🐠 What’s With All the Fish? Why “Sardine Chic” and Other Aquatic Aesthetics Are Making Waves in Branding
Move over minimalism, this Summer we are embracing the fishier side of design. From sardine tins turned style icons to whimsical octopus branding and dolphin-core product drops, the design world is swimming in marine symbolism. Whether it’s cheeky nostalgia, Mediterranean mood-boarding, or ironic surrealism, "sardine chic" and its aquatic cousins have officially entered the branding zeitgeist.
Small but mighty. Retro but modern. Sardine chic is ironic elegance for the editorial age.
Sardines are having a main character moment - and your brand should absolutely be paying attention. From ironic packaging to cheeky metaphors, fish are making waves in the branding and design world.
In this post, we’ll break down:
Why sardine chic is everywhere
What “fishcore” even means
Which fishy archetype best matches your founder persona
And how to use it all in your marketing (even if you sell skincare, candles, or coaching ~ not seafood)
🐟 Why Sardine Chic Is So Hot Right Now
Sardine Chic is everywhere!
What started as a niche aesthetic is now everywhere: sardine-themed candles, vintage tin-style packaging, fishy earrings, and sardine ice cream photo shoots are flooding your favorite feeds. Here's why:
✅ 1. Retro Packaging With Modern Irony
Sardines come in iconic packaging: graphic fonts, shiny tins, and punchy colors. Designers are reimagining them as mini objets d’art. It’s nostalgic, ironic, and utterly clickable.
✅ 2. Euro Summer in a Tin
Sardines channel coastal Mediterranean glamour: think Cinque Terre cafés, chilled rosé, and breezy linen. It’s aspirational yet attainable, and brands are using it to transport customers instantly.
✅ 3. Tiny But Mighty
Sardines are the underdog hero of seafood. Small, flavorful, sustainable, they’re a metaphor for brands that do more with less. Who doesn’t want to be “the cult sardine tin of your industry”?
✅ 4. The New Language of Visual Humor
Sardines are funny. But cool-funny. They say: “I’m smart, a little ironic, and you’re lucky to be in on the joke.” That’s gold in today’s meme-driven brand landscape.
🐠 It’s Not Just Sardines… Meet the Other Fish in the Branding Sea
While sardines are the star, they’re just one of the iconic fish making waves in design and marketing. Here’s your guide to “Fishcore” branding personas: playful, symbolic, and emotionally resonant.
🐙 The Octopus – Creative Chaos in Control
Multitasking founder energy. Always scheming. Visuals are tactile, surreal, and brainy.
🦈 The Shark – Bold, Branded, Unbothered
Powerful. Sleek. Gets featured in Forbes and sends follow-up emails without shame.
🐬 The Dolphin – Wellness Meets Strategy
Spiritual but spreadsheet-savvy. Gives luxury retreat energy with founder-led storytelling.
🐡 The Pufferfish – Soft But Spiky
The surprise launch queen. Your aesthetic is colorful emotionality meets explosive talent.
🐳 The Whale – Slow Growth, Deep Impact
You believe in brand longevity, legacy, and thoughtful visibility. (You're the Patagonia of your niche.)
🎭 Which Fish Fits Your Persona?
The fish are no longer just in the sea: they’re on your feed, in your packaging, and woven into the visual language of forward-thinking brands. From sardine tins to octopus arms, the aquatic aesthetic taps into humor, heritage, and high style.
So... 🐟 Which fish are you? Like a horoscope or zodiac sign, iconic fish all have PR types - here are some of our favorites.
🐚 How to Use This Trend in Your Marketing
You don’t need to sell fish to surf the fishcore wave. Here are ways to integrate this aesthetic into your brand, no matter your industry:
Play With Packaging
Use the sardine tin as a visual metaphor: compact, cheeky, collectible.
Product boxes styled like illustrated tins (think: bold borders, metallic embossing, or pull-tab shapes).
Stickers or wrap labels with retro maritime illustrations, faux price tags, or playful "packed fresh" stamps.
Lean Into Nautical Nostalgia
It’s less fisherman’s wharf, more Côte d’Azur glam gone kitsch.
Integrate Mediterranean colorways: seafoam, mustard, coral, navy.
Add nautical typography like serif fonts mimicking vintage imports.
Use textures like brushed tin, linen stripes, or oil-paint effects.
Social Content With a Salty Edge
Get ironic, get irreverent, get meme-y.
“Limited Edition Like a Tin of Sardines” to use for product drops.
Photo carousels with sardine tin art, retro seaside postcards, or moody anchovy still-lifes.
Use captions like: “Packed tight, tastes right,” or “All that glam, in one tin.”
Cheeky Copywriting & Merch
Perfect for lifestyle brands that don’t take themselves too seriously.
Candle brand? Call one “Siren in a Tin” or “Packed with Drama.”
T-shirt drop? Try “Oiled & Spoiled” or “Straight Outta the Tin.”
Make sardine-inspired temporary tattoos, matchbooks, pins, or metallic zipper pouches.
Pop Culture + Sardine Collabs
Play with the metaphor: sardines = tight spaces, high style, mystery, Euro summer.
Host an IG reel titled “Sardine Chic Starter Pack” with velvet chokers, metallic bags, and linen sets.
Tie in retro coastal beauty (red lips, messy buns, sunburnt cheeks) for a sardine-core photoshoot.
Create an Inside Joke for Your Community
Make sardine chic your secret handshake.
Start a recurring content series: “What’s in the tin this week?”
Use sardine emojis 🐟 in your email footer or as a surprise in your packaging tissue.
Create a ‘Fishy Business’ club or product line only true fans will get.
🎣 Bottom Line:
You don’t need anchovies in your SKU list to swim in sardine chic. This trend is all about compact glamor, vintage irony, and cheeky constraint. It’s Bella Hadid in a headscarf eating canned mackerel on a yacht, not actual seafood.
Brands that are taking Fishcore to New Levels:
🐟 Fashion & Accessories: Riding the Sardine Wave
Staud: Their Staudines collection is a sardine lover's dream. Think beaded handbags adorned with sardine motifs, like the Staudines Tommy Bag, and linen dresses printed with playful fish designs. It's coastal grandma meets downtown cool.
Lisa Says Gah: Known for their quirky takes, they've introduced anchovy earrings that are both kitschy and chic. Perfect for those who want to wear their love for the sea on their ears.
Farm Rio x Anthropologie: This collaboration brings oversized graphic tees featuring sardine prints, blending Brazilian vibrancy with sardine whimsy.
🏠 Home Decor: Sardines in the Living Room
Anthropologie: Beyond fashion, they've embraced sardine chic in home decor. From sardine tin monogram necklaces to fish-shaped top-handle bags, they're bringing the sea indoors.
Urban Outfitters: Their sardine tin plush tufted bath mat is making waves in bathrooms, adding a touch of maritime humor to daily routines.
Tinned Candle: This brand offers candles housed in actual sardine tins, blending olfactory delight with visual pun. Their smoked rose water scent is a nod to coastal nostalgia. Home & Texture
🎨 Packaging & Branding: Sardines as Design Muses
Bela: An OG in the tinned fish game, Bela has revamped its packaging to align with the sardine chic trend. Their bold, illustrated tins are a testament to the timeless appeal of good design.
Addison’s: This modern sardine brand combines vintage aesthetics with contemporary design, making their tins as desirable as their contents.
Nice Cans: A fun design that translates into a fresh take on canned fish.
FishWife: The prettiest canned fish you’ll ever see.
LookUp: Digital Detox Box featuring Sardine Can Design
