Art. 05
Title
Packaging Fair Paris
DATE
Paris in february
In a city where fashion and craftsmanship are always in the air, a core delegation from our creative team headed to Paris Packaging Week at Porte de Versailles.
Not our standard office outing.
A deliberate choice.
designed to be opened
For us, a trade fair like this isn’t a supplier list. It’s a moment to question packaging all over again. To step outside our own frame of reference and see the full playing field.
Paper.
Printing techniques.
Structures.
Finishes.
Details.
Not everything is equally exciting. And that’s fine. The value lies in the extremes. In the stands where materials almost become sculpture. In suppliers who don’t sell from a catalogue, but from craftsmanship.
We weren’t there to follow. We were there to feel where we can make a difference.
the joy of unveiling
Among the predictable lines across the exhibition floor, Korean brand HEAZ felt like a breath of fresh air.
Right on the edge of kitsch.
Bold. Playful. Over the top.
And yet, it works.
What stayed with us wasn’t just the shape, but the joy of unwrapping. The ritual. The anticipation. The layering.
Packaging isn’t a container.
It’s an experience.
When the unwrapping feels right, the perceived value of the product shifts. The story doesn’t begin with the use. It begins with the first touch.
curating innovation
Pentawards remain an interesting benchmark. There were strong cases. Clear, well thought-out and with vision. But an award is no guarantee of surprise. A standard box remains a standard box, even when it’s awarded.
What truly stayed with us were not spectacular launches, but subtle shifts.
More minimal in form. Richer in detail.
The difference lies in paper choice, embossing, texture and nuance.
Circularity as a given.
Mono-materials. Fewer unnecessary layers. Smarter structures. Sustainability becomes less of a statement and more of a discipline.
Packaging as experience.
Tactility. Anticipation. Opening as choreography.
The digital layer.
QR and NFC, subtly integrated. Not a gimmick, but an extension of storytelling.
More character.
Brands dare to be more outspoken. Sometimes right on the edge. That’s where memorability happens.
What we saw were not trends.
They were choices.
And choices last longer than hype.
sustainability / beyond the claim
Sustainability is no longer a trend. It’s a baseline.
At the fair, almost every stand had a story about recycling and mono-materials. But real sustainability doesn’t live in slogans. It lives in design decisions:
Fewer layers.
Simpler structures.
More conscious production.
Fibre-based solutions are gaining ground. Complex material combinations are making way for simpler systems that already take recyclability into account from the very first design phase.
Ecological necessity and aesthetics don’t have to exclude each other. On the contrary.
eyes on .OTG
What Paris mainly did was confirm our direction.
We don’t believe in catalogue solutions. We believe in custom packaging. Structures designed from scratch. Packaging as an object, not just a carrier of graphics.
When form, material and visual identity come together, something is created that isn’t simply opened, it’s experienced. For our clients, the story doesn’t end with the logo. It begins with the box.
©.OTG 2026
©.OTG 2026
©Clement Van Vyve
©.OTG 2026
“Paris is always a good idea.”
— audrey hepburn
ami paris store
©.OTG
2026
our Parisian favourites
Officine Universelle Buly 1803
The ultimate reference for anyone who understands that packaging is an art form. Handwritten calligraphy. Taking time. Ceremony. From A to Z, the experience feels right.
Le Marais
Yvon Lambert
OFR
Merci
Retail as curation.
Observation as inspiration. For us, this is just as valuable as a museum.
Django
Warm. Unforced. Honest. A place where locals gather and the food simply feels right. From a beautiful, thoughtfully curated interior to refined yet comforting dishes, everything about Django feels effortless. Nothing screams for attention, it just works. Where conversations linger, glasses refill themselves, and you don’t rush to leave.
Final note
We didn’t go to Paris to spot trends. We went to feel where quality and character come together.
Packaging isn’t wrapping. It’s a first impression in three-dimensional form. And that is exactly where the real work begins for us.
