When I observe people on a bus or train, about 1 in 2 people are usually wearing earbuds to listen to their favorite tunes.  Whether they are listening to an iPod or MP3 player, earbuds have become the most common headphone system in the world. But if you are like me, you are in a constant frustrating battle to untangle your earbuds.  The startup company, BudTrap, is less than two years old but has developed the ingenious BudTrap. It’s as easy as 1-2-3 to use; slip the product onto your earbud jack, wrap the cord neatly around your iPod, and clip the ends back onto the BudTrap! The cord will stay nicely wrapped around your device so you can store it without tangle worries. How did no one think of this earlier? Now you can avoid frustrating cords knots with one simple tool. 

BudTrap’s come in a variety of bright colors and retail for about $5.95.  Visit BudTrap’s webpage to buy yours today and say good by the tangled earbuds forever!

For over forty years, the American Package Design Awards have showcased excellence in the graphic design world.  The contest is here again! Entries can be submitted for three main categories; Package Design, Special Features, and In-Store Graphics.  The 18 sub categories range from Health and Beauty, Sustainable Packaging, and Store Logos. If you are a graphic designer wishing to submit your work, you can download the entry form at www.GDUSA.com or send your entry to the mailing address on the website.  Submissions are due by December 10, 2010 and all entries must be of products sold in stores between January 1, 2009-December 31, 2010. Best of luck to all entries and check back later in the year for our winners announcement blog!

Past winners have included Kit Kat Seasonal by Vertis Creative for Food & Beverage (top), and Juicy Couture by Elizabeth Arden for Health and Beauty (bottom).

We have heard it all before. Designers must be creative, innovative and “think outside the box.” However, as packaging trends grow and change, GCI Magazine state that the future of packaging may come from “thinking inside the box.”  To help your company stay current, and cut costs here are four key elements to explore.

1. Think Lighter- Consider using lighter weight packaging material to significantly lower shipping costs.  Utilize light weight packaging technology to reduce costs.  Last but not least remember to “think thin.”  Using a thinner paper or plastic packaging can decrease the total weight and cost.  In business every penny counts, so why not start saving with packaging?
2. Go Green- Start by choosing a greener ink that will be visually pleasing and good for the earth.  Soy and water based inks are available for flexo printing only, and digital printing is green due to less material required for set up and printing.  Digital ink is also certified by California’s Proposition 65 and can be used in most printing jobs.  Source local suppliers if possible to cut shipping costs, and show your “green pride” to your customers.  Customers appreciate environmentally friendly companies and often flock to them. 
3. Spend Less & Get More- Using a “one shape fits all” packaging can be beneficial to cost cutting.  Alter the package size, color or design in a small way and you have saved yourself a bundle.  Even consider silk screen printing as an eco friendly way to save costs and labels.
4. Partner Up- They say two minds are better than one and it applies in the packaging world.  Partnering with another company can generate more ideas, increase productivity, and save space.  Look for a company that is larger than yours, offering a viable storage facility for you to use. 

Sometimes thinking in and outside the box is necessary to save time and money with your packaging.  Customize these four steps to improve your companies packaging and save some serious money! Visit gcimagazine.com to read the full article

Two of the top leaders in pharmaceutical manufacturing and management have joined forces to introduce the latest pill packaging technology.  Are you one of the thousands that have trouble forgetting to take your morning pill?  Rexam has partnered with Med Time to introduce the first “Pill Timer” packaging.  Utilizing Rexam’s tube packaging, a high tech cap will now take the place of regular screw on caps.  The cap will alert the patient with an attention grabbing beeping and flashing alarm.  Company heads hope to ease the lives of patients on daily medications and make medication maintenance easier.  Steve Duda of Henry Ford Health Systems is one of the first to buy and distribute the Pill Timer to its customers and sees a bright future for the product.  Having family members and older relatives on daily medications, I would absolutely recommend the Pill Timer to ease the stress of remembering medications.  The elderly in particular would benefit from this product as a memory trigger for those who tend to be forgetful.

