»  Packaging Design

                 

Iconic brands, such as Hostess and Little Debbie bring back memories of happier childhood days when things were easy and care-free. The advertising campaigns and packaging design were targeted at children and boded well with their target audience. As these kids grew older and the Twinkie (& Hostess brand all together) remainded unchanged buyer behavior adjusted. Those kids became parents and food trends evolved. Parents became more concerned with eating and feeding their family healthy, quality options, rather than fast, cheap ones. 

In the Wall Street Journal, Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst for a consumer markerting research firm confirms that "Consumption of healthy snacks is growing, too. About 32% of Americans ate yogurt at least once in two weeks in 2011, for instance, up from 18 % in 2000. "We're less likely to be snacking on items that we shouldn't be snacking on." Instead of adjusting to the trends of more healthy snacking, Twinkie stood by their old memorable brand model, so it's no surprise that this company is now filing for bankruptcy for the second time. In order to maintain sales with your target audience, companies need to adjust to developing trends. 

However among rumors of the company going bankrupt, customers are coming to the rescue. Even though most Americans have changed their shopper behavior to fit a more healthy lifestyle, they still cannot stand the thought of losing the Hostess brand and all the childhood memories and emotions that came with eating those delicious and mal-nutritious Twinkies. Will this quick attempt to save the company work? My guess is no, since people may not be willing to change their healthy lifestyle to make up for Hostess' loses.

 One of America's iconic consumer brands, Ivory Soap, is getting a new packaging design and a supporting ad campaign, thanks to the sharp minds out at Wieden and the decision by the shot-callers at Proctor & Gamble to spend a few marketing bucks on one of the oldest brands in their stable.

The new Ivory packaging, which features bright colors chosen to contrast with the soap’s pure white, replaces the old, more subdued packaging.

The overall campaign is intended to promote the Ivory brand’s “value and simplicity,” Procter & Gamble said in a statement, while “focusing on giving busy moms and families a product that delivers what they are looking for.” Along with Olay, Gillette, Old Spice, Safeguard and Camay, Ivory is one of six soap brands sold by P.& G.

Obviously, competition in the soap category has changed radically since Ivory was introduced in 1879, with the biggest trend in recent years being the genderization of the category from a shopper marketing perspective, which has seen soaps specifically for men or women. Ivory, on the other hand, bridges this genital divide by appealing to both men and women, with half the brand’s users male and half female.

Directed at mothers ages 25 to 49, the ads, which run through December, include humorous 15- and 30-second TV spots that show how complicated soap use has become. One depicts a group of unusually shaped soaps, including a soap that resembles waffles with syrup and powdered sugar, and asks, “At what point does soap stop being soap?” 

We were so excited to see our packaging design concept for Sheffield & Sons (private label for the always amazing Bloom Grocery) posted on The Dieline yesterday! Check it out here, then take a look at the entire case study on our newly redesigned website.

Diet Coke first hit store shelves in 1982 and has been a top seller ever since. But even legendary icons can use a bit of updating. AdWeek asks industry experts to chime in on the new packaging design. Click here for the whole story and to learn more about birdsong gregory's philosophy on design, shopper marketing and the state of advertising read our Manifesto featured on our new web site.

1. Visibility
Contrast is key, which is why a strong logo and lots of white space work (think Special K) – especially when shelves are filled with a visual cacophony of slogans, logos, and CTAs.

2. Shopability
Consumers can easily be overwhelmed by the breadth of a category, so making your product easy to find and, most importantly, easy to understand, is critical. If you have different products for different applications, the layout should be consistent and facilitate comparison. For example, colored caps on similar colored bottles can bring branding and product differentiation into harmony.

3. Differentiation
Since purchase decisions are often intuitive and emotional, packaging needs to embody or represent key aspects of your brand. If you're selling health food, your packaging needs to look healthier than the competition. If you're selling high end auto care products, you should make the rest of the shelf look downright proletarian.

4. Simplicity
Consumers don’t spend a lot of time studying the items they throw into their shopping cart, and accordingly, the package needs to convey a clear message. Adding more claims, for example, won’t increase the time the shopper spends reading the package and can even dilute the message.

5. Consumability
Smart packaging design can increase sales and help anchor your shopper marketing strategy when it makes a product easier to store (think fridge packs) or to readily consume (think "on-the-go” packaging).

6. Sustainability
We are all increasingly concerned about the environment, and packaging design needs to address our collective need for greater sustainability. Fortunately, it’s increasingly easy to align a product’s marketing needs with those of the world around us. For example, eliminating secondary cardboard packaging can make a product more visible (and more unique).

