Cracker Jacks are one of the most well known all American snacks. The sweet caramel popcorn and peanuts mix was first sold at the Chicago World Fair in 1893 from where it became so popular that the product was written into the famous baseball tune “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Almost as famous as the snack itself is the rectangular box packaging it was originally sold in. Each box’s background was printed with a detailed photo of the caramel corn and peanuts. A red and white banner graphic wrapped around the box accented with the well known brand mascots in blue: Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo (photo above).

The brand was sold to Frito-Lay in 1997 and with the changing times came packaging updates. The Cracker Jack box was slowly phased out and a plastic pouch was introduced as shown in the photo above. Image quality of the caramel corn was sharpened and decreased in size for the appearance of more kernels on the pouch. Instead of the traditional red, white and blue wrap around banner a vertical banner was added down the center of the pouch. Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo are now printed in black and white and are surrounded by a blue circle for a more modern take on the original design.

Just last month the brand also introduced a brand new collection called Cracker Jack’d. The new collection was introduced to expand their flavor varieties beyond caramel and appeal to a wider audience. Some of the new flavor varieties include Cheddar BBQ, Spicy Pizzeria and Berry Yogurt! Check out the new pouch packaging designed for the Cracker Jack’d line (photo above) and notice that they have switched to a completely black bag with neutral colored text. The snack graphic stands out nicely against the black background for a more modern design that still has a hint of the original design.

What do you think about the new packaging design for Cracker Jack’d? Leave us a comment today! 

As a company grows and expands, there comes a point when a packaging redesign is needed. The question that most companies ask is when is the right time for them to redesign their packaging? Branding company, Branding Success, commented on some of the key factors that will lead your company towards a packaging redesign.

One of the first items you need to determine is what you want to convey to your customer through the packaging. For example, if you are marketing an organic snack bar does the outer packaging reflect images that will indicate it is organic? A consumer might be interested in seeing the USDA Certified Organic logo on the label or highlighted phrases such as “all natural” or “made with real fruit.” Be sure that both the design as well as the information on your packaging tells your customer the message you are trying to deliver. In reverse, make sure that your packaging also reflects what the customer seeks in your product.

Another key topic to keep in mind when determining if your company is ready for a packaging redesign is to survey your competition and analyze the trends in your industry. For example, pouch packaging and single serve detergents are currently trending in the household cleaning products market. Companies such as Tide Pods were the pioneers of pouched pod cleaners and other companies have since joined in on the trend to stay current with their own product designs.  Staying current does not, however, mean you want to completely blend in with other packaging so as to be overlooked by the consumer. Creating an eye-catching design will still following industry trends is a happy medium between the two.

Finally, if a specific item of your brands identity changes such as the logo or color scheme you would want to redesign your packaging and other forms of marketing including your webpage, mailers and print advertisements. Your goal is to show your consumer one logo design consistently across all product collections.

Check out our previous blog on the dressing packaging redesign in the photo above: “Bolthouse Farms Redesign.” 

Pouch packaging is increasing in popularity and Mexican food company, Bimbo Mexico, has decided to use this type of packaging for their new snack line of natural freeze dried fruits: Fruttimania Natural Slices. Package design agency Tridimage worked hard to design an identity for this new snack brand that would evoke the natural quality of the product. 

Freeze dried Fruttimania Natural Slices are available in three different fruit flavors: banana, apple, and mango banana. The pouch designs are colorful yet have a natural feel with a variety of leaf graphics surrounding the main fruit image. The Fruttimana logo is located at the top of the pouch, and uses green and brown which are both natural colors. A silver stripe through the center of the pouch acts as a divider for the graphic. The top of the fruit is illustrated as fresh fruit, while the bottom of the fruit is illustrated as freeze dried fruit. According to an article on The Dieline, “The silver metallic stripe and icon convey the food technology behind the lyophilization process.” Utilizing both fruit graphics in one makes it easy for the consumer to see the process that the food went through to become a healthy, all natural snack choice. Pouch packaging is a great solution for limited shelf space as it combines inner and outer packaging all into one! 

Check out previous blogs about pouches and contact us today to get started on your next packaging project! 

When creating a high quality label, it is important original source files including live or outlined text is provided for printing. Live text is text that can be manipulated or edited without compromising the print quality. For example, if you created text in one file and imported it into another file during artwork creation, it may transfer the text as an image that is not editable. The text element is then susceptible to becoming blurry during printing.

Let’s look at our example below with the phrase “Dion Label Printing.” The examples directly below show the phrase in live text which means the size can be increased without manipulation or distortion. Note that the increased size is just as clear as the original size. You also have the ability to select a single letter, for example the “D,” and increase/decrease the size of only that letter.

Live Text – Original Size

Live Text – Increased Size

Now let’s look at the same phrase below when it is imported into the document as an image or not as live text. You can see how the same phrase now appears blurry and unclear to read. Also, since the text is now a single image you no longer have the ability to select a single letter such as the “D.”

Not Live Text – Original Size

Not Live Text – Increased Size

Creating live text for your label artwork is an easy way to ensure clear and easy to read print quality for your label art. If you have any questions on live text, please feel free to contact a Dion representative today!