Choosing the Right Packaging Design for High-End Toys

There’s nothing that stops a child’s imagination from turning objects into playthings. From Le Van Toy dollhouses to miniature Segway Ninebot Gokarts; special stuffed Steiff bears to limited edition Hot Wheels sets, our children are always eager to play with the latest and greatest toys.

Even as adults, there’s nothing quite as iconic as the toy store scenes in our favourite Christmas films. From Duncan’s Toy Chest in Home Alone to Gimbels department store in Elf, there’s something incredibly special about toyshops that resonates with us even now. And, if you’re anything like us, you probably still enjoy visiting toy shops to witness the latest inventions and to see the delight on our children’s faces.

High-end toys have a particularly special place in our hearts. They’re things we keep for a long time after our children have grown, to be passed down from generation to generation as keepsakes. The sentiment attached to luxury toys sets them apart from the everyday run-of-the-mill toys that can be found in your nearest supermarket. Made with luxury components, luxury toys are the best of the very best.

Luxury toy packaging has a very important role to play. Often high in value and highly sentimental to the receiver, luxury toys should be well protected and well-advertised. Luxury toy boxes should be special in every single way. From premium messaging to exceptional visual cues, the best toy packaging design will make your luxury toys that little bit more special.

How to Pick the Right Material for Your High-End Toy Packaging

High-end toys come with a high-end price tag. There are many reasons for this; the cost of materials, the appeal of the design, the time spent on design and compliance checks, and more. The design and manufacture of toy packaging involves many different steps. So, when it comes to designing and producing toy packaging boxes, there are various factors to consider.

Picking the right material is one of the most important steps in the process. Since toys are frequently handled in shops by young ones and their parents, luxury toy boxes should be durable and long-wearing. Without the right material, your luxury gifts may look dull, tired and completely lifeless on a retail shelf.

Age suitable

More than anything else, toy packaging must be child safe. Toy packaging for babies and children below the age of three must meet very specific specifications. Plastic bags, plastic wrapping, bubble wrap and other types of packaging are associated with a high risk of suffocation and cannot be used to package toys for children under the age of three. That’s why many toy companies steer clear of bindings, ties and other non-recyclable materials.

Strong and sturdy

Rigid carton packaging is one of the strongest and most durable packaging materials on the market. Four times stronger than other types of packaging, rigid carton boxes are a great option for luxury toys that need extra protection.

Paperboard boxes are equally suited to premium toys. With more customisation options than rigid boxes, folding cartons are great options for personalised packaging. Since paperboard is available in a range of grades, folding carton board (FBB) can be well-suited to different requirements for luxury toy boxes.

Both rigid boxes and folding cartons have excellent customisation options. They can be printed, embossed and customised to complement your product, branding and messaging, making them the ideal choice for custom toy packaging design.

What to Consider When Picking a High-End Toy Packaging Design

While the primary purpose of toy box packaging is to protect the premium toys contained inside, this is no longer the only purpose! Custom packaging provides a competitive edge by helping your product to stand out from its competition.

Toy box packaging should complement your product offering to maximise its appeal. From aesthetic appeal to sensory experience, there are several ways to showcase your product.

Aesthetically appealing

A toy packaging box should be visually appealing. Both rigid boxes and folding carton boxes have various design options that help to embolden your high-end toys. From colour printing to embossing, luxury toy boxes should encourage interaction with your products.

Sensory Experience

Since children are prone to handling your products in stores, it’s a good idea to pay attention to the sensory experience. Think tactile designs that encourage touch, vibrant messaging that encourages a closer look, and other interactive elements that tempt customers to engage with your product.

Take toy car packaging design, for example. Most toy cars have audible features that replicate the sound of a car’s engine and make playtime more fun. Ensuring this sound can be heard through the packaging is a great way to encourage interaction with your brand and show off your product offering.

No matter your product offering, the best toy packaging manufacturers will design and produce custom toy boxes that appeal to parents and children whilst promoting your brand and protecting your products.

Additional Considerations to Choosing a Toy Packaging Design

Packaging plays a significant role in the perceived value of a product. In recent years, consumers and companies have grown more conscious of their environmental impact. Many brands have come under fire for excessive non-recyclable packaging that poses serious harm to the environment and wildlife.

Eco-friendly

An environmental impact study highlighted how sustainable packaging can help brands increase their revenue by up to 4%! As such, brands would do well to opt for eco-friendly packaging that is much kinder to the environment. Durable, aesthetically appealing and eco-friendly, rigid boxes and folding cartons are the most suitable choices for custom toy boxes.

Successful High-End Toy Packaging Design Examples

Since packaging for luxury toys should be extra special, it can be difficult to find the perfect design. Here are some of our favourite toy packaging ideas to inspire you.

Robot Food’s Robot Roy Nutcracker

Robot Food’s re-imagining of a traditional nutcracker is a fantastic example of a luxury toy packaging box. Made to send to friends, family and clients, Robot Roy is a real showstopper.

Housed in a matte black box with festive illustrations applied in luxurious, tactile gold foil, Robot Roy is dressed to impress. With gold tissue paper wrapping inside and a small kraft card with room for a handwritten note, Robot Roy is the perfect gift for the whole family to enjoy.

Moschino Barbie and Ken

A limited-edition collector’s item, Mattel’s Barbie and Ken Moschino gift set is straight off the catwalk.

Simple yet effective, the Barbie gift set is a neck and shoulder-style box that opens to reveal a 360-degree view of Barbie and Ken within an acrylic case. The acrylic case is the perfect touch for this collector’s item, keeping the dolls safe and secure whilst still visible when on display.

The outer shell is made from matte black rigid box with multi-coloured MOSCHINO lettering that emulates Moschino’s bold and exciting branding.

Fendi Teddy Bear

Exuding minimalistic elegance, Fendi’s teddy bear packaging is charming in every way. An ivory rigid box with FENDI applied with simplistic teal foil, Fendi’s luxury toy packaging builds excitement for what’s inside.

Plus, with such a simple style that is sure to match almost any decor, customers will likely repurpose this box for further use – what better way to keep your brand at the forefront of your customers’ minds?

Star Wars Lego Imperial Destroyer

A collectable for the grown-up kids among us, Lego’s giant replica of the Imperial Star Destroyer is right on brand. Made from strong and sturdy rigid box packaging, there is no possibility of tiny hands destroying this collector’s item.

With over 4,784 pieces contained within a dark and atmospheric rigid box with an illustration of the Lego ship in space, there’s no denying that Lego’s box is designed to capture the attention of Star Wars fans everywhere.