Board 1
The Future Of Bacon Packaging
Format Changes
Inner Packaging
In the early development stages, the format of the outer packaging changed a few times. At first it was landscape, which is most common with bacon packaging. However, the pig illustration would be too flimsy. There was always going to be a window so that the customer could see the bacon before they buy it. It was then changed to portrait, but again the text wasn’t quite balanced. The decision to move from white stock to a black background then came as it has a more premium look. A band through the window with the information on was also considered, but this would compromise the consumer being able to see the bacon. After trying a few variations of the label, the final design was produced and was ready for print.
The resealable packaging for the bacon was created using a vacuum sealer. Bacon was measured accordingly and that was used to get the right size for the grip seal bag and also defined the dimensions for the outer packaging.
Labels A few labels that didn’t make the cut. At first, a white stock was going to be used, but after consideration it didn’t feel premium enough. The layout wasn’t very refined. The second label isn’t structured enough which again makes it lose its premium feel. The third label was nearly there, but space wasn’t utilised well and the fonts needed adjusting.
DEVELOPMENT
Board 2
The Future Of Bacon Packaging
Design Decisions
Outer Packaging
Colour
The outer packaging would be made out of waxed cardboard, as this is waterproof. This means it won’t turn soggy whilst in the supermarket’s display or consumer’s fridge, and so will preserve the design and inner packaging which the outer packaging protects. There is a window in the packaging because customers like to see the fat on bacon, and this is a big factor in whether they buy it or not. This allows the consumer to judge the bacon easily before they pick it up. At the same time it is a sturdy package to protect the bacon and allows the information on the back to be easily read.
Having a limited colour scheme creates a luxury and professional tone, and allows the pig illustrations to be in different colours without being overwhelming or too distracting.
Weight
Pig Illustration
The weight of the bacon needed to be visible on the packaging, and this is usually presented discreetly. Here, it has been placed on top of the pig illustration, which represents livestock branding and gives more purpose to the illustration.
An illustration of a pig has been used to fit in with the clean and minimal aesthetic of the packaging, and to make it clear to the consumer what kind of meat product it is. A flat style has been used over skeuomorphism or a photograph of a pig as some consumers may be put off by this. Different colours are used to distinguish different products in the range.
Typography
Recloseable Grip Seal Bag
Three fonts have been used in different weights throughout the packaging to make different segments of information stand out, increase aesthetic quality, as well as increase readability and legibility. Type is an important part of the design, and its use has helped create a minimal and clean look, which helps to portray it as a premium bacon brand. Here is the reasoning behind those choices.
A custom sized plastic grip seal bag has been created for the inner packaging. This was done by taking an existing resealable food bag, and using a vacuum sealer to change the size to fit the bacon and the packaging. Grip seal bags are made out of polythene which are suitable for containing food. They can be recycled with other polythene materials, and by being resealable it also means the consumer doesn’t have to purchase their own grip seal bags to put the bacon in. This preserves the meat in the fridge so isn’t wasteful, which means this choice has sustainable qualities.
#000000 Black has been chosen for the background because it has a premium and high quality feel to it. It will also stand out amongst the primarily white packaging on the meat shelves. #FFFFFF For the bodycopy white has been used, as this provides maximum readability onto black. It also works well with logo which has been inverted to stand out against the background. #7D543C The gold on the logo has been used in elements throughout the packaging to separate information and create a text hierarchy.
Refrigerating Guidelines
BACK BACON RASHERS
SMOKED, UNSMOKED THIN AND and MAPLE-CURED CRISPY
THICK CUT
Titillium Bold & Light
Georgia Regular
Alegreya Sans SC Thin
Alegreya Sans SC Regular
Alegreya Sans SC Bold
A clean sans serif which works well in bold and light weights has been used on the back of the packaging to easily display necessary information for the consumer.
A serif has been used to create contrast been the type, and create a traditional feel as it is an established brand. The thick stroke helps signify the information.
A thin sans serif has been used to portray a clean, contemporary and professional look. Kerning has been extended to make the typography look balanced.
A regular version of the sans serif has been used on the Thin and Crispy products to represent the type of bacon in the packaging.
A bold version of the sans serif is used on the Thick Cut products to reflect the cut of bacon as well as stand out to the consumer that this is a different product.
Board 3
The Future Of Bacon Packaging
Packaging Dimensions 10.61cm
1.5cm
0.5cm
5cm
15cm
26cm
24cm
Range There are five different products in the Danepak bacon range, so different designs have been made to accomodate these. Different coloured pigs have been used to represent the different flavours - smoked, unsmoked and maple-cured. Different weights have also been used to signify thick cut and thin and crispy.
1.6cm
21cm
22.64cm
Crease
Cut
Pillow Box Net A pillow box net has been used for the outer packaging because it fits the shape of the product with ease, and allows multiple rashers of different thicknesses to be placed inside easily. It also improves customer experience by having a tab which is quick to open, doesn’t require scissors or pulling apart, and can be closed again with ease. It provides greater shelf presence, as bacon packaging isn’t usually presented this way. This means the consumer’s eyes will be drawn to it quickly, and will have a higher impact on them.