After being in business for over 30 years, family run ice cream company Gifford’s decided it was time to update their packaging to the 21^st century. The original ice cream container first showed up in grocery store freezers in 1983, and the packaging has stayed true to its old fashioned look ever since. Check out the top left photo of the Gifford’s before packaging, and notice the overall color schemes. The backsplash was printed with a sepia enhanced photo of the original shop for an old-fashion look, and the color schemes are a combination of muted greens and dull browns. Also, notice their original logo consisting of a young boy in a traditional sailor suit licking an ice cream cone for a home churned ice cream feel.

Now, look at the newly designed Gifford’s ice cream container on the top right photo. Notice how the overall color pallet has changed to a modern textured background with bold faced text and black accents. I love how they have redesigned their logo from the sailor suit clad boy to a “G” graphic designed to look like an ice cream sundae topped with a cherry! Each container also now has a high quality graphic indicating the ice cream’s flavor, as opposed to just printed text, such as a chunk of chocolate for their “World’s Best Chocolate” or a red lobster for the “Maine Lobster Tracks” (a definite must try).

Check out the article that Inc. magazine posted about the ice cream redesign in their December/January issue!

Stacy and I have noticed a trend among product packaging design; they are going back to basics! The food & beverage market has seen a particularly high amount of companies reintroducing simplified packaging. So why, you may ask, the sudden surge in simple packaging design? David Design company stated, “Minimizing on-pack communication points instantly focuses attention to the brand, product name and flavor variety.” Check out their redesign for the Post Shredded Wheat boxes in the photos above. Notice how the redesigned boxes on the right provide a central focus around the spoon of cereal and flavor variety? Having a consistent focus around the product and variety allows a customer to easily locate their preferred flavor of cereal within your brand.

Redhook Ale Brewery also went through a packaging design overhaul as we blogged about back in the spring. Along with expelling unnecessary text, the brewery also modified their color pallets to be two basic colors for a modern bold design. They also simplified the graphics to be an easily identifiable mountain so customers could always recognize the Redhook brand. Lays also redesigned their Baked chip line recently as well from a bright busy color pallet to a simple muted color pallet. We have also talked a lot about shape lately, as the product shape has a lot of play into the consumer’s purchasing decision. Cocoa-Cola owned company, Nestea, simplified their beverage bottles a few years back from a textured pear shaped bottle to a slim straight side bottle. The straight sided bottles look cleaner and provide more room for a label which in turn gives the drink more shelf real-estate.

What other product have you seen going back to packaging design basics?

Procter & Gamble’s most popular family shampoo, Pert Plus 2-in-1 has gotten a much needed makeover for the first time in many years. Known for being a basic family friendly shampoo, the green bottle has been a staple for my family since I can remember. The above left photo shows the old packaging, manufactured in lime green square plastic bottles with clear film labels. Though the label was always easy to read there was nothing modern or eye catching enough to bring it into the 21^st century.

The new bottle (top right) may still be green in color, but the shape has been changed to follow the curved product trend as blogged about in the spring. Previously clear labels have been switched to opaque labels die cut to fit the curved bottle perfectly. Each label is printed with a different “bubble” backsplash depending on what type of hair it is for: Pert Plus Classic Clean label is yellow while the Anti-Dandruff label is blue. The company name’s text has been simplified to block letters and rotated vertically on the new label. Brand Packaging also states, “The new design is deliberately unisex in appeal, since brand owner Idelle recognized that Pert Plus is primarily used by dads and children.”

There is nothing wrong with a little healthy competition which is the inspiration behind Packaging Design Magazine’s annual Makeover Challenge. Four design firms face off against each other to redesign the packaging for an already established company. For 2011, beverage company Brazil Gourmet was selected to be redesigned. The original packaging design is in the photo below and the four design firms facing off include CIULLA ASSOC, LeeReedy/Xylem, Little Big Brands and Murray Brand.