As reported recently in The Wall Street Journal, the once staid barcode is suddenly getting a bit of flair. It seems that granola, juice and olives packaging are sporting barcodes that integrate famous buildings, blades of wheat and bubbles into the ubiquitous black and white rectangle of lines and numbers. This evolution of package design to include the barcode is a way for consumer-goods companies to better connect with customers. And while the the trend is popular with smaller companies, even one of the world's largest food companies, Nestle SA, is trying out vanity barcodes on its smaller brands.

The Journal reports, "Barcodes are what allow retailers to track products through their stores and change pricing without needing to retag every item. Every retail barcode number in the U.S. and 107 other countries is assigned by GS1, a nonprofit standards organization created in the early 1970s when barcode technology entered the retail landscape. A company applies to GS1 for a barcode number specific to that company. It then creates (or hires a firm to create) the barcode to match that number."

Do you have a novel vision for your next barcode? Contact Shopper Marketing agency birdsong gregory and let's chat.

Retro packaging is now in vogue. The big players in the marketplace are all digging through their archives to bring back designs from the past. Just like the fashion and music scene, the nostalgia around what was old can quickly become fresh again. Is this a strategic play to follow the trend of a return to simplicity? Or a sign that designers are running out of original ideas. Keep watch as others follow the lead.

The World Is Obsessed With Facebook from Alex Trimpe on Vimeo.

This video provides some staggering context for how much Facebook is utilized. The implications for marketers are huge. We need to ensure our approach to getting and utilizing shopper insights take social and technological tools such as Facebook into consideration. Based on the way consumer continue to evolve how and where they spend their time and get their information, this is critical. From packaging design to POS design, utilizing relevant and current insights should be the critical bedrock of all your work.

The best in-store marketing takes a holistic approach to reaching shoppers. Whether point of sale or packaging design, color is one of the most important and influential aspects of design. The below infographic from KISSmetrics provides a visually interesting and compelling breakdown of its influence on all aspects of a purchase decision. 
 

Traditionally, in-store marketing has been targeted at female heads of household, as they have been the primary shopper for their families. However, as the traditional family shifts away from traditional marketing stereotypes, a significant shift is the more active role of men in family decision making.

A recent Ad Age article found that more than half of men now believe they control their family's shopping cart. While that number might be a bit exaggerated (industry numbers tend to be around 1/3 of men), the impact is nonetheless significant for marketers. 

This chart shows the variety of activities where men are getting, playing a more influential role than traditionally. Given this, have you shifted your approach to gaining and understanding shopper insights? How will you make sure you get a gender balanced perspective. How are you approaching packaging design and point of sale differently given these shifts? 

Shopper marketing is ultimately about creating a relevant connection and the most critical aspect of relevance is an understanding of your audience. As your audience shifts, so should your approach and understanding.  

In an age of over-designing the brands and products around us to help them stand out at retail, this is a refreshing look at the power of simplicity. While it is important to note this was an exploration in simplicity and not a packaging design conducted by Antrepo4, the implications are no less relevant to our everyday.

Shopper marketing is a discipline in distillation. When shopper insights are employed correctly, SM boils down a product, brand or offering to its most relevant essence. Packaging is one of the most powerful SM tools available, allowing differentiation on the shelf of competition. The next time you get started on a packaging assignment, instead of going down the well worn path of incrementalization and evolution, consider the implications of simplification.

Ask yourself: What would my brand look like stripped down? Does my brand look better naked? 

From a shopper's point of view, coffee can be as complicated as wine to shop. Both of these categories represent shopping adventures for the knowledgeable consumer and intimidation to most everyone else. Part of the challenge is that there are so many different variables and varieties to select from, making it a hard category for shoppers to navigate quickly.

Having spent part of my career doing shopper marketing for a premium coffee manufacturer, the new brand and packaging design from Seattle's Best caught my eye. One of the biggest challenges in the coffee aisle is the vast variety of offerings (brands, roasts, flavors, etc) do not enable quick selection for shoppers; unless a shopper knows exactly what they are looking for, the coffee aisle requires time.

In such a category, the vast majority of competitors take a very similar approach to categorizing their blends and flavors. With this new redesign, Seattle's Best took a completely different direction. Although I do not have the exact shopper insights from their research that led to this approach, it is obvious their focus was on simplifying down a complex set of decision points to enable easier deselection and selection. 

This is a great example of what shopper marketing should ultimately deliver for brands: insights that are actionable and lead to a relevant, shopper-centric approach to the the shelf and the store. 

I recently heard this statement by a fellow designer who saw no merit in design annuals...and apparently he's not alone. I on the other hand, do not completely agree and wanted to hear the rational behind such a bold proclamation. After all, almost anyone involved in advertising, packaging design, web design or some sort of marketing has leafed through a Communication Arts or CR at some point to gain insight, find inspiration or pass the time.