If you are an avid Google searcher like I am, then GoodSearch is a great way to donate to your favorite charity at the same time!  The charitable organization partnered with Google so for each search made, a portion of the profits will be donated to your choice of charity.  Though each search only generates about $0.01, yearly profits have exceeded $700 for a small charity and $70,000 for a large one!  The money is donated directly from GoodSearch’s advertisers.  Similarly, GoodShop allows you to shop online and donate a percentage of the cost to the charity of your choice.  Anywhere from 3-20% can be donated depending on the charity, accumulating from $1,000-150,000 donated per year! 

I had to try this website out for myself.  I went to GoodShop and selected my favorite charity, the American Cancer Society.  With it being a rainy day I decided to search Target’s website for some stylish rain boots.  After easily finding the color I wanted the site gave me the price, along with the percentage of the cost to be donated (1.5-3.5% in this case).  It was as easy as pie to switch stores, browse different items, or switch charities.  Who wouldn’t want to shop for a good cause? 

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!

Okay, so I don’t have a pool, so it would be pointless. But this is the coolest swimming pool extra I’ve seen in a while. AquaClimb is based in Maryland and produces the apparatus in various shapes and sizes based on the depth of the pool. The square panels can also be rotated in any direction to change up the course. So if you happen to have $7,000 laying around (plus delivery and installation), you’ll be sure to have the summer hot spot!

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.

Sustainability is a frequent topic on Dion’s blog. However we rarely look at the pressure that may be behind a company’s decision to implement sustainable efforts. This article from Brand Packaging takes a look at a few companies that have been targeted by green activists. When I say “activist” you may think of wild paint-throwing PETA rallies. But beyond the grassroots approaches, the strategy explained in the article that I found interesting is that activists may choose far more business-like tactics. Many have a voice because they are actual shareholders in the corporations they are trying to sway. By rallying votes on issues at shareholder meetings, activists are able to not only voice their concerns, but actually be heard by executives as their percentage of votes on an issue increases. To see how their influence has translated into more eco-friendly practices at some of the best known companies in the world, click here!

Just yesterday we commended Wal-mart for their eco-friendly practices, but for a huge corporation like Wal-mart, much of their initiative is based on requiring that their suppliers reduce their carbon footprint. The Sustainability Index Supplier Assessment that Wal-mart announced last year includes a 15-question survey to assess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; Wal-mart hopes to reduce this by 20 million metric tons. It seems to be an important first step before Wal-mart can implement the “Green” ratings that will disclose the eco-friendliness of products to consumers.

It may sound like Wal-mart is simply bullying their suppliers to make the company look good. In actuality, Wal-mart’s own practices include: using onsite renewable energy generation, reducing shipping and packaging waste, reducing truck fleet emissions, and more. If Wal-mart is successful in achieving their GHG emission reduction goal by 2015, it will be equivalent to:

• taking more than 3.8 million average cars off of the road for a year
• planting more than 181 million full grown trees

These emissions are also similar to what would be produced by:

• burning fossil fuels to power nearly 2.6 million U.S. homes for a year
• consuming nearly 2.3 billion gallons of gasoline. (All estimates based on EPA figures).

For more information, and to see Wal-mart CEO Mike Duke’s address to stakeholders, click here.

We’ve seen quite a few articles pop up about Pantone’s new iPhone app that gives access to their library of color. At first it had the initial “Great!” reaction, but then some of the pitfalls began to show their true colors—excuse the pun. Research done by VIGC showed that depending on which device you are using, the same Pantone color can look different on each device (above compares the Pantone 37-5-1 C on the iPhone 3G to the iPod Touch), which is different still compared to the GoeGuide seen below. Though to be fair, “Pantone does not represent the product as a precise color measuring tool” (graphicartsonline.com).  

For the reasons listed above, we often recommend color press proofs for labels that must match a certain color scheme. It is important that our customers realize the Pantone color they see on screen is usually very different from the actual Pantone color in a PMS book. Likewise, the printout from their laser or inkjet desktop printer may be different from both resources. With flexographic printing (which uses printing plates and ink stations), we can adjust color on press to match a Pantone color. In digital printing, this process is not so simple because the colors are all printed at once. A customer’s artwork file needs to be adjusted for color and then sent to the press for printing. Digital press proofs are printed using the exact HP Indigo equipment used to print your label order. These proofs are printed on the same material your labels will be printed on and can also be coated with UV varnish or lamination. So, as a customer, if you just want a dark blue without a specific Pantone match, you may forgo press proofs. However, if your logo is a specific shade of blue used among multiple products- then press proofs are the right option for you. When in doubt, get a press proof!  

