#Packaging Design #Brand Experience #Connected Packaging #Digital Product Passports
27 September 2026
The pack is no longer the end of the brand experience.
It can be the beginning of one.
A QR code can open a provenance story. An NFC tag can verify authenticity. A digital product passport can explain where an item came from, what it is made of and how it should be recycled. An on-pack AR experience can turn a static label into an interactive doorway.
But the technology is not the point.
The point is what happens after the scan or tap, and whether that interaction gives the customer a reason to care.
As a packaging design agency, we see connected packaging as a balance between physical impact and digital usefulness. The pack still has to stop the scroll, win attention on shelf and communicate the product in seconds. The connected layer then gives the relationship somewhere to go.
The Challenge
Packaging has always been a one-way conversation.
A customer sees the pack, interprets its colours and typography, reads the claims, makes a decision and eventually disposes of it. That physical moment remains decisive, particularly in crowded retail categories where visual hierarchy does more selling than any campaign headline.
Connected packaging introduces a second layer: the pack can now respond.
The challenge is making that response feel deliberate rather than decorative.
A code added at the end of an artwork process rarely creates a meaningful experience. It creates a small square on the back of a pack, followed by a vague instruction to “scan for more”. There is no clear reward, no obvious relevance and no reason to interrupt the customer’s journey.
We approach the problem differently: what relationship should this pack begin?
That relationship might involve:
- Provenance and batch-level traceability
- Recipes, preparation guidance or serving inspiration
- Refill reminders and aftercare
- Product registration, warranty or repair
- Authenticity checks for premium goods
- Recycling and disposal instructions
- Community access, loyalty or exclusive content
These are different jobs. They require different technologies, different data systems and different design decisions.
They also need different levels of investment.
The connected layer should support the brand’s purpose, not distract from it.
Image credit: Wetton&Co media library.
Solution
We begin by separating what is viable at scale from what remains experimental.
QR codes: the most accessible starting point
QR codes are now the most practical connected-packaging tool for many food, drink and consumer goods brands. They are inexpensive to print, work with most modern smartphone cameras and can connect a product to a flexible web destination.
That flexibility matters.
A single QR code can lead to batch information at launch, then evolve into recipe content, recycling guidance or a seasonal campaign without changing the printed artwork. When connected to a structured system such as GS1 Digital Link, the code can carry product and batch identifiers while pointing towards changing information online.
QR codes are particularly viable for:
- Batch-level provenance
- Ingredient and allergen information
- Recycling instructions
- Digital product passport content
- Product education and recipes
- Web-based AR experiences
- Consumer feedback and registration
The limitation is not usually the code itself. It is the quality of the destination.
A slow landing page, broken link or generic brand homepage turns a promising interaction into a dead end. The digital experience needs to load quickly, work on mobile and answer the promise made on the pack.
NFC: a stronger signal for premium interactions
NFC tags create a more seamless tap-based interaction. They can remain visually discreet, which makes them attractive for minimalist packaging and premium products where a visible QR code might interrupt the composition.
The technology is especially useful when the brand needs stronger authentication or a unique product identity. An NFC tag can connect an individual product to information that changes throughout its lifecycle: manufacture, distribution, purchase, warranty, repair or resale.
That makes NFC a strong fit for:
- Premium beverages
- Luxury goods
- Cosmetics
- Pharmaceuticals
- Product authentication
- Warranty and aftercare
- Reusable or refillable packaging
The trade-off is cost and complexity. NFC adds hardware to the pack, requires integration with a suitable platform and can create additional end-of-life considerations when packaging is recycled. For low-margin products, the economics may not justify it.
We do not recommend NFC because it feels more advanced. We recommend it when the interaction genuinely needs a tap, a unique identity or a more protected data layer.
Digital product passports: viable infrastructure, evolving applications
Digital product passports are often discussed as though they are a single visual feature. They are not. They are a structured record connected to a product, material or batch.
A QR code or NFC tag may provide the entry point, but the passport itself depends on accurate data, reliable governance and a clear reason for different audiences to access it.