The old packaging, though not unappealing, definitely lacks cohesion. What CIULLA was able to create in their packaging redesign was consistency. The firm refined the color pallet so each container had the same yellow backsplash with neon accent colors and artwork that mirror the Brazilian flag. The firm also created consistency among the fonts and taglines for an overall appealing design. LeeReedy/Xylem also created a consistent design but through an organic and textured packaging design. I love the colorful prints on the bottles for a traditional Brazilian look. Little Big Brands went for a much more modern design with a bold color pallet and minimalist design. Instead of writing out the company name they have designed a logo using a script “B” and “G.” The logo combined with the unique plastic bottle shape makes for some stand out packaging. Last but not least, Murray Brand designed packaging that is both visually appealing and reflects the Brazilian influence. They designed the bottles with a jungle atmosphere as well as graphics of the fruit flavors to highlight that the beverages are made with all natural fruit juices.

Check out the article from Packaging Design Magazine for more information on this Makeover Challenge, and check back in late November for our follow up winner’s blog!

Ivory Soap has been the classic and clean white bar of soap trusted by housewives since Proctor & Gamble (P&G) introduced it in 1879. Well, for 2011 P&G has decided it was time that the soap line got a modern makeover. The traditional white soap and other products have been sold for years in ultra simple packaging lacking color and major graphics. The new modern package design, however, is colorful and eye-catching.

P&G has redesigned the packaging for their three major products: the bar soap, body wash and liquid hand soap. Bars of Ivory soap are now wrapped in brightly colored blue, green and purple sleeves that match the different fragrances. The shower gels are also packaged in their shrink sleeves while the hand soaps have a colored label adhered to a clear pump bottle. Blue packaging signals the original scent, green is the aloe vera variety, and purple is a fresh lavender. I like that they selected a rich and bold color pallet to give the packaging a modern essence. Each scent also has a signature graphic printed somewhere on each package. For example the blue original scent packaging has soap bubbles, the aloe vera has a graphic of the plant and the lavender has a few stems of the flower.

For more information on the modern packaging makeover check out the article featured on Packaging Digest.

Ever since I was a child, the importance of the food pyramid has been engrained in my mind. Grains were always the largest bottom section, followed by fruits and vegetables, then dairy and meats, and finally fats, oils and sugars resided in the small top section. However, in 2005 the original food pyramid was re-designed. Though it was still broken up into the same food categories, they were now sectioned vertically and the grains category was not as noticeably larger than vegetables and fruits. Also, on the first redesign the fats and sugars category section was included as a slim section on the pyramid but at the bottom a disclaimer points out that oils are not a food group.

Well in 2011, the pyramid has been replaced by none other than a round dinner plate! Announced by first lady and child obesity spokeswoman Michelle Obama, the nation found out that the food pyramid would be no more. The new food nutrition plate, called Choose My Plate, is broken up into three sections: half of the plate is fruits and vegetables, a quarter is protein, and the other quarter is grains. In addition there is also a smaller plate on the side for dairy as calcium is incredibly important for nutritional health. Following the re-design trends of the past, the new food plate has again decreased the size of the grains category and increased the importance of eating enough fruits and vegetables. Notice how the section formerly named meats has been re-worded to proteins? I believe the intent of the re-wording is to include those vegetarians and vegans who get their protein from sources other than meat and poultry. The nutritional plate has also eliminated the oils and fats category completely to help reduce the overindulgence that often leads to obesity.

The reasoning behind the simplistic design is to help society understand what they should be putting into their bodies for optimal nutrition. However, according to Dr. Marion Nestle nutrition professor at New York University, “Americans aren’t used to eating this way, so this is a big change.”

To read more about Choose My Plate, check out the article from the New York Times.

Honey has been getting a lot of press lately as a healthier substitute compared to sugar. Not only is honey much more natural, but it is sweeter than sugar so it can be used in smaller quantities! Honeydrop, founded back in 2009, decided to play off these healthy honey facts by creating their own honey sweetened organic drink line. The line of teas is made up of six different flavors including blueberry, blood orange, lemon tea, green tea, chamomile tea, and lemon ginger tea.