GCI Magazine is giving you the heads-up on the trends in packaging for beauty industry products this year. Here are the different categories they see, their attributes and where it can be seen:

Rustic/Rugged Packaging: handmade feel, down-to-earth, tends to be for men’s products. Examples: John Varvatos Artisan cologne, Diesel Fuel For Life, Body Shop Hemp Heroes gift set

Handmade/Collage: collage/scrapbook-inspired, bright colors, hand-drawn elements, nostalgic, artsy. Examples: Sarah Jessica Parker’s NYC, Urban Decay’s Show Pony Shadow Box, Victoria’s Secret Beauty Rush, Kenneth Cole’s Black, Lush’s handmade bath and body products

Sustainability: green, eco-friendly packaging: recyclable, biodegradable, vegan, renewable. The product itself within the packaging tends to be equally eco-friendly. Examples: Body Shop Hemp Gift Set, Urban Decay Sustainable Shadow Box, Alicia Silverstone’s EcoTools, Cargo’s Plant Love certification

Technology/Experiencial: packaging keeping up with, or creating new, technology; often it creates an entire experience beyond the product and packaging (such as a digital and social media connection as well). Examples: Givenchy’s Play, Calvin Klein’s CK One and CK Be, Stila’s Smoky Eye Talking Palette

Pop Culture: refer to our last blog regarding makeup and the movies!

Typography: simple and usually for prestige and mass-market channels. Examples: Philosophy, Modern Organic Products (MOP), Bliss’s “Fat Girl Slim” cream, True Blue Spa’s “Shea It Isn’t So,” Maybelline’s “The Colossal” mascara,  Dermalogica’s Clean Start line

Look-specific/Instructional: all-in-one kits that are also how-to guides, the most popular being “smoky-eye” makeup kits. Examples: Benefit’s Smokin Eyes & Too Faced Smoky Eye Palette, as well as kits from Cover Girl and Sonia Kashuk’s specifically for Target.

Men’s Lines: times are changing for the acceptability of men using beauty products. Here’s how we’ve explained it in the past; the packaging attributes remain the same.

Have you ever wondered how some businesses came up with their names? Or are you an entrepreneur trying to decide on the company or product name for your next venture? Well this slideshow proves that sometimes the biggest company names have come about pretty haphazardly. So when you and your partner are battling over whose name goes first, just flip a coin!

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.  

Although it looks like it belongs in an airplane restroom, the new technology for bathroom essentials from W+W is quite impressive. The toilet utilizes the waste water from the sink to create a combination unit that has less of an environmental impact than a traditional sink and toilet. It also appears to be a great space saver for smaller bathrooms typical in Europe and metro areas. The W+W was developed by a company in Spain and retails for EUR 2,731.

Launched last fall, W+W is a single, L-shaped unit in which the sink and toilet are not only attached but also integrated internally. Specifically, wastewater from the sink is used to fill the toilet's cistern, thus saving as much as 25 percent of the water that would normally be used. An automatic cleaning system prevents bad odors and bacteria, while a specialized tap controls the water's temperature and flow for maximum energy savings, Plumbing Park reported.

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?

 Label & Narrow Web recently looked to industry experts for their article on short run labels and interviewed Dion Label Printing. The ability to affordably print short run orders has led to more opportunities for product manufacturers. Here is a brief excerpt from the article:

Stacy Santos, marketing manager for Dion Label Printing, Westfield, MA, USA, says the company takes into account the length of the run when deciding which printing process it’s going to use. In Dion’s case, short run jobs, among others, get moved to one of the company’s HP Indigo presses. "We decide whether a job will go digital or flexo based on the amount of footage we are going to run, the complexity of a customer’s label graphics and the number of SKUs in a particular run. About a third of our business is digital. We made the investment in digital in April 2005, and because our digital business grew so quickly, we invested in another HP Indigo digital press. And our digital operations have steadily grown over the years.

