ILFORD

Found this image on ManyStuff, in a post about an exhibition of works by the Design Research Unit at the International Project Space in Birmingham. What interests me is how current the packaging looks. Either the mid-century trend is totally maxed out, or the Ilford packaging from 1946 is a classic. My vote is for classic.
Recently in a discussion with designer Christian Küsters, he brought up the point that design doesn't always have to be classic -- that one should be able to look at something and know exactly what era it's from. That idea definitely takes the pressure off of trying to make design 'timeless' all the time. Because really, is something actually timeless, or is it just so neutral that it never goes out of style?