The DuPont Award winners for 2010 were just announced at the end of May, continuing the virtual forum format from last year. The winners proved breakthroughs in packaging with innovative developments, cost/waste reduction and improved sustainability. Diamond winners proved excellence in all three areas while Gold winners demonstrated excellence in two criteria. Silver winners were selected for their breakthrough innovation, and notable honorees were given recognition for innovative problem solving. 

Only two submissions were given the prestigious honor of a Diamond DuPont award: the GREENBOX reusable thermal management system, a sustainably-produced container used to transport sensitive medical supplies, as well as Exal Corporation’s “Coil to Can” (C2C) recyclable aluminum bottle.

To see all of the award-winning packaging innovators, click here.

HP recently sent out a press release announcing our purchase of their latest press!

Check out the capabilities our HP WS6000 press purchased in March 2010. It is the newest press on the market from HP and will increase our capabilities, including endless possibilities of substrates for printing.

“Short run, multiple SKUs, repeatable high-quality printing and the ability for variable data has helped to maintain our steady growth,” said Randy Duhaime, General Manager, Dion Label. “ The purchase of the HP Indigo WS6000 will allow us to continue this trend with longer run lengths transitioning from our conventional flexographic printing department to our digital department. WS6000 enhancements, such as its large repeat length and its ability to print on substrates from 12 microns to 450 microns, will open additional opportunities.”

It hasn’t been very long since the last rebranding, but clearly PepsiCo found the need to give Sierra Mist a facelift. The latest design incorporates the font from the old design with some of the branding elements of the original design (seen below). The packaging is far less ambiguous, showing off the lemon and lime elements and eliminating the fuzzy text. What do you think of the latest design?

A few weeks ago we showed off the label redesign for Campbell’s soup and explained the research behind their design choices. Since then, neuromarketing has created even more buzz. Take a look at a light-hearted video that explains the technology (scroll to about 2:20 to see how it’s used for marketing purposes):

As opposed to surveys or focus groups, the highly scientific research eliminates human response error. Unfortunately, as this article explains, getting that research isn’t exactly cheap. The companies, like Campbell utilizing the technology typically have big dollar advertising budgets to begin with. It will be interesting to see if budgets will be allocated towards truly getting into consumers’ heads.

The latest issue of Brand Packaging analyzed the effects of the recession. It’s a situation that has affected everyone, but rather than simply blaming our troubles on the current economic situation and giving up, we can look at how to learn, move on, and hopefully grow instead. The article compares coping with the recession to coping with loss, and how this influences consumer purchasing patterns:

Anger/Denial: At first consumers indulged in small luxuries that wouldn’t have major short-term consequences. Brands and even private labels that benefited were the ones that proved their value was worth the added cost. Others were ones with traditional/nostalgic value that consumers could take comfort in.

Bargaining/Depression: When consumers really started to feel the economic downturn, they shifted towards more thrifty habits. As a rudimentary example: even though people still dined out at restaurants, they chose less-expensive options (i.e. a pizza for the group rather than individual prime ribs. Trust me, I’ve seen this happen!).

Acceptance: At the end of the day, the major effect of the recession on consumer attitudes is a shift of the paradigm from a mindset of "what I want is what I need" to one of "what I need is what I want."

So here are Brand Packaging’s words of wisdom:

1. Don’t try to sell consumers what they don’t really need;
2. But, at the same time, don’t forget that behind every basic need lies an aspiration.
3. Use playfulness and familiarity to earn the right to engage with consumers.
4. Respect consumers by making clear, believable claims and making your portfolio easy to understand and navigate.
5. Give consumers a sense of control in the way they choose to interact with you.
6. Use packaging to give a fair picture of what is inside the pack, but don’t lose an opportunity to tell a compelling story.  

Ironically as I posted the battle of the brands blog, I came across this article link on packagingdesign.com. The private label vs. national brand debate is clearly a hot topic. While our last post gives an objective analysis of the packaging aspect, here we see how passionately the proponents for each side feel, and for good reason. National brands realize what’s at stake as store brands have become major competitors.

