Chocolate tasting set gets book-styled packaging

Just in time for the holiday season, Brix Chocolate has launched a tasting party gift set that includes four varieties of chocolate in 3-oz boxes: Extra Dark at 70% cacao, Medium Dark at 60%, Smooth Dark at 54%, and Milk Chocolate at 46%—just add wine! Included inside is a wooden cutting board and knife to break chocolate into bite size pieces and it comes packaged in a keepsake box with a special tasting guide.

Packaging Digest got the details on the packaging design for the Tasting Party Gift Set and the Brix Collection from Bruce Barber, managing director, Brix.

What design trends does your packaging set in the confectionary market? 

Barber: The number one objective of the new package was to display the elements. This is why we choose to use a window to show the 4 Brix varieties, cutting board and knife. We also noticed a trend in expert commentary on wine-related items so choose Philip Goodband as Master of Wine to create a tasting guide, walking consumers through how to conduct a chocolate and wine tasting at home.

What were the key goals and requirements from a marketing view? From a packaging view?

Barber: As mentioned, our number one goal was to visually show the components inside the package. We already have a Brix item, the Brix Collection that has all four varieties, so it was important to show this was different by including the cutting board, knife and tasting guide. Secondly, Brix is a premium chocolate and it was critical to retail the premium imagery we have used on all other packages. So a gloss paper was used on the outer cover along with gold stamp of type. We enhance the wine association with the Brix seal on the front and the closure wax seal on the side which is similar to many wine products.

The branding of the package as a Tasting Party Set also highlighted consumer insights we had on usage of Brix. Consumers are often using Brix at tasting party and this sparked the idea for Tasting Party Set, all the components you need for a home chocolate and wine tasting, except the wine. Hence, the add on line at the bottom “Just Add Wine”.

From a packaging point of view, in addition to the communication points above, it was critical to retain the “book-like” appearance which was so successful for us with the Brix Collection and the package needed to hold the elements safely in place during transport. Inside the package are several components which do exactly that including foam to hold the board in place, a cardboard holder for the Brix packages and double sided foam tape for the knife.

The result is an attractive gift package that opens up to provide a Party in a Box.

Michael Osborne design did creative and Tap Packaging package design and production.