August 19, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Mason jar. Quite a long time. And yet it’s hard to believe that these common food preserving devices aren’t even older. Seems like they’ve been around forever.

It’s also easy to take for granted the Mason jar’s role in packaging. Before you could routinely pluck fruits or vegetables off the grocer’s shelf any old time, these heavy glass containers were the only way many people could be assured of having such niceties all year round.

So take a moment and pay homage to this wonderful piece of packaging. First, take a look at the beautiful colors and textures in the first jar of this video:
...Read More

August 18, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

It's amazing how just a little twist - no pun intended - can take an existing product and totally change it around. Here's one that came across my desk. A very clever little addition to the everday pop can makes it resealable.

And it even has room for branding and advertising messages! Clever indeed.

Check out the video below, or go to the company's website for info.

 

 

 

Industries: Package Design

August 15, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

Okay, here's one of the most brilliant packaging ideas I've seen in a long time. David Gardener's lamp packaging actually becomes the lamp itself, leaving no packaging to throw away. In the process, it has the look of a traditional houselamp sort of cast in stone. 

After purchasing the product, one would take the few simple components, assemble them into the packaging material, and voila -- a lamp. It's very cool. Makes one really think about that notion of "the packaging is the product."

According to online design magazine Dezeen, Gardener presented the piece at ...Read More

August 12, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

We talk a lot around here about sustainable packaging, and for good reason. It’s an issue that affects everyone, both inside and outside of the packaging world.

One of the better resources on the web for those interested in the topic is Inside Sustainable Packaging by Salazar Packaging. There are plenty of good resources on the web that talk about this key subject, but Salazar’s perspective is unique – they actually sell packaging.

Now, that might make you immediately suspect that the blog’s comments would be hopelessly skewed – after all, they’re in the biz of peddling packaging, regardless of how “green” their products may or may not be.

But in reading through it, I’ve found the company’s ...Read More

Industries: Sustainable Packaging

August 11, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

In any profession, knowledge truly is power … and money, and freedom, and all the other nice things that generally come with it. And for that reason, my post today looks at a valuable educational resource in our profession, the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP).

Among IoPP’s many roles, one of its most important is to provide education for packaging professionals. To that end, the institute offers a number of concentrated programs, serving a wide range of experience levels.

Best of all, they’re accessible. The courses are offered in prime locations throughout the country. And there are also web seminars and available in-house training.

I recently had a cha...Read More

Industries: Package Design