10 Unique Branded Cardboard Packaging Ideas
November 25, 2025
Back in the day, cardboard box packaging was just a way to get a product from point A to point B. But with the massive surge in online shopping over the past 10-15 years, that’s no longer the case. In today’s competitive global market, if you’re sending a plain box, you’re just plain missing out on a huge marketing opportunity.
The box is the first touchpoint, the first impression, the first communication with your customer, especially for e-commerce brands. As such, your cardboard packaging design should be an extension of what your brand stands for. It should tell a story, communicating with your customers and making an emotional connection that translates into loyalty.
To demonstrate the power of branded cardboard packaging, let’s look at some not-your-father’s-box cardboard packaging ideas and examples that run the gamut from fun to functional, and everything in between.
1. Amazon
Boasting what’s likely the most recognized cardboard box in the world, Amazon knows the power of the box and branding. The company has also partnered with other brands over the years to offer on-box advertising, with the infamous shipping boxes being used to telegraph a brand message directly into consumer hands. For example, Amazon teamed up with Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment in 2015 to promote the Minions movie, completely transforming its delivery boxes for about a month and a half leading up to the release date.
Even when they’re not Minion-themed, kids love to play with boxes. They make great forts, doll houses and even robot costumes, which is why Amazon launched another clever marketing campaign a few years ago. In the lead up to Halloween, Amazon boxes featured a large white pumpkin that kids could color in. Then, using a QR code on the box and Amazon’s Augmented Reality app, they could see their drawing come to life. This is an example of a simple and smart way to improve brand perception and drive deeper engagement by bringing consumers into the app.
You know who else really loves boxes? Cats. In 2021, Amazon Australia teamed up with the popular cat food brand, Whiskas, to grab the attention of cat lovers by turning their signature shipping boxes into the stuff of feline dreams. The #CatsInBoxes2.0 campaign featured three on-box designs: Cat Office, Cat Castle and Cat Car. Each box also had a QR code that took customers to a custom landing page where they could post photos and videos of their cats in boxes as well as accessing product information.
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2. Vans
Vans shoes have been a California icon for decades, with their signature canvas construction, waffle sole and history rooted in SoCal’s skate culture. The company frequently collaborates with pop-culture icons, starting with The Simpsons in 2007. In addition to creating custom shoe designs, they transformed their basic shoebox design into a mini Springfield.
Vans went on to release popular collabs with rock icons like Kiss and The Beatles, as well as pop-culture icons Star Wars and Harry Potter, each time designing a custom box so cool, it’s collectible. The company even ran a fun challenge a few years ago asking fans to turn their cardboard boxes into art and post their creations on Instagram. And just last month, Vans got together with your favorite cardboard company to create a pair of their classic checkerboard slip-ons made out of — you guess it — cardboard.
3. Aldi Supermarket Chain
Aldi is known for offering consistently high-quality groceries at low prices. The company employs several strategies to keep their prices affordable, including displaying items in their original shipping boxes to reduce costly restocking. So, they understand the importance of branded packaging for making products pop on the shelf. They also know that shoppers today look for eco-friendly packaging in the aisles.
In 2024, Aldi UK brought these ideas together and launched two own-brand wines packaged in paper bottles. The bottles, which are made by Frugalpac, contain 94% recycled paperboard and feature a sealed pouch inside to contain the wine and prevent leakage. In addition to being fully recyclable, they’re significantly lighter than an average glass bottle both in terms of actual weight and carbon footprint. We’ll drink to that!
4. Who Gives a Crap toilet paper
This Australian company is revolutionizing bathrooms everywhere with their eco-friendly toilet paper made out of recycled fibers and bamboo. In addition to “not destroying the planet,” the company’s products are soft, strong and affordable. Plus, their cheeky branding is definitely not a bummer. As a primarily direct-to-consumer company, this includes their eco-friendly cardboard boxes, which are branded with slogans like, “Wiping away poverty,” and “Nice bum!” Now that’s a marketing strategy that doesn’t stink.
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5. Sony PlayStation
When Sony’s flagship home console hit the market in the mid-nineties, it changed the gaming world forever. Thirty years later, PlayStation5 (PS5) is still the top-selling home console — and exclusive home to many popular games.
