Whoa, whoa whoa! If the Royal Cargo packaging design doesn’t grab your attention, you possibly might be color blind. What an uplifting, fun and happy color palette the Finnish design firm 358 has used for this new beverage’s packaging design. The company said they were inspired by topics such as “surf culture, voodoo, modern nomads, Jamaican street music, and sailing around the Hamptons.” Yep, that pretty much explains the color palette.

Royal Cargo is a “beer mix” being marketed in Finland. What exactly is a beer mix you ask? It’s a new beverage, a combination of beer & apple cider that the Finnish youth have given the thumbs up. Produced in both bottles and cans, the artwork on the actual containers are a sharp contrast from the brights used throughout the rest of the campaign. The color palette is predominately cream with a subtle dot pattern. The fonts being used are quite a combo plate (I think I count 5) and all in the same shade of dark brown. Then, just a single pop of color, a red "stamped" logo mark on the front of each drink. That's it, nothing extraordinary.

“To answer the thirst young adults have for new experiences, we and our client Hartwall decided to serve them a totally unexpected drink.'Now, let’s talk about the rainbow of colors being used for every other touch point of the Royal Cargo brand minus the cans and bottles. The cardboard box they are packaged in has a different color on EACH of its side. Fuchsia, yellow, aqua, purple, marigold! These high-contrast colors pack quite a punch. Bright diagonal stripes, graphic color block shapes and a big, bold, all-cap font stacked together with a symmetrical balance. I’ve always had the impression that design from Scandanavian cultures was a bit more minimalist. While the overall art direction is made up of clean lines and san serif fonts (minimalism at its best) the layers of bright color upon bright color really pull some emotional impact into this brand. I think Studio 358 has done a beautiful job positioning Royal Cargo to be the hot, new beverage on the market for the younger generation. Vibrant and fresh packaging design, however I can’t attest for the beer & apple cider combo. “Eventually we landed on something to get excited about: Royal Cargo – a beer mix that combines beer and apple cider to create a whole new drink category.”

Creatives: Mikael Kivelä, Jenni Mällinen, Verneri Leimu, Tommi Kinnunen, Mikko Paakkanen

Producer: Elina Freden

Designed by 358

Client: Hartwall/Royal Unibrew

Country: Finland