Shoppability, easy-pour key to olive oil packaging design

Our first “Who wore it better?” packaging challenge was pretty much a blowout. Packaging professionals picked the package they thought had a better grip, an easier-to-read label and a more authentic-looking container. Was it the one you voted for?

In mid-August 2017, and in the style of Hollywood fashion critiques, we asked packaging designers and other packaging professionals to pick which of two packages for Extra Virgin Olive Oil was better and why: Botticelli or Filippo Berio.

Both products are sold in square green polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles with gold plastic continuous-thread closures and gold-foil pressure-sensitive labels. Both containers hold the same amount of product: 1.5 liters.

More than 150 people voted, mostly within the first couple days. A clear winner emerged almost right away—and kept its lead: Filippo Berio at 81%.

Why did they prefer this package? Here’s what they liked about the Filippo Berio bottle:

“The front and back label fit the area better, less negative space. The name is in black which stands out and more legible. Has a more ‘crafted’ look with Fillipo’s picture and signature.”

“Label pops more on shelf. Nutrition easier to read. Name on cap is good. Brand stands out.”

“Better branding. Really pops. Front label coverage. Leaf detail on bottle. Branded cap. Back label could be better but it still wins overall.”

 “It is very close to the original glass bottle.”

“The shape of the bottle and the gold portion of the label pops more. It comes across as a higher end product due to those two points.”

“Label contrast with the bottle made label stand out more.”

“The shape of the bottle. The Botticelli bottle reminds me more of mouth rinse than olive oil.”

“The design is more bold—its elements stand out more, whereas Botticelli seems to all blend together. Filippo better conveys that vintage feel.”

“Less cluttered. Brand name/product names are more visible.”

“The larger label gave more impact.”

“More attractive bottle design and label.”

“Easier to read, spot on the shelf.”

“Label covers the bottle better, the complete bottle looks more ‘old country’ authentic. BTW, is that supposed to be a picture of a ‘virgin’ on the Botticelli label? Why?”

“The brand name and product are more clearly visible on the label and I like the bottle shape better.”

Some of the people who voted for Filippo Berio might really have been voting against Botticelli because they pointed out the negative impressions of that package when asked why they chose the package they did:

“More natural. Botticelli looks too many sharp cuts into the bottle.”

“Botticelli’s bottle reminds me a little of cleaning agents. The label looks like it could be a little bit bigger. Fillippo Berrio’s bottle seems like it belongs in a kitchen. The label seems very ‘confident’ if that’s possible.”

“Smooth curves better communicate olive oil. Other is more industrial and typically used for drug products like alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.”

“IMO—the Botticelli bottle ‘looks’ cheap. Why? Label is smaller. The narrower mid portion of the bottle gives an impression of ‘less’ content. The ‘fatter’ Filippo Berio bottle has the appearance of fullness. The larger label has more gold and gives me a more positive and appealing appearance.”

“Berio takes up more space on the bottle, easier to read. Also, the Botticelli bottle looks like there is less volume than the Berio—so less product inside?”

“Smoother lines and more ‘glass like’ shape are soothing and comforting. The sharp bold edges of the Botticelli bottle suggest a strong, masculine ‘tough’ product that would work better for an energy drink or sport bottle.”

Oddly enough, a better grip, stronger label and “chiseled” container were the same reasons some people chose the Botticelli bottle:

“Looks like it would be easier to hold the bottle if your hands were wet or slippery.”

“The bottle design looks more deliberate and its chiseled effect fits with the label, The Filippo bottle looks like a PET CSD [carbonated soft drink] container that [has] deformed over time through internal pressure.”

“The grip appears to be better.”

“I prefer the grip on this one. More defined square look is more pleasing to me.”

“More streamline, looks easier to use.”

“Clean look, great grip.”

“Looks bolder, stronger and more impressive.”

“Filippo Berio looks wimpy.”

Stay tuned for our next “Who wore it better” challenge: Jerky pouches. We'll open the next poll in our Packaging Design & Concepts and News & Insights newsletters. Sign up for our newsletters here.

If you have a suggestion for a “Who wore it better” poll—do you want to know what your peers think about your package versus your competitor?—send an email to executive editor Lisa Pierce at [email protected].

Thanks for playing!

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