Our approach to identity and packaging stems from the relationships and identities of families. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, cousins, grandparents, may have similarities but they are not identical. The same should happen on the shelf - they should fit together, but not be clones.
As seen by the background images, it helps to be able to do research first-hand: a road trip from Milan to Nice, up through Provence, and up into the Alps, and allowing for the requisite photos that many designers take, shooting vernacular signage, landscapes, architecture, and understanding authentic color palettes. It's one thing to open up a reference book, it is quite another to open a door to a local sweet shop and do the best kind of research.