Storytelling with labels

Storytelling in the label industry

Visual storytelling has been a growing trend within the label industry for several years. Storytelling in itself is not new, of course: people have been using stories to explain complex ideas or convey abstract concepts for millennia. Precisely because this cultural practice has persisted for so long, it is worth exploring why storytelling through labels is so special.

What is visual storytelling?

Visual storytelling is the practice of communicating through images, an approach that has proven to be particularly effective. Used in many fields, from advertising and marketing to PR and corporate communications, it shows that storytelling is not just a trend, but a solid cultural practice. The world of labels has also fully embraced this method, and by now this is no secret. At unieketiket.nl, we see that labels are increasingly being used to tell small, engaging stories that create a direct connection with consumers.

Historical and literary references

The label presented in this article, “Infinitum Effugere,” was designed entirely by us as part of an imaginary concept. It won third place in the “Label Printer of the Year” category at the Druck & Medien Awards in Berlin in 2022. The design tells the story of a young couple on the run, where light and dark, the known and the unknown, are central to the narrative.

“In the mist of darkness, a young couple moves from the light into the unknown. They have no idea that they are passing through an invisible door, a threshold from which there is no turning back. From that moment, their world becomes darker and more chaotic. The edge of the label takes on a unique shape, the left-hand side transforming into a dark, mysterious forest, with the only sources of light being the golden fireflies and the Latin, embossed text from De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things) by the Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius.”

Emir Ramic, label designer

The word Infinitum, meaning “infinity,” is done in gold hot foil embossing, while effugere, meaning “flight,” is directly below it in black hot foil. These techniques directly reflect the story of the label. Through the figures, landscapes and carefully selected details, the label creates its own world, leaving room for interpretation. Upon closer inspection, several questions arise: what are the couple fleeing from? Where did they come from and where are they going? To answer this, one can rely not only on the perspective of the designer, but also on the references to literature and art.

• The couple depicted on the label is taken from Pierre Auguste Cot’s French painting The Storm (Le Tempête), completed in 1880. It is believed that the artist was inspired by Bernardin de Saint-Pierre’s French novel Paul et Virginie, in which the two main characters take shelter from a sudden downpour and use the female protagonist’s outer garment as an improvised umbrella. The ancient Greek love novel Daphnis and Chloe by Longus may also have influenced the painting (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a).
• The section with the castle and aqueduct comes from the French painting Soir: Landscape with Aqueduct by Théodore Géricault, made in 1818. Géricault visited Italy between 1816 and 1817 and later made renderings of Italian ruins in Paris based on these experiences (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, b).

“There are many more details to discover, but each viewer is encouraged to explore and interpret them for themselves. We hope the label sparks engaging conversations. It can be seen as an ode to the artists of past eras, whose work should not only be found in museums but accessible everywhere, for everyone.”

Emir Ramic, label designer

There are questions we prefer to leave unanswered, allowing the viewer to complete the image with their own ideas. Missing information or intentional omissions allow everyone to complete the images in their own way. The label evokes countless associations and memories, fully involving the viewer in the world it depicts.

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The strengths of storytelling, simply explained

Why is this label and its associated storytelling so effective? To understand this, let’s take a closer look at visual storytelling.

1. Tension: A good story usually has a starting point, a problem and a solution. On the label, tension is created by open-ended questions, emotional conflicts and selective information. The viewer becomes curious and wants to discover how the story develops.
2. Associations: Whether myths, historical events or familiar stereotypes, what we recognize on a label makes us pause and think. At the same time, it probably evokes memories and emotions, making it more likely that people will become involved with the content of the label.
3. Emotions: Heroes, lovers and villains. When we identify with the characters of a story, we experience it emotionally. What touches us affects our way of thinking and we naturally want to share it. This causes the narrative to stick in the memory.

Storytelling can influence human behavior, convey knowledge and entertain (Radü, 2019, 79). Therefore, it is a particularly powerful tool when applied to labels. Labels with storytelling elements attract attention, give a brand life and remain memorable.

Labels, storytelling and QR code

When QR codes are scanned with a smartphone, they provide access to online content such as images, videos or interactive experiences. Thanks to digital printing, QR codes can be added to your labels on uniqueetiket.co.uk quickly and affordably. In this way, the story does not stop at the label, but continues online, where the possibilities are virtually unlimited. Visual storytelling on labels can thus turn into a truly multimodal experience.

As a modern online printing company, we always keep up to date with trends and innovations, and we are happy to help you with inspiration and advice. Do you have any questions? Call us at +31 30 808 05 97 or email info@unieketiket.nl.

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Sources

Radü, J. (2019). New Digital Storytelling: Anspruch, Nutzung und Qualität von Multimedia-Geschichten. Nomos. https://doi.org/10.5771/9783845299273-25

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (a). The Storm. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435997

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (b). Evening: Landscape with an Aqueduct. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436455

Wikipedia. (2026, 2 February). Storytelling (method). Retrieved 18 March 2026, from https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storytelling_(Methode)