However, it seems that there are an increasing number of creatives who do not believe or agree with what amounts to design competitions, if simply for the fact that they reward firms and design shops who can afford the entry fees. And let's not fool ourselves, it is a numbers game. If you can afford to enter 20 pieces, your chances of getting accepted are probably pretty good, unless the work is garbage. These are usually the same sort of designers who do not believe in accolades or recognition as a vital part of a career. To that I would have to say "who doesn't like a pat on the back?!". Granted if you are Bruce Mau or Austin Howe, it's easy to subscribe to this viewpoint because you are already established. But for up-and-coming designers or firms looking to make a name for themselves and garner attention, these publications offer a chance to do just that and came make the difference between a bad year and a successful year.

There are also those who feel that most of the annuals amount to nothing more than eye candy. A narrow representation of design that celebrates shallow execution and does nothing to highlight or explain the strategic thought behind the design that is often the backbone of successful creative. To some extent I sympathize with this assessment. I would also have to implore viewers to think more about what went into creating the work. An idea without action - execution is nothing more than a thought that exists only in the mind. Even though execution is one small aspect of design, most people's immediate reaction is to the visuals that they are presented with. So without successfully emplementing a concept, even the greatest ideas in the world are lost on those who only see poor design.

So to the creatives that dislike these publications or see them as relics, I think it's more about the individual than the actual magazine. In many cases I think it boils down to a change in taste over the years. The things that young people find amazingly interesting as a design student or fresh out of college might not stimulate them further in their career as they begin to delve deeper into the specifics of their disciplines. But just because you've developed a healthy appetite for highly caffeinated coffee drinks as an adult, doesn't mean that the hot chocolate you loved as a kid isn't any good.

My wife and I took a last minute trip to Chicago a couple weeks ago after she found some inexpensive tickets online. Neither us had been to the windy city and we were looking for an excuse to get out of Charlotte so it seemed like the perfect time see a ball game, sample the cuisine and put away the work for just a moment.

We hopped on an early flight into O'Hare and met a friend at Hot Doug's around 10 am Saturday morning. While enjoying our foie gras hot dogs and duck fat french fries he suggested we take the Architectural + Historical Cruise. I appreciate the local's taste in encased meat products, but I'm usually not one for being herded like cattle through bus terminals and sweaty guided tour lines while waiting to catch a glance of something that never quite lives up to the hype. Despite my hesitation, we inquired with the concierge at the hotel and were greeted with a poster sized folded brochure with tons of factual information and two beautifully designed Chicago Line passes. They looked like European currency and featured large portraits of those responsible for sculpting Chicago's skyline over the years. I'm a sucker for good design, count me in!

The next day we catch a cab to the River East Art Center and make our way down the docks past newly renovated studios that face the water. Once the boat is full with anxious tourist and egger students we set sail out of Ogden Slip and make our way to the Chicago River. Our tour guide was more than thorough and paused only once to clear her throat after becoming visually upset while mentioning the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. I don't want to bore you with the details but the next hour of our ride was filled with some of the most amazing architectural vistas I've ever seen, truly unbelievable. The Chicago Sun-Times had this to say about the tour "Without question the best architectural tour available in Chicago". I'd have to go a step further and say it's one of the best things to do in the city, period! Everyone enjoys unplugging and getting away from the day-to-day to reenergize, but to learn more about this American city that bounced back from disaster to design and create architecture the entire world marvels at was quite inspiring.

Benjamin Gelnett is the new Senior Graphic Designer at Birdsong Gregory and has worked professionally as a graphic designer since graduating from SCAD in 1999. During this time he's created a variety of advertising campaigns, packaging and POS components, brand identities and sales and marketing materials for brands such as Gulfstream Aerospace, Bombardier, Renyold's Alcoa, Hunter Fan Co., Ecko Unltd and Muzak.

Most designers will agree that creating a logo for a client is one of our most exciting tasks. Being able to visually represent a company is a great challenge. There are so many articles for designers and clients about the importance of this piece of design, and all that goes into creating it, but I was intrigued by this article from LogoLounge.com. It's all about the trends in logo designs of 2010. The examples above are only a few of the group they discuss, but lets take a look through them.

 

1. PARTS:

This trend is all about iconic pieces (or "parts") that come together to create the silhouette of the whole. From a distance it's one thing, and closer up it reveals more information. This particular example's objective is to visually represent the statement "We the people form this nation". It's a smart visual solve of a more organic concept.

 

2. GHOST:

This trend is all about engaging the viewer. Gaining the viewers attention in a visual world is such huge challenge for a designer, so this trend forces the viewer to engage with the logo if for no other reason than to confirm what they're seeing. It's soft and subtle, but in a way that demands attention. Interesting concept, huh?