Though the brand has found success, they wanted to better emerge themselves in the organic community by redesigning their packaging. They hired design firm Monday Collective and the company created a simple packaging design. The once plastic bottle was changed to glass and the two toned paper label was switched to a clear film material with minimalist art design. I love everything about the new Honeydrop packaging design from the font swap to the bee graphic being altered to pop off the bottle. Though the title still reads “Honeydrop” across the label, the phrase “Powered by Honey” was added below the title for added consumer appeal. Subtle additions to the packaging also make it stand out such as the text “From the Bees to the Bottle” that was added to every twist off cap, or the bee graphic imprinted into the top of each glass bottle to mimic the logo.

For more on this packaging redesign check out the Before & After article from The Dieline.

Though I am a die heart coffee drinker, I know a lot of people who cannot start their day without a cup of tea. If you are a chai tea fan, then you will definitely want to check out the latest packaging redesign from a fantastic tea microbrewery. Colorado based Third Street has been brewing completely organic chai tea, iced concentrate chai tea, and lemonades since founded in 1995. The microbrewery prides themselves on producing completely organic and fair trade products to their customers. As an added bonus to its eco-friendly customers, Third Street uses sustainable energy to power their plant in the form of wind power, and composts all scrap ingredients.

The designer for the new packaging commented that, “Alas their packaging and their corporate brand ID didn't convey their high quality products which they have been producing for over 15 years.” Hence, designer Sze-Lin Lie created the stunning new packaging as seen in the photo above. Chai tea is a beverage that originally comes from the Indian heritage and is a mix of tea leaves, milk, and various spices. The packaging design reflects the Indian heritage through the detailed art design, vibrant color pallets, and even a world map of India as the backdrop. There are also faint henna designs included on the solid colored areas of the label (red, purple, green, Ect). Henna, a delicate and intricate body art, has been a popular art form for centuries in Indian culture. In fact, Northern India refers to henna as “Bridal Mehndi” because women are given the temporary skin designs on their wedding day as a celebration of meeting their future husband.

To read more about the chai packaging redesign, visit Packaging of the World’s website. And if you are interested in buying these organic chai teas, you can pick one up at your local Whole Foods Market.

Shrink sleeves are one of the top trends in the packaging world, which? Dion now has the capability to print! There are many uses for shrink sleeves besides for creating a visually appealing package; one being that it can be used to wrap two products together as I wrote about last week’s blog. However, have you ever thought about using a shrink sleeve as protective layer for the liquid inside the bottle? If not, you should because this use for shrink sleeves was able to provide a solution to LIV Organic’s problem.

The USDA certified organic company prides itself in manufacturing a great tasting sports recovery drink, similar to other products like Powerade. With only “6 ingredients, and 0 garbage” the company has created a top health and energy sports drink made from all natural rice syrup. However, the company started to notice a problem with their drink packaging. The packaging, a rectangular film label around a clear bottle, was allowing too much sunlight to be exposed to the beverage. In turn, the sunlight was fading the organic color ingredients in the drink over time. The organic company turned to the design firm TANKindustries for help with their color fading crisis, who introduced the first shrink sleeve for the drink line. A shrink sleeve has allowed the beverage color to remain intact over time, and also opened the doors to a more modern packaging design. The bottle now stands out on the shelf more than ever with its bold array of motivating sport words such as “score,” “push,” and “energize!” If you have another innovative use for shrink sleeves, leave us a comment!

For more information on this use of shrink sleeve packaging, check out the article on the Packaging World webpage.

For over thirty years, Seattle based Redhook Ale Brewery has been producing a variety of popular handcrafted beers. Though the brewery got off to a rocky start, producing non-popular spicy Belgian ale, they soon found a brew that would transform their company. About six years after opening, the company started brewing their “extra special bitter” brews that would grow to be the company’s classic beer. The brewery markets their beer toward a laid market with the classic motto, “The only thing better than a good friend is a good friend who happens to be a tasty, handcrafted ale.”