When I say the word "lion" what comes to mind? Ferocious? Hunter? Animal? Scary? It is important that as designers, owners, or marketers of a product, we understand that our customers make these associations in their minds when they see our product packaging. It baffles me when companies spend so much time, energy and money on their product and then barely consider their product packaging. This is when I want to scream "WAKE UP! Your packaging is what sells your product!"
 
Think about your own personal experiences. What draws you to try a new product? Unless someone you know recommends the product to you, the packaging is what will drive you to purchase something new. Trust me, I'm a sucker for cool packaging. Not because it's my profession, but I always think the product in the metallic package or the one with an interesting caption will work better, taste better, and make me better. And you know what? Studies show this is the thought process for most consumers.
 
Here are 5 ways to make your item be the new product someone purchases this year.
 
1. Tell a story with your label. There is always a reason why your product exists or is unique compared to your competitors. Tell me why I, the consumer, should buy your product. Is your pasta sauce your grandmother's recipe handed down from generation to generation and you want to share it with me? If so, then I may think of my own grandmother and her home cooking and think "Forget about the Ragu, this pasta sauce is going to give me the warm feeling of grandma's homecooking." Does your product donate a profit to charity or have an eco-friendly element to it? If so, I'd be more apt to buy your product over a competitor's so I, too, may help fund a charity or help the environment. What if your product isn't so different from the competitors? You can still engage and get me to buy your product. A prime example of this is Vitamin Water. They tell funny, fictional stories on their infused drinks. This company is still fairly young in the soft drink market, yet their product contends with brands that have been around forever. 
 
2. Get your label in shape! Adding shape to your product packaging gives depth to your image. It draws the consumer in and makes them want to learn more. You can get your label in shape by using an irregular shaped product bottle and using a shrink sleeve label or using a regular shaped product container and using a custom-shaped die. Shrink sleeve labels are film sleeves that shrink to fit your product container. Nestle's Jamba Juice® uses this type of packaging. Custom -shaped labels are cut using unique dies.
 

3. Metallic labels. Using metallic in your label is a way to dress it up without needing to get too fancy with your entire packaging. Metallic can be incorporated into your design in a few different ways. Metallic film or paper coated stock will allow for your entire label background to be metallic. You can enhance or cover up the intensity of the metallic label by the type of ink you use in your artwork. For labels that only need a hint of metallic here and there in your artwork, you may use a regular material with metallic ink. This ink is laid down using plates that can be engraved into the pattern you'd like. For example, if you have a midnight sky in your design, your can use a plate engraved with stars to add gold stars to your design.
 
4. Invisible labels. By using a clear label on your glass or plastic bottle, you can utilize the product contents in your design as well as display your product. This technique gives the illusion of invisible labels. This concept works into your package design as well as provides the customer with pertinent product information. For customers that wish to get a silk screen effect without the high cost, clear labels are the way to go.

5. Add texture to your labels! 
Not all labels are smooth, glossy, and one-dimensional. Texture appeals not only to a customer's eyes, but also allows them to feel the difference when picking up your product compared to your competitor's. While embossing tools can raise parts of your design in the area(s) you choose, it can be a costly option as custom tools will need to be purchased. The most cost effective way to add texture to your entire label is by using a textured stock.
 
Click here to request samples of one or more of these design techniques! Please specify which technique(s) you are most interested in.

2009 marked the first full year for Dion’s blog, so we decided to take a moment to reflect on some of its highlights. With almost 200 entries this year we had a lot of options for choosing our favorites! Here are the top blogs we selected:

Products we’ve blogged about and tried:

"Neuro Brand Beverages": Stacy and I were lucky enough to receive samples all the way from the west coast of this product line. We loved everything from the product itself to the unique bottle design.

Colgate Wisp Blogs: Stacy likes these blogs, because not only were she and Karly able to write about these new products, but they also took the time to try them and decide how the design of the product actually had a functional purpose: the cool blue dot in the middle held the brush-able tasty liquid that helped clean our teeth, the fancy swish at the end acted as a toothpick.

• "Colgate Wisps: Hit or Miss?"
• "Brush on the go!"

"The Dear Hunter": This blog was near and dear to my heart not only because I love the design of the case but I’m also a huge fan. I also surprised myself with my respectable amateur photography skills.

Blogs highlighting good causes:

"October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month": Incorporating so many elements related to one important cause made this blog special. Non-profit organizations, products, television, celebrities, and even the world of dance came together to show support for breast cancer awareness.