 

3. CUBIST:

The inspiration for this trend comes from a place that shouldn't be surprising. Fine art has always been an influencing factor to designers, and I believe that the best design comes from a knowledge and background in fine art. There's a certain visual pleasure in reducing images down to their essence, thus the appeal of cubism.

 

4. BOX-UP

The terminology is pretty obvious, as is the reason this trend is so popular. It can be difficult for a designer to balance the importance of typography and symbol for a company's logo. Enlarging the pair to be sure the type is legible can throw the symbol into the dominant role, and reducing the size to make sure the symbol isn't too loud can make the type too small to read. Using a literal box insures that it's all together in a package. 

 

5. STAINS:

This trend is another example that calls for the attention of the viewer, often times in a second look. The blurred edge creates motion. The immediacy of these marks creates an impression of authenticity and humanity. It looks hand crafted, not computer or machine crafted.

 

6. DUST:

This trend understands the importance of subtlety. The stippled effect creates almost a whisper that can produce different tonal levels with its density. There's kind of a sparkle about this kind of technique. It creates the illusion of motion with hard edges. The most obvious connection for inspiration is that of an airbrush.

 

7. FESTOON:

Another trend that's about creating motion, the festoon trend accomplishes this by using streamer like elements (almost as if they are blowing in a breeze).The key to this graphic solution is that the elements have a diminishing point. They also often use overlapping and transparency to accomplish the goal and push the mark a little further. This trend evokes a free spirit and lack of control that's visually interesting. It's lighthearted and festive.

 

8. PIXEL:

This trend is inspired by the digital building block, the pixel. Small elements come together to create a larger result. The same idea is executed in pointillism. Dots of color create the whole picture. The challenge for designers with this one, is making it new. I found this example particularly interesting because of the warped perspective of the pixels, which ads another layer with dimension. It's an interest and different way to do pixels. 

 

There are more trends you can read about at logolounge.com, but of these select few, what do you think? We tend to have a negative connotation with the word "trend", but in the article Bill Gardner says that we should consider trends to be a report of where logo design is headed. Studying trends can help reveal our growth, and thus allows us to move further. What's your take? Let us know what you think about these growing trends. Really… the good, the bad and the ugly. birdsong gregory wants to know!

To learn more about our Charlotte Advertising Agency, and Charlotte Graphic Design visit our website at birdsonggregory.com!

I was cruising The Dieline and came across this beautiful student package design for Ilford 120 film. Ilford is one of the only film companies today that still manufactures 120 film but the rise of the consumer 135mm film and more recently and powerfully, digital photography, has diminished the popularity of 120 film. Student designer Linna Xu says "the design of this package reintroduces and encourages the use of analog film technologies. The reusable packaging of the film functions as a pinhole camera, which provides individuals with a way of exploring analog photography without the cost of having to buy an old medium format camera. It also re-introduces a mindset and manner of working that is completely different from that which comes with fast-paced digital imaging technologies." Not only is this piece innovative and fun, but it's very well thought out. This is a package I wouldn't want to throw away. Good job Linna!

 

Stay tuned for more of the latest in packaging design from Charlotte Advertising agency birdsong gregory at birdsonggregory.com!

Born in 1873 in Bremen, Germany, Beck’s mixes internationality and tradition, qualities that helped the beer to become the number one selling export beer. But as any good designer knows, what looked sharp in 1873 might appear a bit dated in 2010.

 

So Beck's chose Buenos Aires based Pierini Partners to redesign Beck’s global packaging. The new layout highlights the visual elements that comprise the brand emblem, such as the key icon, phrases about its origin, medals, and its characteristic colors of red and black. All these elements were simplified and applied on a metalized support which adds modernity and freshness. 

 

One of the most emphasizing details in the new packaging is the raise in the logo and icon importance. The icon was placed in the upper part in order to glorify the brand identity, which has been a synonym of quality and beer expertise for over a century. 

 

The project lasted more than a year and was tested in several countries, such as German, England, USA, Italy and Romania.

Thirsty now?

 

I would like to have a moment of silence for the death of the Floppy Disc. Sony, the last manufacturer of the floppy disc, has announced that they will stop production in March of 2011. Now I can't claim that I was part of the workforce when these guys were still popular, but I can't help but laugh when I think about needing 10 discs to move our packaging design. While the floppy will no longer be a main stream product (if you could ever call it that), I'll be interested to see if any fan fueled passion pops up like it did with the Polaroid instant film did. 

 

The eye-catching color palette and the clean, high-contrast packaging design certainly catch your eye when you're shopping the beverage aisle, but have you ever actually read the label on a bottle of Energy Brand's Vitaminwater, a privately owned subsidiary of the Coca-Cola company? Lots of fun . . .