Seasonal packaging design isn’t just for Christmas. It’s one of the most powerful ways brands can refresh their image, excite consumers, and drive sales throughout the year.

Whether it’s food and drink, beauty, or everyday consumables, limited-edition packaging offers brands a chance to tell stories, create urgency, and strengthen loyalty. When executed well, it transforms ordinary products into collectible experiences.

Here are some of the standout seasonal packaging designs that inspire us, and how you can test your own designs using Springfield Solutions’ Mock It service before launching them to market.

1. Bacardi – Glow in the Dark Halloween Packaging

Bacardi, one of the world’s most iconic spirits brands, embraced the Halloween ‘spirit’ by creating a limited-edition range of glow-in-the-dark bottles. The design was inspired by their iconic bat logo and tapped into the brand’s connection to Halloween.

The Bacardi Spiced and Carta Blanca rums played on the spooky goings on of Halloween and the popularity of spiced drinks and cocktails throughout the season.

The spooky aesthetic was perfectly aligned with the season – but Bacardi went beyond just packaging and enriched the customer experience through marketing materials and exclusive content including giveaways, how-to videos and cocktail recipes. Fancy a Zombie this Halloween? A Goblin? Spookito? Pina Ghoulada? Bacardi has got you covered!

Bacardi’s Halloween packaging design has been particularly effective in driving sales and boosting brand identity. Seasonal designs spark buzz and interest, and the added layer of incentivised purchases and collectability generates lots of customer engagement. Their seasonal packaging is relevant to the brand so doesn’t look or feel out of place.

2. Fortnum and Mason – Christmas Food Packaging

Fortnum and Mason’s Christmas collections are a brilliant example of how iconic brands can innovate through design whilst staying true to their heritage. Design is a key driver of storytelling and customer connection – which is vital in competitive markets.

By collaborating with renowned illustrator Olaf Hajek, Fortnum and Mason crafted packaging that aimed to reach a younger demographic. Social media savvy food enthusiasts were the key target audience and Fortnum and Mason looked to their packaging design to improve relevance with this audience.

Each hero product in the range had its own narrative, and a variation of flora and fauna artwork tied into the roots of the brand’s festive magic. The colour palette – purples, golds and reds – is visually appealing to the time of year and was enhanced with metallic embellishments.

The Fortnum and Mason seasonal packaging designs reinforce the luxurious and timeless aesthetic of the brand. It also encourages consumers to keep the products as keepsakes and adds to the collectability and sustainable nature of packaging.

3. 19 Crimes – Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse for indulgence – if that’s treating yourself or your partner. 19 Crimes took full advantage of the occasion with an interactive, limited-edition label.

The limited-edition Valentine’s Day label for 19 Crimes is a perfect example of how seasonal packaging can capture attention and create emotional connections.

The bold and interactive label allowed consumers to handwrite personal messages directly onto the bottle, turning it into a truly meaningful gift.

Combining technical precision with the brand’s rebellious identity, the label featured vibrant colours, raised embellishments, and a striking varnish-free area for personalisation. This project highlights the power of seasonal packaging to tell stories, generate buzz, and strengthen brand engagement.

Read more about this product launch on the All4Labels UK website!

4. Starbucks – Holiday Cups

Few seasonal packaging designs have achieved cultural status like Starbucks’ holiday cups. Each year, fans eagerly anticipate the release of new festive designs, which have become as iconic as the drinks themselves.

The limited-edition cups not only refresh the brand image annually but also act as a social media phenomenon, encouraging customers to share their festive coffee moments online.

This shows the power of seasonal packaging to extend far beyond the product, becoming a brand event in itself!

5. KitKat – Japanese Seasonal Flavours

KitKat Japan has redefined how confectionery brands approach seasonal packaging. From the iconic, picturesque cherry blossom season across Spring to Halloween in the Autumn, each limited-edition flavour comes wrapped in packaging that reflects local traditions, colours, and cultural motifs.

The frequent rotation of seasonal designs keeps the brand constantly relevant and collectible, while strengthening its reputation as innovative and culturally attuned.

For KitKat, packaging isn’t just decoration. It’s a celebration of place, culture, and consumer emotion.

Seasonal Packaging Design: Why It Works

Seasonal packaging gives brands an opportunity to reach new audiences and engage existing ones. They allow a temporary brand refresh with an injection of creativity.

Packaging feels purposeful with seasonal designs, amplifying a brand’s visibility and identity through strong narrative and cultural relevance. Consumers can build stronger emotional connections through shareability and gift-giving. Linking memories of brands with their favourite seasons, and finding joy in limited-edition products.

Seasonal packaging design often comes with premium finishes and sensory details, adding tactile and visual richness to products. As a result, their perceived value is increased, and consumers engage more in the collectability and urgency. Thus, driving sales.

Testing Seasonal Packaging Design: Mock>It

At Springfield Solutions, we help brands bring seasonal packaging to life with Mock>It, our innovative mock-up service.

We can create short-run packaging prototypes across labels, cartons and pouches, including embellishments. This digital packaging mock up service is perfect for testing designs in real life before launch. Whether for focus groups, retail trials, or stakeholder buy-in, our mock-ups save time and money while ensuring your design connects with your audience.

Let’s launch your 2025 seasonal packaging with confidence. Get in touch with our mock-up division today to trial your designs and make your next campaign unforgettable.