The very first time I was given full rein to create something new was in a Brand Manager role at a mid-sized FMCG company back in 2019.

The company had been working on a new, high performance formula targeted at taking share from one of their core competitors.

But the problem was believability.

Would consumers actually believe it was a different formula to the rest of the range?

Solving this problem led to my obsession with packaging design (and ultimately this newsletter).

I’m going to break it down in an episode I’m calling…

Chaos Packaging - The Chaos Theory of Branding

Chaos packaging is visual anarchy with a purpose—a disruptor that dials into the same unpredictability and high-stakes risk-taking described in the mathematical concept of chaos theory.

Here’s how it works: at first glance, it’s total disorder. Clashing colours, random fonts, layouts that look like they threw hierarchy out the window, often incorporating completely unrelated shapes, formats and materials to what’s typically used in the category.

The idea is that it’s not just random noise. Behind this chaos is a calculated strategy. Brands playing this game know that by shoving structure aside, they grab your attention and refuse to blend into the shelf.

It follows the idea that even a tiny shift in conditions can snowball into wildly different outcomes. A small decision — like a soda can for nuts — can be the difference between consumers reaching for it or skipping it altogether.

One brand’s visual mess can make it the next cult favourite, while another’s attempt at “chaos” can flop and get written off as desperate gimmickry. It’s unpredictable.

There is a tension between order and disorder. Yes, it looks chaotic, but it’s still governed by one big goal: to stand out, be remembered, and maybe even become iconic. For these brands, the line between risk and reward is razor-thin, and they know it. That’s the gamble—will chaos be the thing that pushes them into the spotlight, or the very thing that undoes them? Either way, it’s not just chaos for chaos’ sake; it’s chaos with teeth.

Materials can make a massive difference

People told us to stick to plastic bottles. It was easier and more generally accepted in the market as ‘standard’ for cleaning products. But we weren’t trying to attract people who accept common standards.

When we created “Cove”, our number one goal was to change behaviour - shift people from a single-use mindset to reuse. This is probably one of the most challenging marketing briefs. And the way we cracked it was through material exploration.

By using aluminium as the primary material, it automatically signalled to the shopper that this product is different. Our thinking was that people throw away stuff because they don’t value it, so if we created something that they would value - maybe they would want to keep it. And it worked.

I know that the material and brand decisions here made a difference because, coincidentally, Cove launched at the exact same time that Unilever launched their version of a refill product. And they got it completely wrong.

Unilever went with a practical, rational appeal. It makes sense to buy this product - you can save the environment and save some money.

But humans are not rational beings.

Our approach with Cove was primarily an emotional one - it was a lifestyle choice and a status signal. But more importantly, we focused on the design of the product to embed value.

Our product was more expensive than Unilever. We had a fraction of the marketing budget. But we completely smashed them, immediately, out the gate and in the long term. Our run rates were stronger, we grew faster and ultimately, five years later, Cove is still going strong and Jif Ecorefill has been deleted.

Here are a few quick reasons I think we succeeded where they didn’t:

1. In a wall of plastic, aluminium stands out. The chaos theory effect.

2. Aluminium sparks curiosity. What is this and why is it different?

3. Two birds, one stone. We hit both the ‘eco’ trend, as well as the ‘kitchen design’ trend. The primary reason for purchase was often split. Meanwhile, Jif had no design appeal.

Cove was a game changer. Both for the overall position of our company and for me, personally. It was a proof point that we can tackle challenging problems with creative thinking and it was just the momentum we needed for our next big challenge.

Visual anarchy in boring categories

After the success of Cove, we turned our focus to an even bigger problem - 90% of laundry detergent products sold were petrochemical based.

We developed a high-tech plant-based formula that worked better than anything else in the market. But we knew that if we just marketed it as a stock-standard eco product, it would fall victim to the commonly held belief that "green doesn’t clean”.

Again, we had a behavioural problem to solve. People avoided eco brands because they believe they lacked efficacy. So how did we approach this? I guess you could call this “Chaos Packaging” but the real inspiration came from divergent thinking.

We looked into other categories where companies were doing things differently. This was back in 2020, so Oatly and Liquid Death were massive inspirations to us. And the key thing we took away from them was that they were disruptive through both visual design and tone of voice.

In the laundry category - everything looked the same. Supersize logo, some kind of dynamic whoosh symbol to communicate power in a sea of blue packaging.

We decided to break all the usual design rules. We filled every space possible with messaging. We use long form copy instead of short, punchy claims. We had about 4 different typefaces instead of a cohesive, simple approach.

And we took the piss out of the mainstream brands with dumb names and taglines.

All of this sounds ridiculous. But it worked. We captured an unfair share of attention from both shoppers AND retailers. The product was successful in pulling shoppers away from petrochemical based detergents, and has driven millions of dollars in incremental growth for the company.

All because we took a risk on the design approach.

The power of embracing chaos

So, what’s the takeaway here? Chaos packaging isn’t just a style—it’s a full strategy.
 
When executed with intent, it flips expectations, grabs attention, and rewrites consumer perceptions. With Cove and beyond, we’ve proven that embracing disruption doesn’t just set us apart on the shelf; it builds loyalty, redefines categories, and shows that even in the most “boring” aisles, creativity can be the ultimate competitive edge.

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