The product may differ but the brands all have one thing in common: Instagram-worthy packaging. Think bright colours and sans serif fonts. Many boast some sort of wellness claim or cutesy illustration. “It’s Andy Warhol’s biggest dream coming true,” Hernández says. “It’s making something very mundane have external signalling in the same way luxury fashion does.” “People keep them. Or they reuse them. They make a great plant pot,” says Clare Scott Dryden, the UK distributor for Bonilla a la Vista, who describes their tins as “iconic”. This “cannification” trend has been accelerated by a combination of factors. The pandemic saw pubs close and consumers wanting to expand their at-home drinking options. When socially distanced meet-ups were allowed, popping a can into your pocket rather than lugging a bottle was not only more convenient but often seemed safer, with everyone assigned their own individual drink. Plus, there’s the claim that cans are better for the environment, with aluminium endlessly recyclable compared to plastic and even glass. However, rather than brands changing consumer behaviour, much of the trend can be pegged to consumers changing their perceptions of brands. Last year when Ali Hooke, a former professional chef posted about her “tinned fish date night” on TikTok, the most curious thing happened: tinned fish became aspirational with sales of sardine and salmon from heritage brands soaring. Where fish led, beans followed: US brand HeyDay, which sells harissa lemon chickpeas and tomato alla vodka cannellini beans in illustrative packaging has been credited with “reimagining” canned beans “for a new generation of consumers”. |