packaging Archives

Spuds – New packaging promises to stop potatoes going green…

Did you know we throw away £230 million worth of spuds a year?

Sainsbury’s will soon be releasing new packaging for spuds, to stop them going green.

Being the most commonly wasted vegetable, it keeps them fresher for longer – so you can enjoy those roasties we all crave on a Sunday! The packaging will be 100% opaque and breathable to prevent light from reaching the product – the trigger of discolouration.

Jane Skelton, head of packaging for Sainsbury’s said: “Exposure to sunlight means many of our spuds never make it to the table.’

“We’re confident that this will improve the shelf-life of our potatoes and, while the packaging might be opaque, we’re hoping the results will be clear to see!”

Slice’s top tips to stop potatoes from greening:

Keep your spuds in a cool, dark cupboard
Never keep them in the fridge
Alternatively, put your potatoes in a paper bag

Why not give this new packaging a go and let us know your favourite way to cook potatoes – our top 3 in the office are; mash, hasselback and a good old roastie.

Original post courtesy of packaging news and photo from serious eats.

About Slice Design

Based in London UK, Slice Design are a top international creative branding and packaging design agency that have helped consumer brands grow and get noticed since 2004. We like to think of ourselves as a challenger to the large agency. As the name suggests we cut through jargon with our flexible, no nonsense approach and down to earth attitude.

No fancy trademarked processes and no hidden extras. The benefit to yourselves is all the experience but with the flexibility that large packaging design agencies cannot deliver.

From our studio in Hammersmith, London, we work for clients around the world: global and local, big household names and small startups, challengers and leaders. Whether a big brand re-design, NPD launch or simple packaging updates. We’re proud to remain flexible, refreshingly honest and wholly independent.

You can see some of our recent packaging design work here

Feel free to drop us a line or pop in and meet us in person. We are located in the centre of Hammersmith, London.

Brand Extensions – Campari Negroni

Uncategorized / By Alan Gilbody

When is it ok to do brand extensions?

Everyone loves a new brand extensions, right?

Tapping into the resurgence in popularity of the Negroni cocktail, this is exactly what Campari have done with their brand extensions. Launching their pre-mixed Negroni, made up of Campari, London dry gin and Vermouth Rosso, it’s everything you need to whip up the perfect Negroni at home, earning kudos and envy from your party guests.

Or is it?

A perfect Negroni, is whatever a perfect Negroni is to the individual. I know a few friends who prefer two parts Campari to one part gin and vermouth. This differs from the original one-to-one-to-one ratio, classically recommended for the drink. So what demographic is the Campari Negroni targeting?

Another favourite classic, which has been growing in demand lately, is the Old Fashioned (whisky or rum based- depending on your preference). However, the thought of a pre-mixed Old Fashioned fills me with dread, not excitement!

I know exactly how I take mine. Dark cane sugar, bitters, dried orange peel and luxuriously dark rum. I’ve even gone as far as to direct bartenders to the exact measures I use of each, in order to obtain the same great taste experience I create at home.

So the question is – is Campari’s bottled Negroni meeting a need? Or rather, is it trying to meet a need, that isn’t there?

Cheers!

Original post courtesy of Foodbev.

‘Big Supermarkets’ packaging

Uncategorized / By Alan Gilbody

So you’ve created a brand and packaging design that you’re proud of. You’ve managed to gain a few listings in smaller retail outlets and slowly gaining traction and coverage within the industry. The next natural step is to expand your sales into the large retail outlets and supermarkets.

However, certain unique challenges come along with this, that you might not have foreseen or experienced when selling to your local deli market or Coop.

So where can it present challenges?

Has your brand found itself in the BIG supermarkets? Exciting stuff! But to really maximise the sales and growth opportunity here, there are key things which need to be considered; Does your brand and packaging fit within the larger retail environment? Is your backland geared for the amount of sales and production that will be needed to meet new orders?

How to prepare and do big supermarket packaging right?

Supermarkets these days have a dizzying number of choices of every household product available. To stop yours being over-shadowed by competitors within the larger retail environment, it’s essential to have a strong brand positioning that will grab the attention of the consumer and potentially draw them away from those “staple” household brands. A strong brand identity which resonates with consumers will draw them into the stores to buy your product, will ensure that your product and brand leaps out from the other brands, and keep your consumers loyal.

Of course beautiful and effective packaging is fundamental to achieve this (even if we do say so ourselves) but to really stand out you have to ask yourselves the following; is our brand trustworthy? Is it unique and different from competitors? Is it obviously needed? What will grab the consumers attention and get your product flying off the big supermarket shelves?

Let’s say you’ve sorted this out. Fantastic – that’s the most important ground work.

Next thing to consider is the physical demands of the retail shelf. Are there height restrictions? Is there a risk of promotions or other retail-specific marketing material obscuring your brand and message on shelf? Is your product easy to unpack and stack onto shelves?

We know from experience, that if your SRP (Shelf-Ready-Packaging) is difficult to open or tear away by shelf-packers, it is often damaged or discarded. Imagine your hard design work and investment being discarded because it’s a bit difficult to open! Heart breaking we know!

A fantastic example of a unique brand identity and packaging design which has already created a buzz, is CAFE+.

By partnering with Slice Design, CAFE+ have created a unique coffee brand that intends to capture the attention of the ethical consumer who is conscious of the impact they make with every purchase.

The ethical message of the brand identity is emphasised in the packaging, depicting hands nurturing a cup to show warmth and the idea of people coming together for a good cause. The carefully chosen colours signify the vibrancy of Columbia where the idea of the brand was born, and the energy and positivity behind the message.

Consumers can find out more and receive regular updates on the charitable work of CAFE+ through their website, similarly created by Slice Design www.cafeplus.coffee

Beyond providing great creative for large and small FMCG companies, throughout the past 12 years, Slice design specifically helps companies hit budget targets and ensure ROI on creative agency costs, by offering flexible, time and cost efficient branding and design solutions, without the hassle.

If this sounds like something that might be relevant for you, get in touch.