Five reasons why CGI mock-ups could revolutionise your design and production timelines

CGI packaging mock-up for Lily’s Kitchen

Producing mock-ups is a critical step in the process of bringing new products to market. Mock-ups allow you to test out materials, shapes, designs, and colours, and explore any hangups in the print or production process before you commit. It can also provide early product content for marketing purposes.  

It is a preparatory step, but can also be a slow one. The production of traditional mock-ups can cause huge delays in your lead times, as you wait for materials or production processes to become available. Whilst traditional mock-ups still have a purpose in certain situations, for many, CGI mock-ups can revolutionise this process.  

1… It's quick.  

Whereas there is a certain benefit to working with real materials, such as when trialling a new substrate or printing process, when it’s a tried and trusted method, producing CGI renders for your marketing and pre-production can benefit your speed to market and save you weeks of lead time. And you can capitalise on this time saving again and again – once a framework of your packaging shape and texture has been created, the process of redressing it in a new artwork for new flavours or colourways is incredibly quick.  

2… The quality is excellent. 

We’d all like to believe that printing and production is infallible, but it can take a little time for things on press to reach a quality that you’re happy with. With a photorealistic CGI render, flawless is standard. Imperfections are a thing of the past, and the final result delivered to an exceptionally high standard. And that quality is consistent. You can produce a range of CGI images and know that there will be no variation across the range to lighting, angle, finish – just flawless consistency that will embolden consumer buying habits.  

3… It cuts photography out of the timeline, and the budget. 

One of the main benefits of producing an accurate mock-up is that you can get studio shots taken early in the production process to provide marketing assets for advertising, social media and internal comms. With a CGI render, your mock-up IS the image. You can completely cut photography out of your timeline and budget, as the finished article can be supplied in any image format for a number of marketing applications.  

4… Last minute changes to the design are manageable. 

Had a last-minute change of messaging, or need to add that forgotten recycling logo? Obviously last minute changes are stressful, but with less stages to the production method, making changes up to and even past the deadline is less of a drama. You’re not going to be charged for wasted materials, or fall out with your print team, either. Also, if you then decide to alter the design at a later stage, then alterations can be made with minimal effort.  

5… Think outside the (mocked-up) box. 

CGI renders present a range of exciting opportunities to take your marketing and content to the next level. CGI renders can be placed in lifestyle shots, on multiple backgrounds, even supplied as 360° renders that can be viewed at all angles by the consumer. They can feature cutaways to show internal workings, or show angles that would be impossible to shoot in reality. CGI renders provide unlimited flexibility, ideal for dynamic and exciting marketing and advertising opportunities.