This is the redesigned packaging for the me4kidz products that has yet to hit the shelves. The medical kit and on-the-go size kits definitely appeal better to its diverse customers in 14 countries outside of the U.S. The multicultural kid-friendly graphics are a huge improvement, but I’m not sure about the white line running through the monkey on the medibag. What do you think? You can find the newly designed kits at Target, Babies R Us and Toys R Us in July!

GCI Magazine recently took a look at the influence of sustainability in the beauty industry. They broke down the three stages to implementing green practices:

1. Demonstrate leadership: An executive of the company should develop a vision for the company’s environmentally-friendly objectives which includes tangible goals and employee rewards
2. Address core impacts: Figure out your company’s biggest environmental impact and make changes in the areas of energy, manufacturing and office waste, water consumption, packaging and shipping, and supply chain and logistics.
3. Communicate: Let the important people know how you’re helping: your employees, suppliers and customers.

Need to address the environmentally-friendly packaging aspect? Request eco-friendly label samples here!

And for all of the details from the article and how beauty companies like Tom's of Maine and Burt's Bees are already implementing these practices, click here.

We’ve scoured all of our resources to bring you the best of World Cup-inspired and commemorative products and packaging! I’ll even be worldlier in using the term football. Here they are:

The “Hospitality Pack” contains the most important item for football fans: their tickets. Capturing the essence of anticipation, the slider pack provides a clever and playful opening experience, creating intrigue and a sense of novelty to complement the exciting nature of receiving World Cup tickets. With the games officially now underway, the high quality format of the Burgopak design further encourages fans to retain the pack, lending itself as a keep-safe of World Cup memorabilia.

Gillette’s World Cup-inspired shaving gel and antiperspirant and deodorant cans creatively resemble a football and shows off their sponsorship.

These bracelets were made by over 400 women in South Africa for fans of the Dutch team. The orange color is the national color for the Netherlands and the assortment of colors represents the South African flag.

SAB Miller developed a can that could also function as a cup.

Special World Cup Packaging for Carlsberg beer featuring England’s team manager Fabio Capello and team players David James, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and Jermaine Defoe.

England’s team received more support when Umbro commissioned the painting of the players’ numbers in their hometowns, even for manager Capello in Italy.

Coca-Cola’s commemorative cans feature French players in celebration and come in a box with a CD from K’Naan.

Miller Light cans are laser-etched with famous players captured doing their signature moves.

Please share if you’ve come across other promotional or commemorative products or packaging!

This is the square design concept for Coca-Cola packaging done by student Andrew Kim that you’ve most likely seen on a variety of design sources. The idea to radically change a very traditional packaging design was brave, but Kim’s design comes with many extras. The entirely plant-based bottle has an offset opening said to ease drinkability, and a smaller cap which decreases waste. The bottle is designed to collapse easily and to a smaller size to increase the likelihood of recycling. Most importantly, there is a cavity at the bottom of the bottle that allows the bottles to stack. The square design combined with the stackability means that more bottles can be sent in each container- an estimated 3,949 bottles. Pretty impressive! This is an exciting concept from a young designer.

For more on Kim’s design, click here!

We haven’t even hit the official start of summer, but the fashion world is always ahead by at least one season. Which means that even though it feels like just yesterday that we reported on the spring colors, PANTONE has already released the fashion color report for the fall of 2010. The colors for the upcoming season include: Endive, Golden Glow, Living Coral, Lipstick Red, Purple Orchid, Chocolate Truffle, Lagoon, Woodbine, Oyster Gray and Rose Dust.

To take a look at the full report including some great designers, click here!

We often browse what the folks over at trendwatching.com have to say about the latest consumer trends. Their latest has been termed “statusphere:”

As consumers are starting to recognize and respect fellow consumers who stray off the beaten consuming-more-than-thou-path, 'new' status can be about acquired skills, about eco-credentials, about generosity, about connectivity... All of this makes for a far more diversified 'STATUSPHERE' than most brands and organizations have traditionally catered to. Time to really figure out how and where your customers are now finding their status fix.

Which brings us to customization. As the site also explains, “Consumers no longer all want to be like the Joneses, the Mullers or the Li’s. When individuality is the new religion, owning or experiencing something no one else has is the ultimate status fix.”

The feeling of uniqueness, or being “special” is at the heart of so many consumers. A few big name companies took advantage of this mindset years ago which is why you can now build your own teddy bear, create your own ice cream concoctions or even have your name printed on small, round, chocolate candies. But we’ve also stumbled upon some lesser-known businesses focused personalization:

Atelier Shoes- create your own pair of shoes!

Otete & Anyo- custom stamps of your baby’s hand and foot prints!

TreeRing- personalized yearbooks for each student! Didn’t you hate spending money on a yearbook just to find your one awkward headshot?

Of course as custom label printers we are very aware of how important it is to give customers’ unique products. To get a quote for your custom labels, click here!

Watching the local news has become a depressing evening ritual, but a story featured the other night gave me a glimmer of hope for humanity and the potential of our youth. As a freshman in high school I simply tried to survive, but Jonny Cohen from a Chicago suburb has already taken a physics class at Northwestern University that inspired a big idea. Jonny realized that school buses are one of the least aerodynamically designed vehicles on the road, contributing to very low fuel efficiency and high pollution rates. (I may also have a personal gripe with the school bus making stops every 20 feet that I get stuck behind on the way to work every day). Contemplating this real world physics problem, Cohen worked with his family, classmates, and other knowledgeable contacts to invent Green Shields, a plexiglass shield added to the front of the bus to more effectively channel the wind flow to create a 10-40% improvement in fuel efficiency.

Of course this sounds simple, but most people wouldn’t put in the time or effort to develop such an idea. The impressive 14 year old has created quite a following, and is so dedicated to his project that he recently received a $25,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project to fund its development.

About a month ago we wrote about artfully crafted chocolate shoes, and now we’ve stumbled upon some more glamorous high heels, this time made of soap. The founder of Starlet Glam was inspired by old Hollywood and is now getting her products into today’s Hollywood, especially with her best-seller, the Bombshell Marilyn Corset soap. Many of the products—including lip balms, lotions, oils and more—have been dispersed in gift bags at events such as the Academy Awards, The Golden Globes, and the America Music Awards.

The soaps are made with skin loving oils and butters such as Olive, Avocado and unrefined shea butter. They're vegan friendly, 100% natural and free from detergents, SLS and sulfates. They are given their sparkle with mica and a little bit of ultra fine glitter.