"Labels Raise Awareness": Provided insight to companies that utilize their labels in raising money (and increasing sales) to help fight a disease. It’s a unique way of using labels. Some tell a story, some have funky shapes and designs… and some help save lives!

Some lighter moments:

"Sunscreen is no laughing matter!": This blog also falls into the above category, but funny man Will Ferrell always brings a little something extra. (You may have recently seen his engagement photo "crash" in the New York Times). They say that getting someone to laugh and then giving them important information helps them to retain the message. Ferrell certainly gets our attention on sun protection.

"Update on Blue Q": Once we quieted our giggles over the new humorous products from Blue Q, we stumbled upon the videos of their sales team and were off again. We’re not sure about you, but the leg lifts get us every time!

The most highlighted rebranding failure of the year:

Tropicana Blogs: The blogs about the whole Tropicana debacle is cool because it shows why packaging is such a key component of selling a product. From a marketer’s point of view, it also explains why so much research needs to go into brand changes to increase (not decrease!) sales.

• "PepsiCo and Carbon Trust Unite"
• "Out with the new, In with the Old?"

What were your favorite moments?

Happy Holidays from Dion Label Printing !

Holiday Hours:
Thursday, December 24th- closed
Friday, December 25th- closed
Friday, January 1st- closed

Although the introduction of the new, digital-looking Sunmaid raisins girl took place in 2007, the trademark icon is being heavily scrutinized even on the front page of the search engine Yahoo! Perhaps it’s just a slow news day, but it’s intriguing to find packaging design news on such a website, bringing it to the general public’s attention. It’s evidence once again that consumers are keenly aware of branding, and have strong opinions about their favorite brands. The current attention to Sunmaid may be due to recently released commercials featuring the modernized icon, which has been compared to "a Barbie Doll in Amish attire" or "as if Julia Roberts decided to don a red bonnet and start picking grapes." Traditionalists and feminists alike have scorned the new image for its drastic change from the simple, original watermark created of Lorraine Collett Petersen in 1915. Sunmaid asserts that the updated girl introduced almost three years ago reflects the changes in society and the modern woman focused on health and nutrition. Although it’s true that the model could use a makeover, the highly digital-looking image does remind me quite a bit of a Barbie computer game that I had when I was a kid. What do you think?

UPDATE: Last week we wrote a blog about Blue Q products. We recently came across these videos of the Blue Q sales team. They are sure to put a smile on your face! And we're pretty sure we'd buy anything from them!

Silver Hills Bakery shows off a pretty drastic brand redesign that allows their whole-grain breads to really stand out. This may be the best thing since sliced bread in its former conventional packaging. The Vancouver, BC-based company brought the project to Karacter Design Group who found that the "Squirrelly" bread had the greatest brand recognition and recall than any other for the company. All of the breads have since been creatively renamed, and the quirky illustrations that incorporate the product window are the work of Robert Hanson. The bags are very colorful and also biodegradable.

Seeking differentiation in an over-crowded bread section, this redesigned packaging picks up on the company’s simple, authentic values, and partners with a whimsical feel to leave the consumer smiling. A range of bold colours covering most of the package draws focus to the custom illustrations and the feature bread windows. This unique packaging jumps off the shelf and into the consumer’s shopping cart.

Here are a few images of the redesign for Kraft cheese products. There are some mixed reviews thus far; however the design is streamlined across product lines, giving the brand a more cohesive appearance. The transparent area to view the product is smaller (as is the company logo), but the text now shows that this is a natural product. The design team, Spring Design Partners, explains more about their concept:

Our Design Insight Research™ uncovered an opportunity to change consumer perceptions through the positive, nostalgic memories and "real" experiences consumers associate with the Kraft brand. By leveraging classic Kraft equities and showcasing fresh off the block natural cheese that is cared for by people, not machines, we rejuvenated a timeless brand.

