Ice Breakers’ packs encourage Millennials to toot their own horn

Kate Bertrand Connolly 1, Freelance Writer

June 19, 2017

3 Min Read
Ice Breakers’ packs encourage Millennials to toot their own horn
Eight phrases and a unicorn graphic replace the typical package design for Ice Breakers Cool Mint and Strawberry Duos (see below) flavors as part of the brand's “Unicorn of Confidence” ad campaign.

The Hershey Co. knows a thing or two about food packaging, and its new promotional packaging design for Ice Breakers mints shows the company is also savvy about an important demographic: Millennials.

To appeal to these consumers, Hershey decorates its limited-time “Encourage-mint” packs with a rearing unicorn, holograms and inspirational phrases like “Be Unstompable” and “Believe in Your Selfie” (ingeniously printed in reversed, mirror-legible type). Each of the eight packages in the limited collection sports one of the aphorisms, printed across an image of the unicorn. The package structure is a 1.5-oz. polypropylene puck. The puck format has been used for the brand since its inception in 1996.

The packaging design ties in with Ice Breakers’ #GiveAPuck social media campaign, which started on June 1. At the brand’s website, consumers can download custom unicorn-themed assets for sharing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. These include digital stickers, memes, green screens and a sparkly typeface.

Inri Mouchette, senior brand manager, sweets and refreshment, at The Hershey Co., answered some questions about the limited-edition packaging and the #GiveAPuck campaign.

How does this package design encourage sharing?

Mouchette: The spirit of the Encourage-mint campaign is rooted in sharing. The eight new “Encourage-mints” on the limited-edition packaging epitomize confidence, with expressions including “Grab Life By the Horn,” “Be You-Nicorn,” and “Never Say Neigh,” to remind consumers of their potential. [The social media campaign also] encourages the sharing of these limited-edition pucks to give friends an icy boost of confidence.

Please describe the “social boost” that’s built into the #GiveAPuck campaign.

Mouchette: Ice Breakers knows that social validation drives Millennials and is the ultimate boost of confidence. When consumers share a picture of one of the new Encourage-mint pucks, tag a friend and use #GiveAPuck, they will potentially receive a surprise social boost from a social influencer. Giving a puck = giving an Encourage-mint boost.

This may include a like, a retweet or [an Instagram] regram from well-known, entertaining personalities who are compelling to the Ice Breakers demographic.

How is the social media campaign identified on the package?

Mouchette: There is a visible #GiveAPuck on all of the Encourage-mint packaging.

How long will the limited-edition packaging be available?

Mouchette: Three months, from June through September.

How are the Encourage-mint labels printed? Do you use digital printing?

Mouchette: The printing is done via conventional flexo printing. The label is a holographic material. This allows the images printed and layered on it to let the holographic features of the substrate show through and create the effect seen on-pack.

Ice-Breakers-Encourage-Mint-Phrases-2-72dpi.jpg

Eight phrases and a unicorn graphic replace the typical package design for Ice Breakers Cool Mint (see above) and Strawberry Duos flavors as part of the brand's “Unicorn of Confidence” ad campaign.

The limited-time packaging and social media campaign are a creative follow-on to the Ice Breakers “Unicorn of Confidence” ad campaign that broke last year. Are those commercials (view one here) still airing?

Mouchette: Yes, the Unicorn of Confidence TV ad campaign is still airing.

Who designed the Encourage-mints package graphics?

Mouchette: The designs were created by our strategic design agency, LPK.

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About the Author

Kate Bertrand Connolly 1

Freelance Writer

Kate Bertrand Connolly has been covering innovations, trends, and technologies in packaging, branding, and business since 1981.

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