Brand Packaging articles from September 2006

Brand Packaging archives from September 2006

Do you "get it": or, better yet, do you want to?
September 1, 2006... Being the busy editorial team that we are, we often use verbal "shorthand" in BRANDPACKAGING. Our mission, as you well know, is to bring you a unique blend of strategy, design and technology that, when utilized to its fullest, makes for some of...

Get smart: intelligent packaging technologies are quickly commercializing. But if you don't "get smart" on how they can benefit your brand, you risk getting left behind.(Cover story)
September 1, 2006... In Steven Spielberg's Minority Report, set in the year 2054, Tom Cruise walks into a Gap store and a virtual salesperson emerges to ask how his "selection of tank tops worked out". As he passes a mall corridor, billboards call out his name....

Oh baby! Look at Gerber now: all three Gerber baby food lines--from infant to toddler--get a makeover.(BRAND NEW)
September 1, 2006... Gerber has re-launched its line of baby foods--Infant, Organic and Graduates--with new product introductions and reformulations of existing ones. A new packaging system across the three lines helps consumers shop the category New...

Modern Thymes: a bath and body launch and a corporate-brand restaging are putting a new bloom on Minneapolis-based Thymes' fragrant products.(READY SET GO)
September 1, 2006... Creating a brand that is timeless yet modern is something of a contradiction--not only at the level of product development but also in terms of package design. One brand that has conquered the quandary, with exceptionally satisfying creative...

An Oral Fix in a tin.(Editorial)
September 1, 2006... Years after the abrupt end to the Internet boom, and still our country has no shortage of young entrepreneurs. Take Jeremy Kahn, Henry Rich, and Jon Harris--three Ivy League grads who started making mints out of a former chocolate factory in...

Convenience packaging sweeps household cleaning sector; new product packaging is making household chores easier around the globe.
September 1, 2006... Household cleaners are delving deeper into the areas of portability and convenience. According to the Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), there are a bevy of new products creating new ways to make household chores easier around the...

Consumer-driven innovation helps conquer the club store; 3M's Nexcare brand set its sights on distribution at Costco, and innovative new channel-specific packaging helped make it happen.
September 1, 2006... With powerful brands and a global presence, 3M's $3 billion consumer and office business prides itself on leading through innovation. A key component of the company's portfolio, the Nexcare bandage brand enjoyed distribution at retail...

Water bottle doubles as a solar energy converter; a design-for-sustainability exercise.(OUTSIDE THE BOX)
September 1, 2006... We convert raw materials into packaging to drive the wheels of industry at an incredible rate. And one of the by-products is a vast quantity of thermoplastic that is either land-filled or, ideally, recycled. But many manufacturers believe...

Down to the last drop?(MARKETING MISFIRES)(trends in mustard packaging)
September 1, 2006... Years ago, mustard manufacturers had a clever way of looking at their profit margins: "It's not what you use; it's what's left in the jar!" At the time, mustard was sold in a glass jar with a base that was wider than its neck, making it...

The ice men cometh: two brands of "premium" spring water ice cubes are combining convenience and purity claims to appeal to the discerning consumer.(aquaICE and Water Bank of America)
September 1, 2006... Two North American companies are out to change the way U.S. consumers look at the ice in their drinks. This fall, both aquaICE and Water Bank of America are planning to introduce pre-filled trays of premium water that consumers can buy,...

Folgers goes Gourmet.(MARKET-DRIVEN INNOVATIONS)
September 1, 2006... The September launch of Folgers Gourmet Selections--a line of eight, premium coffees--is the Procter & Gamble brand's first foray into the gourmet coffee sector. Priced at $5.99 for a 10- or 12-ounce standup bag (depending on variety), the line...

Land of the Rising Sun.(MARKET-DRIVEN INNOVATIONS)
September 1, 2006... The French fashion brand Ted Lapidus recently re-entered the U.S. market with the launch of Silk Way, a fragrance for women named for the ancient road linking China with the West. As such, images of the Far East were inspiration for Denis...

Rehab: gel in a syringe.(MARKET-DRIVEN INNOVATIONS)
September 1, 2006... One shot and you're set. That's the claim of a new styling gel called Rehab, which is packaged in a 2.4-ounce plastic syringe. Part of the Rudeman brand of hair styling products a line targeted to men with alternative, edgy lifestyles--Rehab...

Foaming with success.(MARKET-DRIVEN INNOVATIONS)
September 1, 2006... The product is the package in Method's latest launch, a line of three foaming hand washes in 10-ounce, translucent PET bottles. Topped with an instant foaming pump from Rexam Airspray (www.airspray.biz), the product line is offered in the...

A cuppa tuna.(MARKET-DRIVEN INNOVATIONS)
September 1, 2006... Chicken of the Sea International is now turning out its tuna and salmon products in new packaging formats: 2.8-ounce plastic cups with easy-open foil lids. "The new cups meet consumers' desire for convenient, on-the-go food, and they are...

Cognac for 'nomads'.(MARKET-DRIVEN INNOVATIONS)
September 1, 2006... Grand Marnier is launching holiday gift packing for its NAVAN black-vanilla-infused cognac that is inspired by the concept of a modern "nomad pack". Available in U.S. liquor stores in October, the packaging includes a high density acrylic...

Double the billboard, inside and out.(FINLAND)
September 1, 2006... An outer sleeve made of peelable paper from Huhtamaki (www.huhtamaki.com) offers double the billboard for marketers of dairy products like Valio, Finland's largest dairy company. Valio uses the sleeve for packaging fresh products like curds,...

Shrink label makes a statement.(SPAIN)
September 1, 2006... Shrink sleeves are a popular option in the beverage category, where both shelf presence and tamper evidence are critical--two good reasons why Spanish dairy manufacturer Grupo Leche Pascual chose an eight-color shrink label from Sleever...

Premium juice is unbreakable.(UNITED KINGDOM)
September 1, 2006... A shaped plastic bottle has opened the door for Britvic's [J.sub.2]O premium juice drink to sporting and other outdoor venues where glass is prohibited. The PET bottle, supplied by Constar International (www.constar.net), also features...

Take five at work.(UNITED KINGDOM)
September 1, 2006... Meal in 5! was developed to offer consumers a high-quality, low-cost pasta meal that can be prepared quickly (in just five minutes)and conveniently by adding boiling water. Brand owner Brand Partnership worked with RPC Bebo Corby...

Do-it-Yourself, less the mess.(EUROPE)
September 1, 2006... With DIY home improvements more popular than ever, brand owners and package designers are pushing the envelope to deliver the convenience and ease of handling that consumers demand. Akzo Nobel recently launched its Do-it-Yourself paint line in...

Following up on developing trends.(Costco Wholesale Corp.'s paper based packaging)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Brand owners and retailers are working hard to offer consumers packaging that is environmentally responsible while still cost effective. We reported on this trend most recently in the March 2006 issue of BRANDPACKAGING (archived at...