1. Yellowbird by Gander 2. Churn by Boredom Kills Creative 3. Wholesome by Universal Favorite 4. Algae Cooking Club by Verena Michelitsch 5. Ripi by Truffl 6. Burger King refresh by Jones Knowles Ritchie 7. Specht Studio × Our Sister T-shirt
Once you see it, you’ll notice it everywhere—grocery store shelves, clothing racks, album covers in your dad’s basement, and even in the Saint Friend wordmark. Gooey Type is quite popular across fashion and CPG for its tactile and retro vibe. This playful style is having quite the mainstream moment in the digital age, but you’ll find its roots in 70s type trends that we can trace back to Art Nouveau. Let’s take a closer look.
In the early 1900s letterforms(9) became rigid and uniform with the rise of the metal and wood printing press. Try as they might to keep things neat and orderly, a natural bit of ink bleeding was unavoidable. This happy accident softened the letters in ways we no longer see with digital printing. Fast forward a bit: technology continued to evolve, and phototypesetting emerged as a faster and more flexible alternative to older methods. Designers found themselves freed from the physical constraints of metal typesetting, allowing letters to touch, overlap, and interact in entirely new ways. And with this freedom came new styles. Hand-drawn, bubble-like shapes(11) were a rebellion against the buttoned-up sans serif International Typographic Style of the ‘50s. The freeform trend was all about creating soft, curved shapes that captured the playful spirit of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Designers embraced curves, flair, and experimentation, giving way to typography trends such as playful display fonts, chunky serif types, and futuristic styles. We can spot this in typefaces like Gary(10)—a popular typeface in the and ‘70s—which carrys an organic and flowy feel inspired by Art Nouveau(8).
As we move into a nearly completely digital world, some designers crave the magic of an analog process and nostalgic branding. We see '70s-inspired type with soft, rounded edges, especially in organic CPG brands, because this type references hippie culture, which celebrated the natural world and the wisdom of natural remedies and ancient healing. While it can feel overdone in certain spaces, we love the tactile feeling this type brings and find it to be an excellent way to balance a brand that's bordering on being too vectorized.
What do you think? Do you love all things gooey, or would you leave it behind?
