Directed at Design
Branding for Cannabis, Art History, and a Love of Beautiful Design Through the Ages.
Posted by Brian Metros
August 3, 2023
I absolutely love watching cannabis brands develop and grow.
The past year has been explosive for emerging brands breaking into new verticals, and thus coming up with some straight dope packaging designs.
Pairing prominently with the packaging design, is some really great product photography and visual merchandising. I wanted to take some time to step back from talking tech to simply admire beautiful things.
I want to share our applause for trendsetters while opining on them in contrast with ideas and concepts that can help up-and-comers up their ante and join the party.
Let’s take a look at this stuff constructively, tie it to some art history for foundational sake, and break down why we love it.
01. Fat Type & Thick Lines
Why we love it:
It's callbacks to the graphic design glory days of the 1960s and 1970s rebooted for a new generation and for new lifestyles. I love finding the old stuff still existing as faded paint on old brick walls and metal signs. I love seeing it evolve through the hands of talented designers for the cannabis industry even more.
Generally speaking once a decent style guide is established, it often extends very easily and beautifully to all kinds of marketing assets, be it emails, website heroes, or whatever.
The roots of the style:
Who’s doing it well:
Revitalized, youthful and vibrant colors pair with solid, time-adoring typography to make this brand stand out above the heap. It takes craft and commitment to boil down such a broad concept to this precise and elegant execution.
Drifting delightfully deeper into that 70s vibe, strong, unique typography raised with that signature emboss sends these right up our ally, and high on our list.
02. Victorian Revival
Why we love it:
Rooted in organic shapes grounded by hard, demanding angles it’s no secret why this design style translates to the cannabis industry so fluently.
Sophisticated typeforms, usually with emphasis on ligatures and fancy alternates, the style inherently elevates whatever subject matter it embraces. It also has a propensity to natural shapes like leaves, reeds, ivy and other flowing patterns that roll right into elegant cannabis branding assets.
The beginnings of the style:
Who’s doing it well:
Drenched in classical sauce, Beboe brings a top-shelf, scholared aesthetic to their products. I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for this style, and would buy this just to verify that the product is as exquisite as the package that contains it.
Willies Reserve takes this in the complete opposite direction.
While it still leans in on those heavily detailed, Victorian design motifs, it’s much more mainstream and accessible. Veering away from the muted tones of art deco and art nouveau, the selectively saturated elements add an eye catching grace that demand attention, and ultimately a strong brand gravity.
03. Geometric & Modern
Why we love it:
Absolutely Timeless. Your mind doesn’t have to wander far to discover why this is such a powerful style. My favorite thing about it is the variation it offers, while still working well together.
Saturated big-block colors? Sure. Pair it with thin geometric black and white lines? No problem. Versatile, extendable, and straight up slick.
Where the style was born:
Who’s Doing it well:
Theory’s products exude an experienced and edited approach. Intricate straight lines and angles focus the direction and accentuate the brand's ethos.
The stark contrast of typography stands out clearly on the product packaging for instant brand gratification. The bold use of color in ancillary assets brings a modern interpretation to the style. All elements together promote an enduring permanence to the brand that is inescapably enticing.
Throwing hard-edge painting and the heavy pop-art vibes of the 1960s, Van Der Pop catches a unique eye and commands this distinct style.
Thoroughly and consistently branded, it has whimsical tendencies but remains grounded and deliberate.
Looking back gives us a glimpse of what the future holds.
Branding, product positioning, and package design will always hold a special place in the cannabis industry.
Whether it’s about demanding attention within crowded shelf space, defiantly distinguishing yourself in a crowded market, or cementing brand authority in our brains, we’re excited to see what’s yet to come.
And as we all know, there is so much more to come.
Ask Us Anything.
Our team is happy to help you understand the differences between platforms and help guide you to what is right for your dispensary.
