The unexpected link between packaging design and the hit show, Billions.

Billions explores the dark world of Axe Capital – a hedge fund firm owned and run by billionaire Bobby Axelrod, who plays the system and manipulates all parties involved to tilt the markets in his favour. What is strikingly obvious from the show, is just how savvy Axelrod needs to be, in terms of global and local current affairs, to be able to predict their effect on the stock market once they reach the public. For packaging agencies, staying plugged in to current events, both locally and globally, allows us to keep our designs future-fit by ensuring that we are mindful of potentialities that could land up impacting our clients, their products, and their brands.

Consumed by the consumer:

One of the most hard-hitting aspects of Billions is the inevitable realisation that it’s quite easy for ‘Axe’ to exploit (and hence control) consumer behaviour to an extent, through the fund’s trades. Their decisions affect share prices, market perception, brand loyalty etc. all deliberately orchestrated to the benefit of Axe Capital.

While not as sinister as what Billions portrays, impactful packaging design holds a similar power over consumer behaviour. Both Just Design and Axe Capital’s success hinges on their ability to reduce client risk and ensure ROI. This means that every aspect of a design is deliberately chosen to attract, engage and convince consumers to purchase. But to get that right, you have to understand your consumer intimately and what drives their purchasing decisions.

At Just Design, the consumer is at the centre of everything we do. With tools like Upsiide, a cutting-edge consumer testing platform, we can consult consumers, at any stage in the project, to validate design decisions. Apart from the time- and cost-saving benefits, the iterative testing methodology results in designs that have already been optimised, based on direct consumer feedback. This not only streamlines the creative process through fewer reverts, but it also reduces the inevitable risk involved in launching new products. Perhaps the biggest ‘upside’ is that the results are predictive of the product’s in-market performance. We can prove that it works, with the people that matter most, and long before it hits the shelves.

Trust + Credibility = Billions:

Much like the characters at Axe Capital, we also operate in a fiercely competitive environment. If we hope to stay in the game, we need to be a few steps ahead - not only in relation to other creative agencies, but also within the broader consumer goods landscape.

Neitherhedge funds nor packaging design agencies would exist without the trust from their investor / client relationships. And this trust can only be earned through demonstrating the results that are promised. A credible packaging agency must be truly in touch with the world around them. They understand the intricacies of their clients’ businesses’ and can therefore prove themselves to be invaluable partners who can pre-empt and then either circumvent, or take advantage of, any situation.

If a deal goes further south than Antarctica, the responsible hedge fund could find itself dead in the water. Similarly, in our world, your work is your worth. If it fails in market, you may as well close shop.

Ultimately, whether it is hedge funds or packaging agencies, we are all driven by a desire to be the best. For Just Design that means outfoxing our competition, using our powers of persuasion for good and, most importantly, making sure that we use all the tools at our disposal to keep clients and consumers dazzled. It is far from an easy task, but Bobby Axelrod didn’t make his billions by choosing the easy road.