For customers, that might mean:
- Material information
- Origin and manufacturing details
- Sustainability evidence
- Repair or refill guidance
- Recycling instructions
- Authenticity and ownership records
For supply-chain partners, the same system may support compliance, inventory and traceability.
The opportunity is significant, but the design responsibility is equally important. A passport filled with disconnected claims will not create trust. It needs a clear hierarchy: what matters to the customer now, what supports regulation and what belongs deeper in the system.
As a packaging design agency, we think about the passport as a brand experience with different levels of depth. The first screen should be simple. The supporting evidence can follow.
On-pack AR: best used as a purposeful layer
Augmented reality can turn packaging into a stage for product demonstrations, games, 3D storytelling or campaign content. QR codes make WebAR relatively accessible because the experience can launch through a browser rather than requiring a dedicated app.
That does not make AR suitable for every product.
AR needs a strong creative reason to exist. It works well for limited editions, children’s products, entertainment, launches and products with a visual or instructional story. It is less convincing when it simply animates a logo for a few seconds.
We treat AR as campaign territory unless the brand has a clear plan for refreshing and maintaining the experience. A digital layer that is exciting at launch but abandoned six months later creates a very different impression.
The Result
The design implications begin before the code is placed.
Placement is part of the interaction
We consider where the customer is most likely to hold, open and reuse the pack. A code hidden across a fold, seam or curved edge may technically exist but fail in practice.
We test for:
- Sufficient size and contrast
- A clear quiet zone around QR codes
- Reliable scanning under retail lighting
- Placement away from creases and closures
- Visibility after opening
- Compatibility with print finishes and substrates
- Access throughout the product lifecycle
For NFC, we also consider where a customer will naturally tap. A subtle NFC symbol and concise instruction can make an invisible feature feel discoverable.
The code needs a reason to be used
“Scan me” is not a proposition.
“Scan for the story behind this batch” is more specific. “Tap to verify authenticity” communicates value. “Scan for recipes and refill reminders” sets an expectation.
The instruction should connect to the brand’s voice and the customer’s immediate context. A premium coffee brand might invite exploration of origin and brewing. A frozen dessert brand might offer serving ideas or pairing suggestions. A beauty brand might provide usage guidance and replenishment reminders.
The physical design should frame the invitation without overpowering the primary pack message.
That balance is central to the work shown across our packaging portfolio: the product still needs to look desirable before it becomes interactive.
Image credit: Wetton&Co media library.
The digital experience must feel like the same brand
The connected layer cannot feel like an unrelated microsite.
Typography, colour, tone of voice and motion should extend the physical identity. The experience should also work with one hand, load quickly and remain accessible without requiring an app, account or unnecessary personal data.
We map the experience as a journey:
- What does the customer notice on pack?
- What motivates the scan or tap?
- What appears first?
- What action should happen next?
- What value does the customer receive?
- What data does the brand genuinely need?
- How will the experience remain useful over time?
This is where connected packaging becomes a brand system rather than a print feature.
The Outcome
The most successful smart labels do not announce the technology. They make the relationship feel natural.
The customer gets something useful, interesting or reassuring. The brand earns a longer moment of attention. The product gains a digital identity that can evolve beyond the first purchase.
The limits remain clear:
- QR codes cannot rescue an unclear proposition
- NFC cannot justify its cost without a meaningful lifecycle benefit
- Digital product passports depend on accurate, maintained information
- AR requires ongoing creative and technical support
- Traceability is only as credible as the data behind it
- Adding electronics may complicate packaging recovery and recycling
That honesty matters. Connected packaging is not automatically more sustainable, more premium or more engaging. It becomes those things only when the technology solves a genuine customer or business problem.
We see the strongest opportunities in simple, well-designed systems: a visible QR code with a worthwhile destination, an NFC tag that makes authenticity effortless, a batch story that earns trust or a passport that makes disposal less confusing.
The pack still has to perform on shelf.
Then it can open the door to everything that comes next.
At Wetton&Co, we work alongside brands to connect strategy, packaging design, digital experience and physical production into one coherent system. If your packaging needs to do more than make an impression, explore our packaging work or start a conversation about your next project.
The opportunity is not to make packaging look more technological. It is to make the brand feel more present: before, during and after the purchase.
