There’s too much going on in the world. As complexities grow, people of all ages are seeking simplicity to provide a break from daily schedules that are overbooked and routines that suffer from over-stimulation.
Product labels offering a break from our highly complex environment are proving powerful as a product sales tool and a comfort-building customer service benefit. What are some time-tested and trendy ways to make labels support a simpler world?

1. Say less. Show less. While there are some product manufacturers going full-tilt-boogie to bombard consumers with bold graphics, colors, and content, the more pronounced trend is toward quieter minimalistic expression. Fewer words to clutter the label, combined with basic color schemes featuring one or two colors are increasingly proving popular with consumers. In industries ranging from health and beauty to food and beverage, clean looks that are easy on the eye often win out over their over-stimulating competitors.

2. Make QR codes do the heavy lifting to keep the label simple. Not everyone has the luxury of staying simple on the label itself. Mandated disclosures and explanations pair up with needed branding elements to meet regulatory requirements, heightened consumer demand for transparency and full disclosure, and consumer expectations of purity (e.g., non-GMO, organic, clean sourcing).
Once considered a techie tool, QR codes have now gone mainstream – and have become simple. Smartphone cameras capture the code, then transport the user to digital platforms that can be as expansive as the day is long. But the label itself can remain reasonably uncluttered and clear. Besides being more visually appealing, labels employing a QR code often can avoid one of the worst complexities of all in the product labeling world – having to use tiny type to express everything.
In some cases, peel-back labels are used to provide more real estate. But between trying to decipher small type and peel back balky adhesive labels requiring dexterity beyond the grasp of many, this scenario creates unnecessary complication. And that’s for those who’ve already purchased the product. Shoppers seeing the product on the shelf are much less likely to compromise the label by peeling off the top layer, preferring instead to find a competitive offering that can be easily viewed and understood without all the fussing and fuming.
Once upon a time, smartphone magnifier apps were a novel way to make illegible type readable, thereby simplifying the process. However, as people struggle with trying to get more done in what seems like an ever-shrinking window of available time, even going to the trouble of locating the app, opening it, then reading label content has caused many consumers to move on to a competitor’s product that they can view simply and quickly.

3. Augment reality. Augmented Reality (AR) has become the high-torque, high-tech cousin of QR codes and other digital “portals.” In addition to its use as an educational and explanatory tool, AR can simplify product engagement in two ways: 1) By enabling interactive communication, AR can gather consumer feedback about wants, needs, and interests. Based on this information-gathering, product manufacturers can then communicate to these consumers in a way that’s simplest and reflects individual preferences. In essence, it can personalize the entire buyer journey and get rid of the complicating clutter that can be annoying and offensive to consumers; 2) On another front, AR can be an entertainment offering, telling stories in an engaging way that captures consumer hearts and souls. Storytelling has long been a compelling way to bypass often complicated decision-making processes and make consumers feel comfortable with buying a product. In a sense, it can get people out of their heads and into their hearts – and make the decision an easy one.

4. Aligned with the idea behind entertaining AR is the comeback of animated characters to represent a product or service. Advertisingweek.com showcased one of the most famous cast of characters ever to grace an ad/branding campaign: “Most audiences can instantly picture Snoopy, created by Charles M. Schulz, the cartoon beagle that serves as the Peanuts mascot. Alongside Snoopy, there are other recognizable characters that round out the Peanuts: resilient Charlie Brown, assertive Lucy, and quietly optimistic Linus…Snoopy has gracefully transitioned from cartoon mascot into a character that may be used for various marketing campaigns from major companies.”

The article continues, “In the 1980s, MetLife used Snoopy in their campaigns to show it is not daunting to choose insurance. And in the 1960s, Snoopy appeared on NASA safety campaign materials to make going to the moon appear more relatable.” More recently, Snoopy traveled aboard NASA’s Artemis 1 that launched last December.

Many industries are using (or have used) animated characters, ranging from the Physicians Mutual dental insurance tooth to the Coca-Cola polar bears. They’re entertaining, make people feel comfortable, and like AR can break down complex analytical barriers to simply make people feel comfortable with, and good about, a product. Where applicable, these characters can be incorporated into product labels and/or be featured in AR-enabled presentations.

To increasing numbers of consumers, “simple” is the new “sexy.” Product manufacturers finding ways to simplify the label experience and carry simplicity on through to other areas of the customer experience will experience a competitive edge.


Mark Lusky is a marketing communications professional who has worked with Lightning Labels, an all-digital custom label printer in Denver, CO, USA, since 2008. Find Lightning Labels on Facebook for special offers and label printing news.