Posted by Kari Embree

January 29, 2014

5 Min Read
August Packaging Concepts

Coca-Cola launches affordable slimline can
Coca-Cola Great Britain has introduced a new slimline 250mL can across all Coca-Cola trademark brands: Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero. This new pack is being launched in addition to the standard 330mL can and reflects the company's commitment to offering consumers a greater choice of refreshing products to suit all lifestyles. 


The 250mL can will be widely available in convenience stores for on-the-go shoppers nationwide from mid-July. It will have a recommended retail price of 49p. The 250mL can of Coca-Cola contains 105 calories per can; Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero offer people no-calorie options in the smaller format.
Jon Woods, general manager for Coca-Cola Great Britain & Ireland, says, "The 250mL can is a really exciting new addition to the Coca-Cola Great Britain portfolio. The slimline cans offer people a handy Coca-Cola, Diet Coke or Coca-Cola Zero at great value, which is really important as we know affordability is high on the agenda for many British shoppers."


Brawny launches ‘inner strength' campaign with on-pack stories
Georgia-Pacific, the maker of Brawny paper towels, is partnering with Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) on a campaign to help raise awareness and resources for the growing non-profit that strives to help honor and empower our nation's Wounded Warriors. This is the Brawny brand's largest corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative to date and its most significant charitable contribution this year. Brawny is making a direct initial donation of $250,000 to WWP. The campaign, however, has the potential to rack up an additional $350,000 in donations for WWP through interactions on the Brawny Facebook page, for a total donation of up to $600,000.


The Brawny packaging highlights the WWP partnership and explains how consumers can get involved (by "Liking" the Facebook page, leaving a note of thanks on the Facebook page or texting THANKS to the indicated number). The packaging encourages consumers to make their own donations by visiting the WWP website. And the pack also highlights a specific Wounded Warrior's story and includes a quick-response (QR) code that links to the Facebook page for more information.

 

Makeover of the Month:


Bottled water reacts to social media feedback with redesign
All natural flavored sparkling water, Something Natural, has rebranded with a gallery-worthy new design, and a clear focus on female consumers. Something Natural once again partnered with New York design consultancy Little Big Brands (www.littlebigbrands.com) to develop the evolution.


"We started to notice a trend amongst our passionate fans via social media," says Randy Shefshick, creator of Something Natural. "Our consumers have ‘hijacked' the brand and are doing all sorts of creative things with our bottle. We saw this as an opportunity to listen to them and enhance the design aesthetic further to shape our brand message and solidify our packaging as art."


"We've always seen this bottle as a canvas of blue sky. The evolution takes that a step further distilling down the original flock of birds design to a single graphic bird that both reinforces the natural promise of the brand and feels more approachable and warm," says John Nunziato, creative director, Little Big Brands.


Each element of the packaging was handcrafted, from the hand-drawn typography of the logo to the bird illustrations. Five unique birds were illustrated to set each flavor apart and help provide strong color-coding. The logo is also customized and finishes differently on each stockkeeping unit (SKU) as it appears to be a piece of string being pulled by the birds.


"Our bottles have always been a piece of art, and this really takes that idea to the next level, serving as an accessory for the consumer drinking it," says Shefshick.

 

Mintel Market Snapshot:

 

Limited-edition, anniversary packs draw in loyal consumers
Brand loyalty and longevity can go a long way when it comes to consumer confidence and purchase influence. Many brands have a long history that can be leveraged for limited-edition packaging designs.
For example, here we see Kellogg's Frosties which launched a limited-edition pack this summer in the United Kingdom using a pack design from 1952 to tie-in with the Queen's Jubilee celebrations-both aligning with a popular celebration, and reminding consumers of a long and trusted position in consumer's lives.


Mintel research shows just how powerful childhood memories can be when it comes to what we buy at the grocery store. A significant number of consumers still buy the same cereal, snacks and desserts they ate as children.


According to Mintel's February 2013 Packaging Trends report, 14 percent of United States consumers reported that a limited-edition, seasonal or special-release product was important to them.


Similarly, Jägermeister drew on 75 years of pack designs to develop a limited-edition bottle that leverages various aspects of the evolution of the brand. The bottle, developed with O-I (www.o-i.com), is given a vintage look through a textured finish to contrast with the smooth and perfect finish of the modern bottle. By returning to old designs in this way, a brand can remind consumers that the product has stood the test of time to become a trusted favorite and has an authenticity that newer brands might be perceived to lack.


However, reverting to old packaging designs isn't the only way to communicate longevity in a trusted family brand. Last year saw the American biscuit brand Oreo celebrate a 100-year anniversary. Though this brand does have a library of historical packaging to draw from, packaging designs from 100 years ago are not likely to have any resonance with consumers alive today. And, as a brand that has expanded out of America across the world, a return to older packaging designs could have been seen as too U.S.-focused and restrict the opportunities to leverage this anniversary.


Instead, Nabisco focused on using the packaging to suggest a celebration of the anniversary as a "birthday" for the brand, reminding consumers of that strong heritage, while remaining modern, relevant and forward-looking in appearance. 


Author Benjamin Punchard is senior global packaging analyst at Mintel (www.mintel.com).

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