Preflight Creative

Preflight Creative FMCG Brand & Packaging design specialist based in Christchurch delivering design solutions that deliver for ambitious brands in retail and ecommerce.

Visit preflightcreative.co.nz now.

12/10/2026

Kudos to Dr Bugs Popcorn because these guys were the first I saw ever doing this a few years back.

Most startups have limited cash so you have to trade money you don’t have and leverage time when you don’t have the budget to print 10 different custom pouches for your product range.

This hack is genius, allows you to get new product to market quicker than any other solution and still looks really polished on shelf (I bought dr bugs probably 3 times before I ever worked out they were doing this!) so if you want that nice professional outcome having a custom ‘blank’ is a great option.

Go on, tell me this didn’t get you thinking about smart ways to do this with lots of solutions?!

Logos aren't not what sell products if you're a new brand.Founders almost always ask me to make their logo bigger on pac...
08/10/2026

Logos aren't not what sell products if you're a new brand.

Founders almost always ask me to make their logo bigger on pack. They want people to see their brand which makes sense on face value but if your product is new, your logo means nothing to anybody in a store. That's not being harsh that's just how brand recognition works.

I do think you have to earn the right to lead with brand, it's not given. Big boppers like Coke have earnt a shopper’s trust over years. A shopper knows that logo because they’ve seen it a thousand times. Your new brand hasn’t earned that trust yet.

Shoppers scan, they don't read. They’re looking for answers in two seconds flat.
They walk right on by asking 👇
What the hell is this?
What's in it for me?

Your logo doesn’t answer any of those questions.

What actually works 👇
A clear product name that says exactly what it is.
A hero benefit in plain language (“supports sleep,” “hydrates dry skin,” “low sugar”)
Colour and layout that make your pack stand out in a busy aisle.

You're making shoppers work way too hard when you lead with the logo.
A big logo on a product no one knows makes shoppers do extra work and most are simply not going to do that.

You build brand recognition not by shouting your name, but by making it easy to buy your product. Your logo becomes the hero when shoppers already know what you do never before.

Take your packaging. Stand two metres back and squint. Can you still tell what it is? Can a shopper? If the answer is no, you've got work to do.

I write ShelfTalker, my weekly email on the realities of building an FMCG brand that actually sells on shelf. It’s short, probably a bit blunt but made for founders who don't want fluffy bs, only insights on packaging, retail, and getting noticed.

I'll drop the link in the comments.
It takes two seconds, and it might just change how you look at your product on shelf.

24/09/2026

It’s my hot take for the week and this one I get a lot and I’ve been in this business too long to believe spin when I hear it.

I get the unbridled enthusiasm, I really do. Now look - a great product does get you repeat buyers, but it does nothing for the first time sale.

That’s on the packaging to do and that’s what founders often miss - that the product earns the loyalty but the packaging earns the first sale to start them on that journey.

If you skip the second, you rarely earn the right for the first one to happen.

The team at Remarkable Cream are absolute kings of NPD. I jumped on board to help bring their dairy-free range to life w...
24/09/2026

The team at Remarkable Cream are absolute kings of NPD. I jumped on board to help bring their dairy-free range to life with their very first SKU.

Of course it was always going to be salted caramel right! The reviews are in and the consensus is it's an absolute winner.

Jump on and order yourself a bottle (or 2) online at https://remarkablecream.nz/collections/remarkable-cream-700ml-range/products/remarkable-cream-dairy-free-salted-caramel-creamy-liquor

or ask for it by name at your local liquor store.

Our client launched Attimo in October last year into New Zealand, an entirely new brand & product with no previous sales...
21/09/2026

Our client launched Attimo in October last year into New Zealand, an entirely new brand & product with no previous sales data.

Ranged into all New World & Four Square stores in the Sth island, following strong sales they launched into New World stores in the North.

Fast forward and last week they launched nationwide into all Woolworths stores. That's crazy growth and scale within a year.

They say you can't get into retail without good sales to back you up, my client went into their pitch with product samples and the packaging I had designed for them.

Those that say you can't have been going about it the wrong way, so many retail pitches go in with weak packaging and it's often the #1 feedback a category manager will give is that the packaging is not retail ready. Just because it may look presentable doesn't make it retail ready.

If you're not sure if yours is, grab my retail readiness check you can grab here

https://www.preflightcreative.co.nz/retail-readiness

18/09/2026

Hot take for your Friday, bound to ruffle a few feathers but I’m going to die on this hill.

Premium ain’t a strategy. It’s just a lazy brief.
If your packaging direction starts and ends with “make it feel premium,” you’re giving your designer nothing to work with and your product no legs to stand on.

Define the problem you’re solving first. Know the shelf you’re walking into. Get specific about it.

That’s how you actually earn a premium outcome ✌🏼

06/09/2026

This is why it’s so crucial to test your pack in its likely environment. You can’t always cover every base but not doing a check at all leaves you susceptible to making a doozy decision.

Don’t feel goofy doing it, I do it all the time 😅 I’d rather feel goofy for a couple mins than a lifetime making an expensive oversight.

Working on packaging but feeling overwhelmed? 👀 You are definitely not alone.What if you had a clear, no frills guide de...
03/09/2026

Working on packaging but feeling overwhelmed? 👀
You are definitely not alone.

What if you had a clear, no frills guide designed by someone who’s already helped plenty of brands get their products killing it on shelf? My Shelf Talker email (going out tomorrow) is dropping my new Playbook 'Packaging Unpacked' that walks you through everything you need to know.

There is even an interactive PDF tucked in the back because I believe in things you can actually use, not just look at.

Save it, share it or even screenshot it.

Build from it but most importantly move forward with confidence and that my friends is the hardest part when you simple don't know what you don't know.

Jump onto the list before you miss it head to www.preflightcreative.co.nz

Sold out in only a few weeks online 🥳The Remarkable Cream peanut butter cup label uses elevated gold foil positioning to...
31/08/2026

Sold out in only a few weeks online 🥳

The Remarkable Cream peanut butter cup label uses elevated gold foil positioning to signal a premium brand position - but that only works if it actually translates to shelf and boy does it.

From screen to the finished product, every detail was intentional and designed to perform. Premium positioning. Premium ex*****on. Premium results baby!

First collab with Remarkable Cream. They weren’t messing around, and neither was I.This Peanut Butter Cup bottle is part...
06/08/2026

First collab with Remarkable Cream. They weren’t messing around, and neither was I.

This Peanut Butter Cup bottle is part of their nostalgia series. The brief was simple: hit hard without losing what makes their range work. So I ditched the colour explosion and went deep into browns instead.

I’d noticed on some of the previous yellow bottles the labels disappeared into the bottles a bit. Like the label edge was invisible.

So I utilised tones to within an inch of their lives 😅 A warm palette, bit of richness to be louder and sharper where it had the most impact. Same brand just with stronger shelf presence.

Available now at all good liquor stores or hit the Remarkable Cream website up and grab a bottle (or 2) I won’t judge.

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