The 25 years old brand, Finesse, has been revamped by their new parent company Lornamead. Through packaging changes they have "evolved the brand’s communication structure, simplified the communication, and maximized the strengths of each package surface". The decision for change came from research that showed the target market (women age 35-54) was willing to give this older brand "another try". The face-lift to the packaging includes what Lornamead calls "the burst"—a symbol to represent the "self adjusting" features of the brand. The design streamlines the look of product line: the color of the burst matches the color of the text of the product feature. It also places the burst on the same horizontal plane. This standardized look allows the consumer to quickly spot the hair-care feature they are looking for, and has resulted in a 10% increase in sales for Finesse.

Strolling through the chip aisle in the grocery store last week I noticed that Baked! Lays had a brand new look to them, so I hopped on the website and this is what they had to say about the redesign: "Eating healthy is hard, especially if you have to sacrifice flavor. This is just one of the reasons we were excited to partner with Frito-Lay for their launch of a new brand campaign that supports women’s health and recognizes the inherent conflicts and connections between health, beauty and self-confidence. Frito-Lay tapped us to create new packaging for a portfolio of products – Baked!, Flat Earth, 100 Calorie packs, and the new Smartfood line – that appeals to women who want healthy snacks that don’t sacrifice great taste. We translated key consumer insights into emotionally impactful designs that reconsidered everything from mouth-watering photography, packaging size, portion control, tone of voice and visual personality to create a fresh and inspiring look and feel. With a focus on both product and differentiation in the grocery aisle, the new packaging encourages female consumers to stop and re-consider the chip aisle as a place "for me."

Old:


New:

Snapple is getting its most significiant redesign in over 37 years. With a new taste that has reduced calories and a brand new redesign, Snapple is sure to grab your attention. Snapple is promoting their usage of green and black tea leaves in their new formula, which is said to intensify flavors. This new formula uses sugar as the sweetener and reduces calories up to 20 percent in some cases. The new label graphics add for a sleeker appeal for the Snapple bottle and highlight the usage of the tea leaves. "We want to ensure Snapple continues to be the Best Stuff on Earth," said Bryan Mazur, vice president of marketing for Snapple. "These changes to the formula and packaging come with one goal in mind: deliver the same great product, just make it even better." Along with the redesign Snapple is introducing 256 new facts!

Bacardi is unveiling new global packaging which features a slimmer bottle and bold, vibrant colored labels. Bacardi is showing off their flavor varieties ranging from Bacardi Razz to Bacardi Coconut, you’ll be sure to find a favorite!

"The new global packaging of the Bacardi Flavored Rum family of brands showcases the bold, vibrant and distinct qualities of these outstanding flavors,"

Eight O’Clock coffee is celebrating its 150^th anniversary and letting their loyal customers pick the new packaging for their famous coffee. Polls are open until March 15th to get your vote in on which new packaging you would like to see on grocery store shelves near you. Why is the coffee called Eight O’Clock? According to the legend the American supermarket chain A&P asked consumers when they typically drank coffee, the answers 8 a.m. & 8 p.m.

According to consumer reports Eight O’Clock coffee is the best coffee to wake up to in the morning, winning "best combination of taste and price." Even though Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Folgers, and Maxwell are all leading coffee sellers, Eight O’Clock still beat them all out in a taste test. To vote for your favorite packaging go here.

The gherkin pickle has been the main attraction on the Heinz ketchup bottle since the early 1890s but early this year it will be replaced by ketchup’s main ingredient: tomato. Heinz is known for their pickles and pickle pins, which still is one of the most coveted Heinz product. "With all due respect to the pickle, which has served Heinz dutifully since the 19th century, we are shifting the spotlight to the tomato," Chairman and CEO William Johnson said in a statement.

Why the change you ask? Heinz wants people to know that the freshness and great taste of Heinz ketchup comes from their own vine-ripened tomatoes. Not only will the vine-ripened tomato represent Heinz’s own tomatoes but will also fulfill consumer’s need for more wholesome and nutritious food. If you’re a fan of the gherkin, no need to worry, the ketchup label is the only Heinz product making this change.

Are you an avid Pepsi drinker? If so, you may have noticed the new logo and packaging redesign that has started to be introduced in grocery stores nationally. With its new design PepsiCo hopes to reach out to younger consumers along with livening up the soft-drink industry. "Our new brand identity campaign reflects that optimism like never before - on shelf and in advertising," said Dave Burwick, Pepsi's chief marketing officer. Click here to check out a video of the history of Pepsi design.