It used to be that when I ordered fast food, I received what I wanted (hopefully) in a rather plain paper bag with little more than the franchise’s logo. Today though, it seems the formerly quiet bag is talking back to us. Witty and humorous, the packaging lends itself to possessing its own unique personality.

One such company, Burger King, even encourages user interaction with their “Most Valuable Bag” campaign which claims that the “twelfth man” in football is the one that leads a team to victory through cheer, and that is the reason why there is a “12″ on the bottom of the bag. This encourages the consumer to investigate the manufacturing/inspection number on the bottom of the bag to verify if what the bag claims is true, an action that would normally not happen without the prompt of the graphic design.

Other companies are taking cues from the success of the personified package and are applying it to their own products. Brooklyn Fare, a gourmet food store, is becoming well known for its cheeky graphic design with phrases such as “It’s a small, not a tall.” and “It’s a medium, not a grande” emblazoned on the sides of their drinks obviously poke fun at the rather illogical sizing of Starbuck’s beverages.

So what can we learn from this? Perhaps it is to not take ourselves too seriously, to add some unexpected humor to our daily lives, to interact with inanimate objects, or perhaps even to use a pooping goldfish as an advertisement for your graphic design business. It is these kinds of playful interactions that leave a customer feeling closer and more loyal to a company and more likely to share with their friends and family, which ultimately means more business for you.

So how are you going to get that conversation started? What works with your brand is the first step to making an impression… the next is up to you.