The Art of the (Package) Deal
How do you define the word “package”?
Yeah, yeah, we know what you're thinking. No. We're not talking about your two favorite podcast hosts. Let's try to keep wrinkles out of the Wranglers and junk out of trunks.
Quite simply, a package is a thing that contains another thing. Banana peel? Package. Book cover? Package. Russian nesting dolls? A package inside a package inside a… You get the idea.
We are literally surrounded by packages, some natural and others manmade. So how’d we get here? Let’s unpack a little bit. Or maybe unbox. Whatever.
Our last few episodes have dealt with packages. Bottles from Coke and Absolut. Containers from potato chip producers and fruit growers. Some of Warhol’s most iconic works were based on packages.
Good packages, ones that are conversation-worthy, have a few common attributes:
First, they make a statement with a shape that signifies a certain type of product (Coke vs. Clorox, for example) or status (a bottle of Dom Perignon vs. Three Buck Chuck)
They also provide protection so the contents don’t break (egg cartons) and convenience via a level of utility (resealable hot dog pouches)
And last, they deliver a feeling (excitement, confidence, anticipation, reason to believe, etc.). Apple has mastered this. Even their package insert designs have patents and you can buy candles with a “New Mac” scent.
Consider bottles and wrappers. Book jackets. A record album. These are smaller, more intimate packages meant for one. Maybe two. They can be held with one hand, sit on your lap or be tucked into a backpack or tote bag. (More on that in a minute.)
How about your car? In an ideal world it hits all the traits on our list. The make, model and color will dictate how much attention you get. (Our matching lime green Lamborghinis are the perfect mix of taste and subtlety.) They also need to be safe for drivers, passengers and whatever stuff you’re toting around with you. And there should be joy or comfort whenever you climb inside. (Did we mention our Lamborghinis?)
Then there’s your apartment or house. It’s a package for you and your packages and very often other people and all of their packages. And don’t get us started on mini storage units, unless it’s an investment opportunity. Then we’re interested.
Where were we?
Backpacks and tote bags are also packages, but in different ways than you may think. Sure, you pack them with stuff you might need for a night on the town (drug store candy or airline bottles of booze when going to the movies) but they are also part of the way you package yourself. Your wardrobe choices? Packaging. That new hair style? Yup. Makeup? That too. Jewelry? Tattoos? Bingo. The counterfeit Hermes Birkin Bag you grabbed on the cheap? Who are we to judge? But yes.
We talk about how New Wave meant a host of packaging upfits throughout the 1980s. Wardrobes, haircuts and wrists were all going through ch-ch-changes. And the Walkman? A perfect portable music package. (Take that, iPod!)
Fugazi famously sang, “You are not what you own.” They’re not wrong. But to some degree you are the packages you find yourself in.
So hey, nice package. (Wink!)