In celebration of Redhooks 30^th birthday, the brewery has released their completely redesigned bottle labels and packaging. They decided they wanted to go back to basics with a simplified bottle and label design. The slender long neck bottle has been replaced with a huskier short neck, and the label has been simplified to a basic color pallet and design for easy brand recognition. The logic behind the redesign is that the brewery wants you to see their bottle on the shelf and instantly recognize it as Redhook. Brand manager Robert Rentsch says, "We've made sure no matter what beer it is, it's clearly from Redhook. Then we have the type shown second." Each label is a different color depending on the variety, and each bottle also has a hidden surprise! Under every cap of their newly designed bottles, they have printed a well known expression or graphic of the company. What are your opinions of the 30^th birthday beer packaging redesign?

To read more about the beer label redesign, visit The Dieline.

To ring in 2011, Microsoft Office has come out with the newest version of Office for Mac.  Year after year Microsoft has been redesigning both their software and packaging to be cutting edge; 2011 is no exception.  Software updates include a new template gallery for professional design work, a newly designed ribbon, and compatible software anyone can pick up and use. However, Office 2011 has not changed in that there are two separate versions available; Home & Student and Home & Business.

What I love about the new design is that it shares the same qualities as other Mac products.  When I think of a Macintosh I think clean, simple, and modern; and the 2011 version (top) is all of the above.  Design artists removed the large icon from the 2008 packaging (bottom) and centered the Office for Mac text instead.  Base coloring of the general packaging, however, has remained in the yellow and black family for easy product recognition. Office also simplified the software icon design making them more legible with an easy to read font.  My favorite package redesign is the front right side which is covered with a canon of the Word, PowerPoint, and Excel icons in various colors. The busy art design balances nicely with the simple text for a visually pleasing package design

Campbell’s Soup officially has the fall fever that is sweeping the northeast.  When the 140 year old company redesigned their classic soup label back in March 2010, the company vowed not to change the tomato soup label. Consumers recognized the Tomato Soup can the best that was made famous by pop artist Andy Warhol.  Please visit Dion’s Blog to read more about the initial redesign. However, Campbell’s has just invented two new Tomato Soup flavors with fresh fall labels.  Sun-Ripened Yellow and Harvest Orange Tomato will be sold for a limited time in select US cities. 

The label design features the aerial view of a large heirloom orange or yellow tomato, depending on the flavor, and classic script writing.  The orange and yellow are festive fall colors that provide a nice change from the traditional red and white color pallet.  How will Campbell’s Soup lovers feel about the new additions to the iconic Tomato Soup label?  I welcome the limited edition label, however only the customer reviews will speak the truth.

For the full article on Campbell’s new additions visit Brand Packaging Magazine online.

October may be associated with Halloween colors such as black and orange, but it should also be linked to the color Pink!  October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it is celebrated with a sea of pink ribbons.  Did you know that one out of eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer?  Did you also know that there are over 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. alone?  Although this scary illness plagues over 10 % of all women, we are slowly winning the battle by banding together to raise money for research.  These shining star companies have come out with pink ribbon inspired packaging to show their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Hershey’s, the sweet chocolate company, has turned their kisses pink once again!  Along with other Hershey’s products, the classic kisses will be sold in silver and pink ribbon wrapping.  They will also be sponsoring the annual Tour de Pink bike ride to raise money for research.  OPI Nail Polish Company has come out with a “Pink of Hearts” nail polish bottle where the brush is covered in printed pink ribbons.  Breath mint company Tic Tac has also designed a pink inspired package with matching pink mints.  Tic Tac has also launched the CancerCare’s program through facebook, where they will donate $5 for every facebook share.  Last but not least who says men can’t wear pink?  In the NFL, real men wear pink!  NFL players will be sporting pink gear through the month of October, along with sizable donations to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. 

For more information on how to join the pink fight against Breast Cancer visit the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month website.

