Christmas is a time where brands can have a bit more fun with their packaging - and this year has seen some really strong examples of creativity aimed at making products stand out on shelf, create a social media buzz and drive new customers.
The new PG Tips knitted packs are one example; available in two sizes: 210 tea bags (RRP: £5.50) and 240 tea bags (RRP: £5.99), feature a knitted design with Monkey in the spotlight.
PG Tips says the limited-edition boxes offer strong shelf appeal and are designed to encourage impulse purchases.
Each pack is filled with PG Tips’ signature blend: a bright, full-bodied tea crafted by Master Blenders using leaves from East Africa’s traditional tea-growing regions.
“We’re delighted to celebrate the return of our beloved Monkey with these new limited-edition knitted packs,” said Elle Barker, UK and Ireland chief marketing officer (CMO) for Lipton Teas & Infusions.
"The eye-catching, seasonal packaging featuring our iconic Monkey front and centre, brings a touch of nostalgia and plenty of shelf appeal - we expect them to fly off the shelves faster than you can say ‘brew up!’ It’s a fun, feel-good way to give shoppers what they’re looking for this season."
Speaking with Food Manufacture on the roll-out, marketing and food innovation expert, Paul Atkins, said he believes the packs will be a “real hit” with the right social media campaign behind them. If successful, this could mean PG Tips is able to bring new consumers to the brand.
“Monkey is such a powerful distinctive brand asset for PG Tips, and the team at Lipton have done a fantastic job recently with their new advertising and the new packaging, both of which put Monkey front and centre,” he continued.
The 210 tea bags Monkey Knitted Packs are currently available in major UK retailers Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Iceland, Aldi, Lidi, Ocado and Waitrose. The 240 packs are being stocked in Ocado, Waitrose, Morrisons and Sainsburys.
This isn’t the first time a F&B brand has used a knitted design for its winter marketing, with Innocent popping actual little woolly hats on its bottles back in 2003 as part of a charity pledge known as The Big Knit. This has been a recurring campaign for this brand, with every woolly topped bottle seeing it donate 30p to Age UK.
Last year, sauce brand Kikkoman also made a major investment into its festive promotional programme, with its 150ml dispenser sporting a Santa hat in all major supermarkets plus Booths and Ocado over the Christmas period as part of a marketing push.
The Santa hats from 2024 were very well received by both retailer buyers and the consumer, with c.150,000 sold in total. The promotion also generated lots of organic social media posts featuring the special bottles.
The Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce bottles have upped their Santa look this year with an entire get-up.
The brand has also rolled out scarf-wearing bottles, with different colours. Whilst its regular soy sauce will be in red and white, its Less Salt Soy Sauce will have a green stripey scarf and its Tamari Gluten-Free variant a blue one, coordinating with their respective lids.
“If last year’s Santa Hat campaign is anything to go by, we are confident our knitted scarf promotion will sell through quickly ahead of the festive season,” Kikkoman UK’s general manager, Bing-yu Lee, said.
“Our aim is to attract new consumers as well as satisfying our existing users and to spark a discussion on what makes Kikkoman such a great brand. We want that discussion to include how pure our umami rich Kikkoman soy sauce is with no added nasties and how it gives a natural depth of flavour to everyday foods from meat dishes to vegetables and stir fries."
The promotional bottles are retailing for £4.50 and are available from Ocado and Amazon.
Meanwhile, Starbucks launched its Bearista cups – a bear-shaped glass complete with its own winter outfit. The limited-edition drinking vessels were so popular they sparked a social media storm when they ran out of stock.
Why is this effective?
Whilst this is a mixture of materials – from actually mini headwear and winter outfits to quirky shapes and designs on pack - what is clear is that ‘cute’ is in.
Lottie Unwin, start-up marketing guru and founder of Up World and Brand Hackers, offered her expert analysis: “Fashion influences FMCG far more than most marketers give it credit for. Claudia Winkleman’s endless parade of incredible knitwear on Traitors, Tom Daley’s knitting obsession turning into actual product lines, triangle scarfs everywhere, knitwear is having a moment more than usual for this time of year.”
For Unwin moves like this are a “masterclass” in existing product development (EPD)
“Everyone gets excited about new products – but you have to educate people, build trust, convince them something untested is worth their money," she explained.
“With PG Tips, they’re not inventing anything. The tea is the same. The Monkey is beloved. What they’re doing is layering seasonality onto an existing product that people already trust and buy.
“That creates genuine excitement without the friction. You get the buzz of newness, the comfort of the familiar, and you tap into a cultural moment (knitwear season). It reengages existing customers while giving new audiences a reason to pick it up.
“And frankly, it’s easier to get on shelf. Buyers already know PG Tips sells. They’re not taking a punt on something unproven. You’re asking them to stock a seasonal variant of a bestseller, not convince them your new product is the future.”
