🐠 Tinned Fish as Design Inspo: Three Bold Brands That Helped Fuel the “Sardine Girl” Moment.

Once relegated to the back of the pantry, tinned fish is having a full-blown cultural renaissance—complete with dazzling packaging, viral moments, and a new generation of fans. At the heart of this seafood revival are three standout brands reshaping the conversation: The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine, a whimsical Times Square destination turning canned sardines into collectible art; Fishwife, the direct-to-consumer darling bringing sustainability and millennial flair to smoked salmon and anchovies; and Nice Cans, the cheeky Canadian brand celebrating conservas with bold design and culinary credibility.

These brands aren’t just selling canned fish—they’re rebranding it as stylish, ethical, and crave-worthy. From nostalgic storytelling and immersive retail experiences to social media-savvy packaging that pops off the shelf (and your Instagram feed), they’re proving that seafood can be shelf-stable and sexy.

A Change of Color: Fishwife

During the dark days of the COVID lockdown, Becca Millstein, co-founder of Fishwife, the popular tinned seafood brand, found herself turning to a humble pantry staple: tinned fish.

“It was consistent with our quarantine lifestyle—limiting grocery visits while looking for shelf-stable, satiating, and nutritious foods,” Millstein told Forbes recently. “Only tinned fish and canned beans fit the bill.”

But something was off. Despite the global love for preserved seafood, the U.S. tinned fish aisle was visually and conceptually uninspired. Millstein saw an opportunity to disrupt the category with a fresh take rooted in sustainability, storytelling, and serious flavor.

“The canned fish aisle was all blue, white, green—and fish graphics,” she explains. “We flipped that. We brought in bright pink, red, cobalt, and an irreverent pipe-smoking fishwife. We wanted to stand out by doing the exact opposite.”

With a background in marketing, Millstein chose a bold strategy: direct-to-consumer distribution and a strong social media presence. “My goal was to create the first truly beloved tinned seafood brand by building direct and meaningful relationships with our community.”

Today, Fishwife is stocked in smaller gourmet stores and big outlets such as Costco and Amazon.

Nice Cans: Reimagining Tinned Seafood with Bold Design