We all remember it: being kids at Christmas, staring at a pile of brightly wrapped presents under the tree, trying to guess what was hidden inside while waiting for midnight to finally tear the paper off.
That feeling — the anticipation, the curiosity, the emotion — is exactly what great packaging is all about.
Laura Ioppolo, Head of Sales and Communications at Cartotecnica Natoli, the family-run company founded by Mr Natoli and active in the industry for over 30 years, talks us through the evolving world of packaging during the festive season — and why today, packaging is no longer just wrapping, but part of the entire brand experience.
Packaging is communication. How has gift packaging evolved over the years, and why has it become such a strategic branding tool today?
«The biggest change over the last few years has definitely been materials. More and more companies are moving away from plastic and choosing paper instead. Partly because of sustainability, obviously, but also because brands want to show customers they genuinely care about environmental responsibility. Plastic still has its place in some situations, but whenever paper can replace it, it works beautifully — it gives structure, elegance and protects the product properly too.
Today packaging is basically the first conversation a brand has with the customer. It’s a visual identity piece. Through shapes, colours, textures and formats, packaging tells people exactly who you are before they’ve even opened the box. Food packaging is probably the sector where custom solutions are most in demand. We often develop fully bespoke projects, especially for large-scale retail, where packaging also plays a huge role in preserving and presenting the product properly».
Christmas packaging also comes with a huge emotional element. What makes festive packaging genuinely memorable?
«At Christmas, packaging has one job: it has to make people feel something. It’s about atmosphere, warmth, tradition, memories. Not just aesthetics. Take a panettone for example — people buy it with their eyes long before they taste it. The colours, the graphics, the wording on the packaging… everything has to trigger emotion and bring back memories, scents and family moments.
The best packaging doesn’t just contain the product — it builds the experience before the first bite».
Cartotecnica Natoli supports clients from pre-press all the way through to delivery. What does the creative process behind bespoke packaging actually look like?
«It always starts with listening. We look at the product itself, quantities, distribution channels and the client’s visual identity and practical needs. What’s changed massively today is technology. We can now produce even small runs, which gives brands incredible flexibility. It means we can customise not just the graphics, but also the structure, shape and quantity itself.
Every project ends up becoming something unique, built around the brand rather than forcing the brand into a standard format».
Your Christmas catalogue includes panettone and pandoro boxes, bottle gift packs and fully customisable packaging. Which products are clients asking for most?
«This year we introduced eight new stock print designs, including a half-kilo panettone box — which is still a pretty unusual format on the market. But the real Christmas hero is still the classic panettone box. Clients love customising everything: colours, graphics, lid styles, ribbons, finishes. Because the truth is, the right packaging instantly elevates the product. It turns it into something people want before they’ve even tasted it».
Once Christmas is over, what will you be bringing to RHS 2026?
«Easter, definitely. Festive seasons are huge for us, but throughout the rest of the year we also work heavily on food packaging: chocolate bar sleeves, praline boxes, confectionery packaging, countertop displays and floor-standing retail displays.
What really defines us is that we’ve kept a strong artisan approach. That allows us to go beyond the limitations of mass industrial production and create genuinely tailored solutions. Display units especially have become incredibly important because they help brands make an impact instantly and give retail spaces a much stronger visual identity».
