{"id":10892,"date":"2025-12-19T16:50:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T21:50:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/?p=10892"},"modified":"2025-12-19T16:50:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T21:50:06","slug":"shelf-life-092-2025-in-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/?p=10892","title":{"rendered":"Shelf Life 092: 2025 in Review\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Every single week this past year, I\u2019ve spent my time analyzing trends for my weekly Shelf Life newsletter. From what\u2019s trending in flavor innovation and the stories people are dissecting deep in the TikTok comments to things I overhear at my local bars and grocery stores, I\u2019ve had a blast digging into the why behind the what. I\u2019m endlessly fascinated by what\u2019s shaping our culture, especially when it comes to marketing, branding, design, and packaging.<\/p>\n

The CPG landscape alone has changed dramatically since I started working with The Dieline (five years ago!). This year has made it clear that the most successful brands find the most value in appearing culturally aware.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Across Shelf Life, over the past year, I kept returning to the same tension week after week. What the design stands for beyond the aesthetic. Whether it was cigarette-inspired packaging, vibe-based flavors, or the rise of intentionally \u201cugly\u201d design, brands leaned into signals that felt culturally literate rather than pretty for pretty\u2019s sake.\u00a0<\/p>\n