"Digital printing is perfect for multiple SKUs, low volume orders, promotional labels and prototyping," Santos says. "It’s a great way to offer high quality printing, complex graphics, and vibrant colors to customers that do not have large volume quantities. Our customers do not have to sacrifice label quality while keeping their inventories low."

Read the full article here!

This may be the most intriguing technology I’ve come across in quite some time—although I may be biased because I always forget to charge my cell phone and iPod. The nPower PEG (personal energy generator) would be the perfect solution. Basically, it uses human kinetic energy from activities such as running or walking to power various mobile devices. The inventor, engineer Aaron LeMieux came up with the idea while hiking the 1,500 mile Appalachian Trail, obviously without the means to charge devices via an electrical outlet. The nPower PEG will recharge the device in the same way as a wall outlet (15 minutes of walking is equivalent to 15 minutes plugged into a wall). And in an emergency situation—no need to go for a walk—you can also shake the nPower PEG.

The only downfall I can see is the size: one foot long and an inch in diameter. So you would most likely have to store the device in a backpack which may be a problem for someone like me who already hates strapping an iPod to my arm when I go for a run. Also, the new technology isn’t on the market just yet. You can pre-order it for $149 on the company’s website, but it isn’t clear if it would arrive in time for this holiday season.

Dove recently released a line of body wash with NutriumMoistureTM technology to work in harmony with your skin. Similarly to other products from Dove, these body wash products are all about increasing moisture while cleaning your skin. Dove’s website explains that many body washes on the market actually wash away your skin’s natural moisture. They continue:

Heavy moisturizers are often added into body washes to make up for the loss. But they’re not identical to your skin’s moisture, so they tend to sit on the surface and don’t get fully absorbed. Natural moisture is what’s needed to nourish deep down.

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!

Creative Review magazine in the UK recently teamed up with Cyperpac to distribute their periodical in a plastic bag that dissolves in water. This is part of a series the magazine has dedicated towards sustainability. In September the issue was sent in an envelope that could be re-used as a binder for their Monograph series, and the November issue will be sent out in the Harmless-Dissolve bag. The idea of literally making trash disappear without any harmful environmental effects is incredibly forward-thinking. Click here to see the process in action!

Harmless-Dissolve uses a hydro-degradable plastic to produce a stronger and lighter plastic bag which completely dissolves in water leaving no damaging residue. This fantastic product can replace poly-wrap on magazines, cotton laundry bags in hospitals and, with natural anti-static qualities has broad utility in the electronics industry.

A partnership between a computer manufacturer and nail polish manufacturer seems odd at first glance, but the intriguing collaboration results in more customization options for consumers. Dell’s Design Studio will have rights to 26 OPI colors for Dell Mini, Inspiron and Studio laptops. There will be 20 classic colors with names like "Big Apple Red," "Strawberry Margarita," "Rosy Future" and "Kyoto Pearl," and my personal favorite "I’m Not Really a Waitress." During the holiday season there will be 6 Holiday Collection colors including "Dear Santa," "Merry Midnight" and "Smitten with Mittens." This customization only adds to Dell’s marketing strategy of building your own computer, and specifically targets women already familiar with the shades they are sporting on their nails on a daily basis.

"Dell and OPI’s offerings are a fresh collision of style and power, color and technology," said Rachna Bhasin, general manager, partnerships and personalization or global consumer. "OPI’s high style and Dell’s award-winning technology combine to offer people stylish options that deliver the ultimate combination of color and connectivity on the go."

The first National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) took place in October, 1985, making this month the 25th year for the program. With other organizations such as Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Society on the Board of Sponsors, attention continues to grow for breast cancer awareness. Due in part to the collective efforts behind NBCAM, there has been a 2% annual decrease in breast cancer death rates since 1990. The increased survival rate is inspirational, but the fight continues.

About 192,370 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in American women in 2009. In 1975 the incidence of breast cancer was 107 per 100,000 for white women and 94 per 100,000 for black women. Thirty years later in 2005, the number of new cases per year had risen to 126 per 100,000 for white women and 114 per 100,000 for black women.

