This study examines never smokers’ responses to three different styles of cigarette packaging: ‘novelty’ (branded packs designed to incorporate unique and distinctive features), ‘regular’ (branded packs with no special design features) and ‘plain’ (a brown pack with a standard shape and opening and all branding removed, aside from brand name). The mean ratings of responses to all three types of packs were negative across all survey items. However, ratings of ‘novelty’ packs, with a distinctive shape, opening style or bright colour, were significantly less negative than the ratings of the ‘regular’ pack on most items and both styles of packaging were rated less negatively than the ‘plain’ pack on all items. For example, the bright pink Pall Mall and tall and narrow Silk Cut Superslims packs were rated higher than a regular blue king size pack (Mayfair) on all survey items. The Marlboro Bright Leaf pack, with its unique ‘Zippo’ style opening was rated higher than Mayfair on most items. General estimating questions for binary outcomes also indicated that positive pack appraisal and receptivity to the pack were more likely with the three ‘novelty’ packs relative to the ‘regular’ Mayfair pack. Positive appraisal was less likely with the plain pack compared with the ‘regular’ pack. For the three distinctive styles, logistic regressions, controlling for factors known to influence youth smoking, showed that susceptibility was associated with positive appraisal and also receptivity. For example, those receptive to the innovative Silk Cut Superslims pack were more than four times as likely to be susceptible to smoking, compared with participants who were not receptive to this pack. For the regular pack, an association was found between positive appraisal and susceptibility but not with receptivity and susceptibility. For the plain pack, no association was found between pack appraisal or receptivity and susceptibility.