When Sony releases collector’s edition bundles of top-selling games, or when they release special edition consoles, which are often bundled with popular games as well, they also design collectible boxes that make these products even more swoon-worthy. These packages are really works of art that belong on display, and add a rich storytelling element to the customer experience that deepens fan loyalty.
6. IKEA
The Swedish company that dominates the global home furnishing market began in the 1940s, with a young man’s dream of selling high-quality furniture at affordable prices. From the beginning, Ikea has maintained this commitment by minimizing overheads. However, their iconic pieces didn’t always come in the flatpack boxes they’re known for today.
Originally, IKEA sold locally made furniture to local customers. But as their mail orders grew, they were grappling with high shipping costs and frequent damages. When an IKEA employee was asked to transport a table in his car and couldn’t fit it in, he thought, “Why not take off the legs?” That’s when the company launched its signature flatpack cardboard boxes.
By packaging their products in flat packages that are easy to store and transport, the company was able to keep both overhead costs and prices low. They also reduced their carbon footprint and revolutionized the way people buy furniture. While it may not be the most exciting looking package, the IKEA flatpack is instantly recognizable — an icon itself.
7. Toms shoes
Toms launched its classic slip-on shoe line nearly 20 years ago with a clear mission: to use their business to improve lives. Their One for One® giving model, donating one pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair of shoes they sell, and partnerships with charitable groups around the world have helped to improve millions of lives.
In addition to putting over 100 million pairs of shoes (and counting) on kids’ feet, Toms puts one-third of its profits towards giving back and building a better future by supporting children’s education, health and well-being. In support of this mission, the company’s shoeboxes, which are made using recycled cardboard, are also a way to share the impact. Featured stories from their One for One campaign are printed inside the flap, so customers can feel even better about every purchase.
8. Ritual vitamins
Another company that wears its mission on its sleeve (or rather, on its packaging) is Ritual, whose tagline is, “The Future of Healthcare is Clear.” Transparency is key to Ritual’s core values, which focus on the efficacy and traceability of their products and ingredients. Sustainability is also a central focus. This commitment is clear in the bottles they put their supplements in and the boxes they use to ship them, both of which are made from 100% recycled materials. The box design is simple and sleek, inside and out, reflecting the brand’s “less is more” ethos. Each package comes with inserts that are both playful and functional, like the daily dosage calendar and stickers.
9. Patagonia
Outdoor clothing retailer Patagonia is another corporation with a conscience. Known for their “Worn to Wear” designs as well as their commitment to sustainability and activism, the company’s packaging designs are a direct reflection of these values.
Orders ship in recycled cardboard capsules, which minimize material use as well as shipping weight and costs. In 2024, the company announced a new partnership with Pack4Good, a nonprofit organization that helps businesses source sustainable packaging solutions, for example by using agricultural waste rather than materials from logging activities. Patagonia’s ongoing commitment to protecting the environment is essential to the brand experience, and equally important to the people who buy their products.
10. Garçon Wines
When Garcon Wines founders Joe Revell and Santiago Navarro decided to start a consumer wine delivery club, one of their friends mentioned that they would have trouble with such a service because they’re rarely home to receive deliveries. So, the pair came up with a solution — a flat wine bottle that fits through a letterbox.
The bottle itself is made from recycled and recyclable PET, while the also-flat shipping carton is made from recyclable cardboard. The company even designed a 10-bottle case that takes up the space of four traditional bottles, significantly reducing the eco-impact of shipping and storage. Plus, it still fits through the letterbox. Now that’s a cardboard packaging idea we’ll raise a glass to.
Partner with Ernest for Cardboard Packaging Design Solutions
If you’re looking to take advantage of the branding opportunity presented by the basic cardboard box, we’d love to help. We’ve got experts in sourcing, design and thinking outside (and inside) the box. We see things differently, and we love helping our clients find fun, innovative and new ways to make their packaging tell a story and their products pop on the shelf.
Check out what our founder, Tim Wilson, has to say about how branding your packaging defines your customer experience. Then drop us a line — let’s chat about how we can transform your packaging into a strategic marketing tool, too.