As you go about your normal shopping habits this month, notice the various promotions to support breast cancer. Susan G. Komen for the Cure alone has over 150 corporate partners that make generous donations (proudly, some are customers of ours), which include percentage donations based on sales. For example, every pink Yoplait lid mailed back to the company contributes 10 cents to Susan G. Komen. Or if you’re in the market for a new car, Ford will donate $20 for each Ford, Mercury or Lincoln vehicle test driven at a Ford dealership – up to $1 million until December 31st. For a full list of corporate sponsors and how your purchase can help, click here.

As huge "So You Think You Can Dance" and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" fans, we also wanted to share this video in celebration of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Vegetarians may not want to read any further, but for those that can stomach the thought of it, an Agricultural Research Service scientist has patented a product that solves the problem of an unwanted byproduct of poultry processing. Walther Schmidt works in the ARS Environmental Management and Byproduct Utilization Laboratory in Beltsville, MD and has been working on solutions for discarded chicken feathers. Working with research associate Masud Huda of the Horticultural Research Institute in Washington D.C., the two have developed a practical use for the poultry byproduct that will also give back to the environment.  

Their creation and solution is several planting pots that biodegrade over varying periods of time (one to five years) and slowly release nitrogen into the soil, a highly beneficial nutrient. The plastic made from feathers is manufactured without any petroleum and has properties similar to polyethylene and polypropylene. Not only is it biodegradable, it is also a very strong plastic. According to PhysOrg.com, “Several commercial pot manufacturers are involved in this phase to determine optimum production-scale molding specifications for the containers. According to Schmidt, the "green" horticultural end products will not only help solve the environmental problem by creating biodegradable plastics, but will also provide a cost-effective commercial use for feathers.”

Were you starting to think the days of giving a mixed tape were over? Well they are, but here is a far more creative and attractive way of giving a burned CD! Burney Cards include a recordable CD and foldable card/packaging designed by artists on the rise. Although the company is based outside of the US, the cards can be shipped internationally. Even with all of the digital music sharing, teenagers today still give the gift of music to their high school sweethearts. The cards are themed for more occasions than just love including congratulations, thanks, get well, everyday and apology.

Created by Dutch firm Schmeitz+Freitag, the Burney CD Card provides content-sharing consumers with a giftable alternative to download links and plastic jewel cases. The current line includes 24 styles of cards designed by up-and-coming artists. With designs for a variety of occasions, the cards let users record music, pictures or video onto the matching CD and send it along in the included slot, with a personalized message written on the card itself. The 15-by-15-cm cards are priced at EUR 5.95 each, with an introductory offer that provides one free card for every 10 purchased. Burney Cards were named finalists in this year's Creative Amsterdam Award.

For those of you in the design field, or if you’re just generally intrigued by stylish packaging, take a look at these unique packaging concepts. The blog is run by a Brazilian-based team enthusiastic about design and the internet. Get inspired!

Pitchmen is a new show on the Discovery Channel that follows infomercial talent Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan as they search for useful products that can be sold through direct response marketing. Inventors pitch their ideas to Billy and Sully. If the duo feel the invention has a large market and serves as a solution to a common problem, the products are then field tested to gather people's opinions. If the the field test is a success, the two hosts move on to shoot an infomercial. It's exciting to see the new products that may come to market as well as all the time, money and effort these inventors invest in their inventions.

On Thursday, February 12, HP announced they were going to expand their environmental sustainability with their HP indigo digital presses. HP wants to meet the need for the reduction of waste while enhancing profitability and productivity. The HP Graphics Solution Business is now promoting new tools and programs such as a revised HP indigo media guide and a new recycling program for ink parts. The new revised HP indigo media guide now includes 30% more recycled content paper, along with more third-party sustainability-related certifications such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Chain of Custody.

"From high-profile communication papers to everyday house stock, HP Indigo customers can choose from a wide range of recycled-content papers, environmentally accredited papers, and papers made or subsidized by alternate energy sources,"

Apple recently announced a family of green notebooks. These notebooks are used from highly recyclable materials and are free of many harmful substances found in computers today. The goals of Apple's engineers were to maximize energy efficiency and minimize Macbook's carbon footprint. Packaging was also reduced so there would be less material to recycle.

Macbook's four eco-features:

1. Many harmful toxins removed
2. Energy Efficient
3. Highly Recyclable
4. Reduced packaging

For more information, visit Apple. Here is a video on the green Macbook family.