—trends have shaped and defined human progress. They mirror our attitudes, values, desires and dreams.

In earlier times, it was in some ways much easier to observe and experience trends, because we had time to absorb them and enjoy the experiences they offered. Now we live in a multidimensional world where fads and trends overlap and collide with each other, all vying for our attention as they speed around the globe literally at the speed of light. We have learned to filter out much of this information, absorbing only what we see as relevant. In part to help us deal with mass-market clutter, our society fragments itself into subcultures or market segments. It’s through these groups that we can observe a trend incubate and grow from idiosyncratic idea into mass appeal. This was true with the rise of the coffee culture, health and wellness, and the organic movement. If you said you ate tofu 10 years ago, you probably got some strange looks. Now it’s viewed as mainstream. All of these trends start with small groups of influencers committed to their causes.

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