by Patrick Llewellyn, VP Digital and Design Services at VistaPrint
The past year has taught us to expect the unexpected. Who would have predicted a Guinness shortage because of Gen Z’s sudden demand for the trendy drink, or that retro Nerds sweets would become the most-wanted snack this Halloween? But it’s undeniable that both companies have distinctive brand identities, with instantly recognisable colour schemes, logos, lettering and product packaging. Their sky-high successes in 2024 are a lesson in how effective branding can turn your product into nothing short of a cultural icon. So looking ahead to the rest of 2025, here’s a rundown of the top design trends our expert team at VistaPrint has identified to help food and drink businesses tap into to stand out this year.
Flavourful fonts
Gone are the days when fonts and typography were purely functional – they’re now a storytelling tool for your brand. Uneven serif lettering and rounded, inflated fonts will be popular next year, helping communicate a company’s personality, charisma and flair. For brands that want to convey their unconventional nature, or divert from the norm, a quirky font is a wise choice. Trendy Portuguese wine brand Chin Chin has opted for a hand-drawn font that tells a story: the wobbly-edged, fluid lettering mimics the wine as it flows into glasses. It’s playful, fun-loving lettering that is instantly recognisable but doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is exactly what customers want when they’re looking for their must-have, a la mode tipple.
Similarly, gourmet popcorn brand Joe&Seph’s has opted for high contrast when choosing fonts, combining a no-nonsense, bold sans serif font for “Joe” and the product name, with an italic cursive font for “Seph’s” and the product description. While the cursive conveys class and prestige, the more industrial font adds a modern edge – perfect for a brand that’s presenting a premium product with a contemporary twist, like its Mince Pie popcorn.
Not quite minimalism
90s nostalgia has been on the menu for some time now, but each year draws on a slightly different aspect. This coming year, brands should look to grunge music and simplistic retro computer games for inspiration – Charli XCX’s notorious “Brat” album cover drew on a retro-tech aesthetic by using a low-res font paired with an eye-watering bright green background, while she leant into shabby chic minimalism on her neon rave flyers. However, this isn’t sterile minimalism: chunky shapes and bold colour-blocking still firmly have a place in this aesthetic. Swedish vegan restaurant Dirty Vegan espouses this trend by keeping its background neutral and clean but accessorising with vibrantly coloured, pop-art-inspired illustrations of lips. It’s reminiscent of a 90s computer game with limited features.
UK burrito restaurant Brorritos has taken this trend in a different direction, using cartoonish graphics of anthropomorphic burritos wearing caps and eating tacos to parody the founders’ ages, and to show that the brand doesn’t take itself too seriously. Cartoons can tap into a particular flavour of 90s nostalgia, reminding customers of the fun they had as kids, absorbed by low-fi TV and video games, without adult responsibilities or the distraction of smartphones. It’s simple, but emotive.
Citrus colours: zesty design
To stand out on packed shelves, clever colour choices are a brand’s best friend. In choosing bright orange as their prominent palette, Brorritos, as mentioned above, is tapping into the nostalgia of brands that millennials loved as children (like Reese’s, Fanta and Tropicana) as well as a top 2025 colour trend. Next year, this citrus shade will embellish all kinds of designs, whether it’s contrasting with calmer hues or clashing with butter yellow or cherry red. Mayonnaise brand Ayoh!, for example, is using tangerine liberally across its website, but in all the right places. It’s the perfect amount of garnish for a condiment brand, and gives the sense that the product will be just as punchy, flavourful and memorable as its online branding.
Whether you’re encouraging people to eat in or take away, remember that design in 2025 will be all about experimentation and showing off your fun side. Try out a mismatched font, revive the feel of the 90s, or add in some citrus hues for extra punch. So long as you’re staying true to your brand and target demographic, your design choices are your ticket to standing out, telling your story and becoming a household staple.
