would bad design work better?

Lambert & Butler – case study In a presentation to an industry conference in 2006, Imperial Tobacco’s Global Brand Director, Geoff Good, acknowledged that the tobacco advertising ban in the UK had “effectively banned us from promoting all tobacco products” and noted that “In this challenging environment, the marketing team has to become more creative” adding: “We therefore decided to look at pack design.” 

Focusing on the UK’s most popular cigarette brand, Lambert & Butler, Imperial developed a new version of the Lambert & Butler brand to mark its 25th anniversary in the UK market. The “Celebration” packs were launched in November 2004 as a 4-month special edition, replacing the original pack until February 2005. According to Good: “The effect was very positive. Already the no.1 brand, our share grew by over 0.4% during this period – that might not sound a lot – but it was worth over £60 million in additional turnover and  significant profit improvement.” 

Good concludes: “Often in marketing, it is difficult to isolate the effects of individual parts of the mix. But in this case, because the UK had become a dark market, the pack design was the only part of the mix that was changed, and therefore we knew the cause and effect.” 

Good, G. Global Brand Director, Imperial Tobacco Group plc. Presentation at UBS Tobacco Conference, 01 December 2006 

this showcases the idea that packaging influences the consumer, I think that if it would have a definitive effect it would have to look subjectively bad. as to deter the user because of its offputting nature. if the standardized packaging was over the top and ugly. 

Getting Duped by Packaging

Branding isn’t stagnant. Liquor companies are constantly changing their labels and logos, so maybe learn to recognize your favorite bottle by more than the picture on the label alone. “Every five years or so, everyone updates their packaging and labels to become more appealing,” Lancaster says, adding that customers are “absolutely” misled by flashy images on bottles. “There are some wines that are so good or established, they haven’t updated their labels in years and years,” he says. “So if you’re drawn to newer or more flashy labels, you might miss out on these old-fashioned wines that don’t stand out as much.”

the idea that people buy alcohol with their eyes would work in favor of the idea to standardize with bad design. as to make it less of an appeal since people go for the aesthetics of bottles especially gin and wine I think, at least when you don't have a tie to a brand. this idea that people buy one brand could be challenged with standardizing the packaging to force people to think more when purchasing their alcohol. https://www.thrillist.com/culture/liquor-store-mistakes