Branding

There seems to be a little bit of a buzz around ketones at the moment.

For those that don’t know, this is an alcohol alternative, which promises ‘all the buzz but without the booze’.

Ketones are a type of alcohol that are metabolised in a completely different way in the body. As it lacks ethanol (as you would find in alcoholic drinks), it allegedly breaks down into a less toxic by product, providing the kick from an alcoholic drink, but without the subsequent hangover!

Quite a promise!

With new sectors comes the requirement for a new level of consumer education. If you are creating a whole new category, then there is a great opportunity to create a whole new set of rules.

This story is a lot to try and get across on the pack as per the example below, its executed more like a hard seltzer product. Therefore, it’s always going to look ‘alcoholic’.

I wonder if this would’ve been better approached creating a slightly less aggressive tone of voice in order to communicate its apparently less aggressive outcome!

What do you all think?

#PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #BrandDesign, #Innovation

It’s the wrong way round!

We’ve had a few projects recently where we have questioned the orientation of packs with the client.

Often, packs which are better suited to being landscape, are merchandised vertically (as in the examples attached), so they fit into SRP’s at the fixture.

This isn’t always the best orientation however, as by having tall, slim packs, you have very narrow canvas to create large branding areas.

Often, it’s better to flip these round, like on the confectionery fixture to have more of a landscape orientation and get the brand logo, bigger.

What you may lose out on in facings, you will often increase in standout.

#PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #BrandDesign, #Marketing

Escher, was famed for his ‘mindbendingly’, bizarre 3-D puzzle illustrations that made no sense.

Interestingly, that’s who I thought of when I saw the packaging design for this new product launch from Toblerone.

The famous triangle has been morphed into a ‘wonky pyramid’ in order to create the pack, architecture and mimic the product.

Also the brand logo has been cropped and intersected.

It caught my eye, that’s for sure, but I can’t quite work out whether something feels uncomfortable with the layout or if that’s the whole point.

Toblerone chocolate will no longer feature the Matterhorn mountain peak on its packaging due to marketing restrictions relating to the use of Swiss iconography. Therefore, the need to protect the integrity of the triangle should be paramount for the brand.

I wonder whether the triangle can adapt into a ‘wonky pyramid’ and if so if this is recognisable enough to influence the pack architecture at all?

What do you guys think?

#PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #BrandDesign, #Innovation

Brands situated at the impulse fixture, by the tills have a lot of hard work to do.

At this point shoppers, have normally filled the trolleys with everything they need so you’ve got some convincing to do to persuade them that their shop is not yet complete!

The first challenge here is grabbing shoppers attention as they bury their heads in their phones whilst queuing to pay.

I love this example from Graze, which is simplicity personified. The packs feature only a large logotype, a combination of two colours and a simple window through to the product. Punchy and impactful. In fact you can see the difference it makes next to one of their older packs in the shot (which I’ve only just realised was there!)

Introducing taste appeal, and a reason to believe with such a stripped back delivery is always a challenge, but this combination of informality and natural taste appeal (through colour combos and logotype) has been executed perfectly.

It’s not how much you have to say, but often saying a little, well, that makes you more impactful.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Marketing

Summer often sees an increase in the amount of on-pack promotions.

One theme I’ve noticed with these this year is a significant increase in overall portion of the pack being used for these promotions

Whilst they clearly work from a consumer engagement point of view (everybody loves a freebie!) they are often detrimental to the brand itself.

Just to expand on this, it vastly reduces the amount of branding area on the pack and creates a scenario where all pack elements have equal weighting as opposed to a clear hierarchy.

Take this example from Home Pride were they are offering tickets for Matilda.

Many of the core brand assets have been squished into half of the pack whilst the promotion takes over the remaining half.

This has a huge impact on the overall pack architecture as we now have many elements competing for attention.

Promotions have always been a part of pack design but they should never overtake or be more impactful than the brand.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Advertising

Summer often sees an increase in the amount of on-pack promotions.

