The visual appearance of product packaging plays a key role in brand differentiation and communication. This article examines the branding implications of maximalist versus minimalist packaging styles and the influence of organic versus geometric ornamental patterns in maximalist designs. Based on art history literature, we develop hypotheses and test them across seven studies (N = 1,561). Results show that consumers associate maximalist packaging with a cheerful brand identity and minimalist packaging with a serious one. As a result, attitudes toward brands with a cheerful identity are enhanced through perceived congruency when they adopt maximalist packaging. Additionally, we find that organic patterns reinforce perceptions of brand traditionality, while geometric patterns signal modernity. Thus, when a traditional brand uses organic patterns in maximalist packaging, perceived congruency strengthens, which subsequently enhances brand attitude.

Styles in design have a strong evocative power for consumers and are commonly used by brands to communicate specific associations of ideas. This article describes the style elements and the associations related to a contemporary style in graphic design: the neo-retro style. We argue that this style is linked to the hipster subculture but used in a broader context. Complementary methods were used to progressively determine the styling elements and the values related to this style. Study 1, a multi-method qualitative study using creative sessions and content analysis, yields a description of the formative elements of the neo-retro style from both an analytical (structure, graphics, and information) and a holistic perspective (naturalness, harmony, elaborateness). In study 2, we designed eight coffee packages manipulating structural and graphical elements, namely the presence of ornaments, texture and variation in typefaces, and tested the associations evoked by these elements among 251 participants. The results first confirm quantitatively that these elements are evocative of the neo-retro style. We also show that this style is associated with values such as authenticity and craftsmanship and as such with the hipster subculture. The study contributes to theory and practice in the fields of design and brand management and shows that packaging elements can be manipulated to evoke values in the marketplace.