Gold: glorious or gaudy?

They say that ”wealth whispers”, yet a wave of recent designs have begun to prominently feature gold!

Take Tom Holland’s non-alcoholic beer, BERO : gold is paired with heritage green and oxblood red alongside a fish crest (a nod to Kingston Upon Thames, his hometown) for a traditional look. This marks a distinctive departure from the visual language of other non-alcoholic craft beer brands, which often favour whacky characters or bright colours – à la Beavertown Brewery - or the pale blues and silvers of BrewDog .

Then we have Leone 1857 's recent redesign, which incorporates gold lettering and detailing against the background of pastel patterns. The outcome? A modern twist on a vintage sweet shop.

But is this resurgence of gold glorious or gaudy? And when does it tip into the latter?

The Mob Wife trend graced our TikTok streams earlier this year as a backlash to the pared-back, minimalistic ‘clean girl’ aesthetic. It brought with it a sharp increase in searches for leopard print coats, red leather and gold jewels. Brands like Too Faced have long adopted this glitzy gold aesthetic with aplomb. Hot pinks, blacks and purples adorn their packaging, evoking a sense of high-impact glamour.

The term "gaudy" is often misunderstood. For many, it is synonymous with cheap or tasteless style—attributes brands aim to distance themselves from, especially in the premium sector. Some might argue that elements like leopard print or high saturation colours push gold into gaud.

However, as we have seen this year, there is a desire to reclaim ‘gaudy’ taste. Whilst TikTok trends might have moved on, animal prints and the ‘more is more’ approach are likely to endure into 2025 if recent catwalks are anything to go by! This unabashedly bold aesthetic mirrors a wider movement to broadcast your personality through purchase, and follows in the footsteps of other trends like ‘dopamine dressing’ and ‘colour drenching’.

Against the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis, this overt maximalism could also be interpreted as an increasing desire to clearly signal the tangible impact of spending and choosing things which bring joy. In a sea of greige, browns and quiet luxury – we welcome the bold vision of brands who are daring to be different!

So, whilst we might instinctively define "gaudy" as tasteless, let’s consider an alternative definition: gaudy as flamboyant, bold, and joyful, and encourage the expression of individual style!

How do you think this will affect pack and brand expression, going into 2025?