I'll just come right out and admit that I can't help myself when it comes to pretty packaging. When all other factors are equal (price, weight, ingredients, organic) I'll go for the jar or box or bag that appeals as much to my design sense as my tastebuds. (Ok. Since we're being honest here, I might even pay just a little more. But only just a little. And not always!)
The important phrase here is "all other factors are equal" because it's very possible to be seduced by a pretty package only to find mediocre ingredients inside. And there are dozens of top notch items that come in boring, if not ugly, packaging that I'm not going to stop buying just for its bad typeface and garish colors.
Since I spend a lot of time in my kitchen and a lot of time cooking, handling and looking at my pantry, and because I'm a very visual person, attractive packaging is another way to bring small bits of pleasure into my daily life. When I reach for a package of Rancho Gordo Beans, I always smile at the pretty lady licking her lips on the front of the package. Rancho Gordo is an example of paying more for a prettily packaged ingredient, but it's also an example of an excellent product that's worth the extra cost - especially because many of their bean varieties aren't available in the bulk bean bin where I admittedly do most of my dried bean shopping.
Having a small collection of attractive jars on hand is a good way to deal with packaging that sets your teeth on edge. With most products, it's easy to transfer them into one of your jars and affix a label, either making one of your own or sticking it on the bottom if you're not artistically inclined. This is also nice for goods bought from the aforementioned bulk bins.
It's true that pretty packaging is a 'buyer beware' situation and that we need to be careful about being seduced into buying something just because we love the typeface used in the logo. But when nice packaging and quality product come together, as with Rancho Gordo, then that's a very fine situation indeed.
Related: Daily Find: Heirloom Beans from Rancho Gordo
(Image: Sidewalk Shoes, Ranch Gordo)
Kitchen Before & After: A Cookbook Author Transforms His 1950s Kitchen
Recipe: Ham, Cheddar & Chive Egg Bakes
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Bacsac Bacsquare 04...
Dirty Little Secrets of Tidy Families
Emi and Nathan's Natural History
I would buy rancho gordo beans if they had the ugliest packaging on the planet and still had the same price tag. They just grow an outstanding product.
I'm the worst. All the dry goods promptly go in glass jars, but I still buy the most expensive/ prettiest packaging. I've purchased lard, marshmallow fluff, and throwback laundry detergent because of the pretty wrapping, and 2 of those things are repulsive. Now I want these beans.
Does it count that i wont buy tissues in ugly boxes? It seems like 90% of the packages are covered in unsightly patterns, and being a graphic artist, it's a design sin to display that ugly box on my bathroom counter. I'll pay the extra $1 to NOT look at that box for a month.
Farmhouse Culture sauerkraut. I bought three flavors so I could get three of the ceramic crocks with the rubber lids.
I am an illustrator/graphic artist, so I am VERY guilty of being a sucker for packaging. Ultimately, it's more of a pretty package will grab me in the store, but I'll still scrutinize it for quality and will only pay what I think is reasonable. But a nice box, jar/bottle label, cosmetic container, ect is a real thing of joy to me.
By the way, I've never seen Rancho Gordo beans, I live by Chicago. Are they sold nationally? I'm fascinated....
Thanks for posting what I thought was MY ugly little secret! Buying products JUST for the packaging. Sometimes....I even throw away the product.........
I definitely buy wine based on the label.
Looks like marketers know that designers are suckers for pretty packaging! I'm an Interior Designer and Organizer and am definitely swayed by by all things visual...
Am I the only one who find the Rancho Gordo lady kind of off-putting? She doesn't look like she's licking her lips out of delight so much as she seems to be checking if she chipped a tooth.
Of course I'm swayed by packaging design! That's why packaging design EXISTS--to entice you to buy it! Sigh. I'm getting better with age. In two ways: 1) I'm less of a sucker than formerly, and 2) I can better afford my lapses.
Yes, I am often seduced by packaging--particularly when it comes to soaps, shampoos, and lotions. For food products, I tend to ignore the packaging and read the labels. But I have to say that I buy Rancho Gordo beans DESPITE the packaging. For some reason the lady licking her lips kinda grosses me out.
And Lynell from Chicago--you HAVE TO try out some of the Rancho Gordo beans! They are the best! I'm in Detroit, and I just order them online and have them sent to me.
Yes, I admit it makes a difference. Very few products stand out.
But yeah, Rancho Gordo beans are excellent. Totally superior.
haha, I completely agree with Foodefafa about the the lady on the package :-)
I bought a $6 jar of vanilla sugar which I likely wont use solely for the jar awhile back. It now houses q-tips and the vanilla sugar is elsewhere... There IS something to be said about weck jars though- they're beautiful!
I have to agree with Foodefafa. I find this fascinating because I buy a lot of Rancho Gordo beans and I hate that woman on their packaging. I think it is weird and it bothers me to look at her. I immediately take the beans out of their packages and put them in canning jars!
YES! I love pretty/clever/interesting packaging. I fall for it a lot.
Yes! I almost bought a box of tea from Trader Joe's because it had a lemur on it. As I was putting it in the basket, my brother said, "are you really buying that because it has a lemur on it?" Yep. Almost did. I can't even tell you what kind of tea it was.
I am a sucker for attractive bottles of hand soap, I know the cheaper ones at the grocer will do the job but I found a cute Basil kitchen soap at world market! And one almost payed way too much for a lavender hand soap that was in a long oil and vinegar style bottle.
I love gorgeous box designs and won't buy something if the packaging is ugly... until I read tons of reviews. This happens with vitamins and supplements a lot more than food.
As a graphic designer... I am most definitely seduced by packaging!
Of course I am, and unabashedly so! I like things to be aesthetically pleasing as much as they need to be functional.
Um, yeah. Beer and wine especially.
Every time I see a jar of Stonewall Kitchen whatever I kinda want to fill my entire pantry with it. Simple, pretty designs always tempt me.
Never bought food for the packaging but wine, yes! When i am wondering aimlessly around the wine store there are plenty of times that the bottle design have won me over. I have no shame about it! Found some really great wines that way as a result.
Yes, absolutely.