From logo to visual stimulus: silent branding in eco-friendly packagings design

Abstract

Visual saturation influences how consumers perceive and process packaging design elements in a context of growing interest and commitment to sustainability and the consumption of certified organic products among young people. The study examines how attention scarcity conditions brands' ability to communicate sustainable attributes and how consumers prioritize visual or textual stimuli according to their informational relevance. Methodologically, a review of the literature on packaging design, visual attention, and brand identity is conducted, allowing the original findings on consumers' visual behavior towards the packaging elements of organic products to be placed within the theoretical framework of attention economics, brand identity, and sustainable design. The results show that attention distribution is not uniform: in organic chocolate, participants paid more attention to textual elements related to certifications and origin, while in milk, attention was focused on graphic resources. This shows that the type of product and the packaging format modulate the processing of sustainable information. It also confirms the symbolic role of packaging as an emotional and rational activator, as well as the effectiveness of silent branding as a credibility strategy in the face of dubious claims. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that eco-packaging, combined with discreet and coherent communication strategies, is key to capturing consumer attention and reinforcing the perceived authenticity of sustainable products.