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At London Packaging Week, PZ Cussons European Packaging Lead Mark Browne described food-inspired and collectible packaging as trends appealing to Gen Alpha and young Gen Z consumers. The report frames the challenge for brands as combining playful, expressive designs with sustainability expectations and tighter rules on single-use packaging; it does not provide specific product data or regulatory details.
PZ Cussons European Packaging Lead Mark Browne described food-inspired and collectible packaging as growing design trends among products aimed at Gen Alpha and young Gen Z, in an interview with Cosmetics Business at London Packaging Week. The report says brands are trying to create playful, sensorial experiences while responding to sustainability expectations and tighter rules concerning single-use packaging.
Browne pointed to what he called the “foodification” of packaging: personal-care products designed to resemble food, including whipped-cream-style shower gels and products in doughnut-shaped containers. These examples show how the appearance and format of a product can be part of the experience brands offer, beyond the formula inside the package.
He also described “toyification”, where products or their accessories are designed to be collected, kept or worn. Browne cited charms and small fluffy toys clipped to handbags alongside hand cream, lip balm or fragrance sprays. In his account, these products can remain visible and serve as a form of personal expression.
The extract presents these as trends Browne is seeing in the sector, with brands responding to young consumers’ interest in playful and experiential designs. It does not identify particular brands or launches, quantify demand, or provide sales figures. The sustainability challenge is stated at a broad level: brands must balance these design approaches with rising expectations and tightening regulation around single-use packaging.
Playful Designs Meet Packaging Limits
The trends matter because packaging is being treated not only as a container but also as part of how consumers experience and display personal-care products. Food-like shapes and wearable or collectible accessories can make a product more noticeable and expressive, according to Browne’s description. That gives brands a design opportunity, while also bringing packaging choices into sharper focus.
The same choices can raise practical questions about material use, reuse and disposal. The source identifies single-use packaging rules and consumer sustainability expectations as pressures on brands, but it does not specify which regulations apply or whether the examples Browne describes use more or less material than conventional packaging. The development is therefore a useful account of a design tension, not evidence that a particular packaging format has a measured environmental impact.
For consumers, the issue is relevant when a product’s novelty or collectible element influences a purchase. For manufacturers, it points to a need to account for the full package alongside its visual appeal. The report does not set out how PZ Cussons or other companies are changing materials or packaging systems in response.
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The Interview’s Packaging Examples
The supplied extract comes from a Cosmetics Business report titled “From keychains to whimsymaxxing: Making Gen Z and Gen Alpha packaging trends more sustainable.” It is based on a conversation with Mark Browne, identified as European Packaging Lead at PZ Cussons, at London Packaging Week. The extract is presented as a small portion of a longer article available to premium subscribers.
The report situates the design discussion within beauty and personal care, where product packaging can contribute to a launch’s look and sensory appeal. Browne’s examples fall into two broad groups: containers styled to resemble food, and products accompanied by objects consumers may keep or wear. The supplied text does not explain the term “whimsymaxxing” beyond the article’s headline, so it should not be treated as a defined industry standard.
The source’s regulatory reference is also general. It says rules around single-use packaging are tightening, but the extract names no jurisdiction, law, implementation date or specific compliance requirement. That limits what can be concluded about the immediate effect on brands.
““There is the foodification of packaging, like whipped cream shower gels, products that look edible, in doughnut-shaped containers.””
— Mark Browne, European Packaging Lead at PZ Cussons, speaking to Cosmetics Business
Demand and Environmental Effects Unspecified
The extract offers Browne’s observations but no consumer research, sales data or market-size figures to show how widespread the trends are or how much they affect purchasing. It also does not identify specific companies or products beyond the general examples, or say how consumers in Gen Alpha and young Gen Z differ in their preferences.
The environmental implications remain unquantified. The source does not disclose the materials, recyclability, reusability or lifecycle impacts of the packaging and accessories discussed. Nor does it name the regulations behind its reference to tighter single-use packaging rules. The full article may contain more detail, but it is not available in the supplied source extract.
How Brands Apply the Design Trends
The next practical test for brands is whether they can develop playful packaging while meeting applicable packaging rules and responding to sustainability expectations. The source does not announce a new PZ Cussons product, policy or timeline, and it gives no specific next milestone for the company.
Further reporting would be needed to establish how brands are adapting: which materials and formats they are choosing, what regulations apply in each market, and whether consumers’ interest translates into sustained demand. Until those details are available, Browne’s comments are best read as a snapshot of design trends and the competing considerations shaping beauty and personal-care packaging.
Key Questions
What packaging trends did Mark Browne describe?
He cited food-inspired packaging, such as whipped-cream-style shower gels and doughnut-shaped containers, as well as collectible or wearable accessories associated with personal-care products.
What does “toyification” mean in the report?
Browne used the term for playful items consumers may collect, keep or wear, including charms or small toys clipped to a handbag alongside products such as hand cream or lip balm.
Why does sustainability come into the discussion?
The report says brands face rising sustainability expectations and tightening rules around single-use packaging. The supplied extract does not detail specific regulations or assess the environmental impact of the examples.
Does the report show that young consumers are buying more of these products?
No sales figures or consumer study are included in the supplied extract. The trends are presented as Browne’s observations about products appealing to Gen Alpha and young Gen Z.
What is not yet known about the packaging?
The extract does not provide details on materials, recyclability, reuse, lifecycle impacts, applicable laws or a timeline for changes by PZ Cussons. It also does not quantify demand for the trends.
Source: cosmeticsbusiness.com