After 10 long years, Smirnoff Ice drinkers can now search the shelves for a newly designed package.  Australian based design firm, The Creative Method, was hired to bring the drink packaging into the 21^st century. What changes can we expect to the widely loved bottle?  The drink will now be sold in a can version as opposed to the older glass bottle (below) and will have a more contemporary design.  The design is meant to increase masculinity of the drink to appeal to men, due to it being considered a “woman’s” drink in the past like other fruity drinks.  Flavors have been changed to bold names like Double Black, Wild Lime, and Raw Berry.  Creative Method wants the drink to stand out on the shelves and increase the quality of the packaging design.

Being an occasional Smirnoff indulger, and a major klutz, I am keen on the drink being offered in cans.  No more broken bottles and messy clean ups! I also like that they have kept the pentagon shaped label consistent, yet updated the artwork.  Keeping the traditional shape lets me know it is still the Smirnoff we know and love.  The carrying case is also more modern, now sleek fitting boxes as opposed to the traditional six pack with a carrying handle. Full article courtesy of Brand Magazine Online.

We have all seen the entertaining “Don’t Be So Mayo” commercials brought to us by the Kraft Foods Company.  Miracle Whip has become a sandwich builder staple in many American households, and has been re-designed yet again.  Miracle Whip is now renamed as “MW.”  Kraft hopes the short abbreviation, which is an ambigram and looks the same when turned upside down, will catch the attention of the youth.  The traditional 22 oz. container is now a squeeze bottle that can be stored upside down.  The previously mostly white bottle now has a shrink sleeve label with brighter more vibrant blue colors.   To me, the new bottle stands out against the previous design with a simplistic pop art design quality.  I also love the idea of the squeeze bottle as I am often frustrated by scraping the bottom of the jar for the last drop of mayo.  MW is simple in design, storage and use.  What could be easier?

Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. is at it again and this time has come up with what he calls the “biggest change in the iPod lineup ever!”  Welcome to the newest iPod Family Packaging and product changes for their signature iPod touch, nano, and shuffle.  Created around simplicity, Apple is constantly coming out with sleek new products.  The shuffle is smaller, the nano is now touch screen, and the touch is twice as thin. 

Each item is now packaged in a clear, hard plastic display case that doubles as a storage box for ear buds and accessories.  As opposed to the old packaging, the new one has rounder edges but otherwise is basically the same.  I was slightly disappointed in the new packaging marketed as the “biggest change ever”, but the changes to the products themselves are quite impressive.  Newly shrunk iPod nano is now the size of the shuffle, and still offers a touch screen.  Your finger will almost be as large as the iPod nano itself!  I would have preferred the iPod touch to be decreased in size instead of made thinner, but I guess that will be the next challenge for Jobs.    

Over the last year or so it has been hard to miss PepsiCo’s revamp of its sports drink brand Gatorade. The G Series campaign has built upon the rebranding by extending the product line to powders and ready-to-drink formulations tailored to pre-, during, and post-workout sessions. After exclusive use in professional locker rooms, the company is now releasing the G Series Pro to the public through retailers such as GNC and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Take a look at this video showing the evolution of Gatorade. My favorite part of the TV advertising campaigns has been the effective use of color. Dulling the action to black and white while highlighting the color of the drink gives the product extra attention. The clip also shows the product placement during professional games which may seem subtle, but the fans idolizing the professional athletes are keenly aware of the products they use.

For more on the G Series and G Series Pro, click here!

This morning I came across the redesign of Justin’s Nut Butter. Ironically, yesterday Stacy and I were just enjoying a squeeze pack of the almond nut butter. We must admit, it’s pretty good stuff. And this is what the dieline had to say about the redesign:

Justin's Nut Butter, a line of small-batch, natural and organic nut butters, was recently redesigned to increase distribution in fine food outlets (e.g. Dean &DeLuca, Whole Foods, Crystal Farms) without jeopardizing existing sales at lower-price supermarkets (e.g. Kroger, Safeway, King Sooper.)

With a focus on their environmental impact, the owner and creator of the product line explains in his blog that he is in search of a biodegradable pouching material for the squeeze packs (apparently while riding his bike).

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."

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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.