One theme I’ve noticed with these this year is a significant increase in overall portion of the pack being used for these promotions

Whilst they clearly work from a consumer engagement point of view (everybody loves a freebie!) they are often detrimental to the brand itself.

Just to expand on this, it vastly reduces the amount of branding area on the pack and creates a scenario where all pack elements have equal weighting as opposed to a clear hierarchy.

Take this example from Home Pride were they are offering tickets for Matilda.

Many of the core brand assets have been squished into half of the pack whilst the promotion takes over the remaining half.

This has a huge impact on the overall pack architecture as we now have many elements competing for attention.

Promotions have always been a part of pack design but they should never overtake or be more impactful than the brand.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Advertising

You can’t rely on bright colour alone for shelf stand out.

I’ve had a couple of conversations with clients over the last week regards how colour is best utilised on packaging.

Sure, a bright colour will give you stand out at fixture but it’s not the only weapon in the arsenal.

Once you catch a consumers attention, you’ve then got to entice them in and tell the story. If it was only about bright colours you’d have premium whiskeys in fluorescent greens and pinks and clearly you don’t. There’s a good reason behind that.

The choice of colour also has to tell a credible and relevant story for the brand. It needs to work as part of the design system. Part of the story telling.

Relying only on a bright colour is a trap that many brands fall into, take this great example from Cherry Blossom shoe care. Sure, the wall of red is eye-catching, but there is nothing within the brand communication that tells an emotive story that connects with the consumer beyond that. The copy is utilitarian, and the overall look anaesthetic is dated and functional.

Having a credible story goes a long way, it’s a reason for your consumer is to believe why you are the right product choice. It’s the brands opportunity to showcase how it adds a value.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Marketing

Beauty drinks are a huge trend in Thailand.

Functional drinks with added vitamins, collagen or chlorophyll don’t promise to work wonders on the inside but on the outside.

They borrow much more from the world of personal care than from their refreshing counterparts.

It seems to be a deep, rooted cultural thing, because in Thailand, the more beautiful, you are the more successful you appear to be.

This is something I’ll cover a little deeper with my next post tomorrow, but safe to say based on the demand of a market which places great importance on beauty, these type of products will continue to be a key part of the Drinks fixture.

#PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Innovation, #Beauty

Here is a fascinating innovation from the world of confectionery.

As any parent will know, it’s tricky to get the kids off sweets and chocolate over the summer holiday, so it was great to see this innovation in the confectionery aisle in Thailand.

The pack consists of a thin sheet of roasted seaweed laced with chilli (other flavours are available).

The pack instantly caught my eye with a character, hurriedly stuffing, a whole sheet into their mouth!

The punchy colours and large format make it feel like you are getting much more bang for your buck, so even at a tiny 3.5g per pack the kids (or adults) dont feel like they are losing out – a really clever approach!

It retails about 8p per pack. The thinness of the format means that SRP’s can be filled to the brim and the pack commands a huge amount of real estate, because of the profile.

In a world where we are trying to limit the amount of sugar intake in kids, this innovative product can only be celebrated.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Innovation

For me, one of the most exciting things about going to far-flung places is sampling the delights of new food.

That said, it’s not the same for everyone. Some people prefer familiarity and a taste from back home.

Whilst I appreciate some foods could be a bit challenging for all pallets you can’t help, but think consumers are missing out on the local delicacies if they revert to what they normally eat every day.

Have a look at this example from a Thai supermarket, obviously aimed at toasted sandwich. Loving Brits, who are missing their beloved ham and cheese toastie!

One thing that is really important if you’re trying to ‘replicate’ snacks is making sure that the reassurance box is ticked, whilst these packs are obviously aimed at people with slightly less adventurous pallets, the lack of a good food shot doesn’t really lead it self to appetite appeal.

That taste of home will only be satisfied, if it looks like the real thing you left back home.

#BrandDesign, #PackagingDesign, #Packaging, #Marketing