The history of the evolution of packaging through some Italian brands

In the 20th century, packaging took on a real role.

Packaging was born with the progressive decline of rural societies.

Its introduction marks:

the transition to a traditional specialised society. Here, self-production and self-consumption played an essential role. The alternation of the seasons regulated life.
the transition from loose to packaged food.
the transition from artisanal to industrial products.

Packaging, thus:

makes the product an object of exchange.
is an informative object.
represents the pre-offer of the content.

Below we will explain the evolutionary path of packaging. The stars will be the containers of some Italian brands.

There are three phases:

1. from the mid-nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. development of the different functions of packaging and its application to diverse kind of foods.

2. from the 1950s to the end of the 1980s: introduction and affirmation of marketing strategies.

3. contemporary: packaging had to deal with the issue of sustainability, food waste, quality and origin of products.

Let's start...

Cirio created the tin to contain tomato puree. The tin preserved food for a long time. Long preservation implies the possibility of transporting foodstuffs to other countries.

The tin was recognised as one of the first products synonymous with industrialisation.

The Campbell's cans of Pop Art represent mass consumption.

Another step is taken by the cardboard box of Star bouillon cubes, wrapped in aluminium foil. The role of iconography is important. The stock cube is never visible, but its effects are depicted. Immagine che contiene persona, piatto

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The packaging depicts a woman, the Star woman. She holds a plate of steaming broth in one hand and a spoon in the other. The aim is to convey the daily culinary routine in the Italian home. While the woman keeps the secret between her and the steaming dish.

The face of the woman, whose name was Lucia, was portrayed in 1952 and has been on the tins ever since.

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In the 1950s, a set of packaging presented the growth of the country.

The Motta Piccoli ice-cream cup is among them. The packaging is a small cardboard cup, closed with a disc with a tab on the side, to allow it to be gripped and removed. It is a single-serving pack for children. The part came with a coloured plastic scoop, wrapped in a semi-transparent paper bag.

Next comes the Coppa del Nonno Motta for adults. The dark brown plastic container is evocative of a coffee cup. The cup is an integral part of the product identity.

In 1951 Mutti introduced the aluminium tube for the food industry. The new packaging won the customers' favour. It was practicality and the preservation of the content. Moreover, the tube allowed to regulate the product dosage.

The cardboard packaging of Barilla pasta made the revolution. Before the post-war period, pasta was sold loose and collected in a blue food-grade paper. That's why Barilla chose blue as the main colour. The cardboard used to have a plastic window to show the product.

Today the packaging is made only of cardboard. Besides, the colour has become light blue to evoke the naturalness of the product.

Also, in the 1950s came the Tetra Classic, the tetrahedron-shaped liquid carton. This packaging replaced the glass milk bottle.

The tetrahedron then took the form of a brick pack, which was easier to handle and stack.

In the 1960s Nutella promoted the idea of reusing packaging in the home. Besides the hexagonal jar, Nutella spread is also contained in glasses.

When the primary function of each package was over, it was transformed into a glass for domestic use.

The 1980s saw the rise of the fast-food era. The tetra brick takes on a disposable function with Billy juice. The straw transforms the packaging into a container that can be used anywhere, anytime. Immagine che contiene testo

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