The Culture Swap

Culture, defined by cultural psychologist Hazel Markus, operates in a cycle including the ideas, institutions, and interactions that guide individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and actions. Culture shapes us in both explicit and implicit ways, guiding institutions to individuals in how they shape their lives. The exchange between East and West has contributed to a sharing of ideas, styles, trends and influences, both adding to positive and negative factors.

Specifically, Japanese packaging is a strong example of the nuanced positives and negative effects of an East-West cultural exchange.

Take the example of packaging for juice boxes. Previously, Western audiences adopted more of a minimalist packaging style, looking to convey the value of the product through their logo and simple imagery. In contrast, Japanese packaging styles, such as the juice box below, adopt a more vibrant packaging style.

Japanese vs American Orange Juice packaging.

You can see that the American packaging on the right may be influenced by the more vibrant style conveyed in the Japanese packaging, mirroring a broader shift in style in American consumerism. This may be driven by the exchange of Japanese packaging style to American brands. This is less so an example of appropriation and more of a shift to ever-changing global styles, in which an interconnected world influences each other to deliver the best product experience.