Fresh Thinking Paper Ideas – May 2026

From McDonald’s packaging that encourages emotional discussion to a pop-up typography book, we share the latest innovation in print, paper and packaging. 

Drawing Out The Emotion

McDonald’s has transformed its iconic Happy Meal box into a mental health tool for children. The fast-food giant has temporarily replaced the familiar red packaging with completely blank white boxes, inviting children to draw and express their feelings through art.

Launched in partnership with BBC Children in Need, the ‘Draw How You Feel’ campaign follows research revealing that 42% of children aged 5-10 struggle to discuss emotions with  adults but 73% find it easier when drawing. As for parents, 88% report that creative activities facilitate better conversations with their kids.

“Art and creativity can help to give children an outlet when words aren’t enough,” said Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive Officer at BBC Children in Need. “We are thrilled to support this campaign which turns a simple Happy Meal box into a fun, family-friendly tool for expression and connection.”

What’s Your Type?

One area in which paper is irreplaceable is pop-up books. The joy of turning the page and bringing a 2D image to life is one of life’s great pleasures. Now, the pop-up treatment has been given to the subject of typography with the delightful Alphabet in Motion book by designer Kelli Anderson.

Taking over five years to develop, the book features an interactive cover, 17 pop-ups and a wide variety of hands-on activities that provide a fascinating demonstration of how type styles have evolved through the ages. The book’s tactile interactivity allows readers to physically manipulate letters, from projecting light through a phototypesetting device to reconfiguring modular alphabet pieces.

Anderson researched the book by combing through collections at museums and historical organisations such as the St Bride Foundation Library in London, before spending thousands of hours experimenting with different cut paper pop-up mechanisms. The result is a stunning insight into the world of typography for both adults and children.

“I hope that some people buy it for their kids thinking it’s just an A-Z pop-up book and enjoy it on that level,” said Anderson. “Then stick it back on the shelf and have their kid open it up in 12 years’ time and realise that design and typography are interesting and tie in with the larger world and culture.”

Child’s Play

Packaging company DS Smith has partnered with Dutch toy maker Fantasy Forts to create an entirely recyclable construction play system that transforms cardboard shapes into castles and houses.

The collaboration showcases the technical wizardry of packaging companies, with DS Smith’s designers refining every detail from folding structures, die-cutting and a clever clicksystem that allows panels to integrate with furniture indoors or withstand the elements outside. The result is a series of play kits that are highly inventive yet remarkably durable, standing up to countless creative reinventions.

As well as being creative, the cardboard kits are 100% recyclable and eliminate corrugated plastic components while minimizing material volume. “The concept seemed simple, but the technical execution required a lot of thought,” said Marco van den Berg, the founder of Fantasy Forts.

Kitchen Confidential

Australian kitchenware retailer Kitchen Warehouse turned up the heat for Black Friday by distributing thousands of special sheets of baking paper that reveal discount codes when placed in a hot oven. Given out at the brand’s stores and included in online orders as part of the brand’s Bake Friday campaign, the sheets contain heat activated ink that disappears at 100ºC to reveal discount codes printed underneath.

The activation turns the activity of receiving promotional codes into an interactive and memorable experience. Rather than instant gratification through a digital click, customers must engage with the paper in the place where Kitchen Warehouse products are used. By transforming a simple household task into a warm, domestic brand experience, the company makes its biggest sales moment feel completely personal.

Letters To The Departed

A Buddhist temple in Tokyo has created a dedicated space for people to write letters to loved ones who have passed away. Shodaiji Temple’s Tegamidera Hamacho (or ‘Letter Temple’) service offers people access to a quiet space with a serene view to compose their letter, which is later ceremonially burned by monks, with the writers receiving certificates documenting the ritual plus a reassuring note from the head priest.

The concept builds on Tegamidera, an initiative the temple established in 2016 to help people process loss through written reflection. Since opening its first dedicated letter-writing lounge in 2017, the temple has facilitated the burning of more than 10,000 letters. The service taps into a general human desire to process not just grief, but regrets, relationship problems and emotional overload.

“When you feel anxious, when you don’t know what to do, when you can’t proceed with confidence on your own,” says the temple’s website. “Take a break from your daily routine for a little while, write a letter and think deeply about that person.”

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