You bought the bright orange bottle, shoved it into a cupboard, and it only came out when you washed your clothes (which made sense). Now, we’re in the era of packaging-as-decor, where brands are wrapping the most boring products, like candles or hand soap, with beautiful boxes or bags that feel far too pretty to hide under the sink or *gasp* throw away. And so we keep them on display and—BOOM—just like that, those brands become part of our environment (sneaky, eh?). It’s literally genius. [Read more]

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

IDK about y’all but the only thing on my agenda this week is, under no uncertain terms, watching Obsession. Not only is it all over my timeline, but I’m in dire need of a horror that actually makes me feel something. And by something, I mean the inability to sleep or think about anything else for the next 2 to 3 business days.

It seems that everyone who’s seen Obsession, is now obsessed. And I want in. The movie has been out for two weeks, but it’s already one of the biggest hits of the year, despite being made with a small $750,000 budget. As of Wednesday May 27, the movie has earned $62 million at the U.S. box office and $84 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo,

What’s even cooler is director Curry Barker is an OG from YouTube making comedy sketches, which is where all good horror comes from (see; Jordan Peele, Danny and Michael Philippou.) I will report back.

Speaking of obsessed, Snapchat is officially the No.1 app for teens, which is funny considering a new Pew report revealed parents are more concerned that they’re watching too much TikTok. Of teens, 57% said they message people daily on Snapchat, and 41% said several times a day. In comparison, only 24% of teens do daily messaging on TikTok, and 34% on Instagram.

It also beat the other apps in terms of posting; 28% said they share or post daily on Snapchat, compared with 16% on Instagram and 19% on TikTok. Just shows what parents really know when it comes to social media. Which is a little scary.

TikTok is still powerful though. Like, have you seen what's happening in retail? Apparently, the “TikTok effect” has broken physical stores because products go viral and sell out in literally five days.

Case in point: Swatch did a luxury watch collab with Audemars Piguet. And people immediately began camping outside and causing overnight queues like it was 2016 Supreme drops. It got so chaotic that stores across France had to close entirely for literal safety reasons. A $400 bioceramic watch is causing civil unrest. I cannot.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

(That title isn’t some underlying anti-LGBTIQQ message. I stand with all the colourful homies. Duh.)

That empty ceramic gin bottle sitting on your bookshelf holding a single dried monstera leaf? That minimalist, amber glass dish soap dispenser parked permanently by your kitchen sink? The heavily embossed, pastel candle box now acting as a chic jewellery holder on your dresser?

Congratulations, you’ve been beautifully, intentionally integrated into the latest (and my personal favourite) era of product marketing: The Decor-ification of Packaging.

But in 2026, the supermarket shelf isn't the primary battleground anymore. It's the TikTok feed, the curated Instagram grid, and ultimately, the consumer’s kitchen counter. Modern brands have decoded a massive psychological shift. Consumers are deeply fatigued by visual clutter.

(What are you people not fatigued by? Hehe kidding, kind of.)

We no longer want neon plastic bottles with giant, aggressive logos ruining our carefully curated interior design palettes. The most brilliant marketing play of the CPG industry in the 21st century has been making the packaging beautiful enough to pass as home décor.

Do this, and your customer will never hide it away in a cabinet.

Designing a functional product is baseline. Designing a product that seamlessly fits into a Scandinavian-minimalist or eclectic-maximalist living room takes layer upon layer of deliberate strategy. Because not everyone understands taste. Let alone a multitude of different tastes in different sectors and aesthetics.

1. The anti-logo movement.

Notice how the newest luxury hand soaps, olive oils, and fragrances have tiny, blind-embossed, or completely removable labels? Brands like Aesop paved the way, but now it’s mainstream. By ditching loud typography, the bottle transforms from an advertisement into an aesthetic object. Just take a look at the mycelium based packaging for Danylo Ilchakov’s 4 RE® - chefs kiss.

2. The "accidental" keepsake.

Companies are deliberately choosing premium materials like ceramic, weighted glass, matte aluminium, and moulded pulp, that feel too high-quality to throw out. Brands are essentially giving you a free vase, candle holder, or tray, knowing your subconscious will keep their asset on display for years. Aesop's signature amber-toned bottles and minimalist labels are widely reused as upcycled bathroom or kitchen soap dispensers. Same with the Herbar face oil.

3. Refill-system ecosystems.

Beyond just looking pretty, this is the ultimate Trojan horse for customer retention, while being eco-friendly. Once a buyer leaves a gorgeous, heavy-glass soap dispenser on their bathroom counter, they are locked into that brand’s ecosystem forever, continuously buying the less-expensive pouch refills to keep the vibe and planet intact. My FAVOURITE example of this is Fluff Cosmetics.

Brands spend millions on digital ads just to stay top-of-mind for a few seconds.

By upgrading a product's primary container to double as home decor, a brand buys permanent, tangible, high-visibility real estate inside a customer's private sanctuary for the mere cost of premium manufacturing.

Every single time a customer walks past their kitchen island or vanity table, they register that brand's silhouette. It is passive, highly effective impression-building.

More importantly, it builds a massive sense of identity. When someone displays a beautifully packaged item on their open shelving, they are telling visitors, "This is the kind of aesthetic lifestyle I subscribe to."

If you are building, launching, or marketing a physical item today, looking beyond the unboxing experience is non-negotiable. The unboxing is just the prologue, babe.

The real question you need to solve in your next design sprint is: Where does this object live when it's being used, and does it elevate the room it's sitting in?

If your packaging is an eyesore, you're bound for the dark depths of the under-sink cupboard (ew).

If it’s art, if it’s fashion, if it’s couture, you’ve earned a permanent spot on the pedestal.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

This one's for the people who do something chaotic, embarrassing, or mildly unhinged and feel absolutely nothing about it. Zero remorse. Full grin. I'm talking all 32 on display.

The clip comes from Drake's "Make Them Remember" music video, part of the Iceman Episode 4 livestream that had the whole internet in a chokehold. In it, Drake turns back with the most diabolically cheeky smile you've ever seen and the internet immediately started placing him in every scenario that calls for that exact energy. The man himself was literally using it to troll LeBron James (allegedly) mid-video, so the precedent was already set.

People are green screening him everywhere:

Green screen Drake using the CapCut template into your scenario and put the context on screen.

A few ideas to get you started:

-abdel khalil, brand & marketing exec

😂Yap’s funniest home videos - I do yap just not to you
❤How wholesome - Free Ice-blocks
😊Soooo satisfying - Scooba
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight - Egg, Cheese & Luncheon Meat Sandwich

Hey Perry!

If I were you, I'd start by connecting with people in your industry. Try to send 10 connection requests every day to begin building up your network. The next thing I'd do is comment on other people's posts. Look for posts that already have other people having conversations about your industry in the comments. When you comment, your response will show up in your network's feeds, so it's a good way to start getting your name out there.

Another advantage of commenting on other people's posts is you get to see what conversations are happening around your industry right now. You can use that information as inspiration for your own posts, which will mean you'll know what you're writing about is relevant right now. The more time you spend interacting with people on the platform, the faster you'll grow your network.

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

We get it. Creating content that does numbers is harder than it looks. But doing those big numbers is the fastest way to grow your brand. So if you’re tired of throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks, you’re in luck. Because making our clients go viral is kinda what we do every single day.