46 Shape

46

SHAPE

Can someone recognise your product by its shape, even if they are too far away to read the label? There are good reasons to keep to the standard shapes, e.g. economies of scale, ease of packing and storage, and the list goes on. But being the same as everybody else isn’t going to get you noticed. Owning a shape that is part of your brand identity might have more long-term benefi ts than saving on design and production costs.

The idea The Coca Cola bottle is one of those great shapes. The Orangina bottle is also good, justnot quite as famous. Of course they have to fi t into cans too, to go into standard fridges and vending machines, but the original bottles make them stand out from their competition. The Pom pomegranate juice bottle is marvellous. It’s shaped like three pomegranates sitting on top of each other. I will happily admit to buying that one because of the shape of the bottle.

Stockists are usually keen for you to package everything in rectangular boxes because they fi t together with no space between them, using up less storage. Or perhaps you are not yet in a position to commission and manufacture your own designs. If that’s the case, then you have to make your graphic design stand out instead. But from the point of view of your brand, owning a shape that’s such a part of your brand identity that everyone knows it you at fi rst glance, might have more long-term value than saving on design and production costs.

In practice • The aim is to make the shape of your product – or its packaging – distinctive so it draws people’s attention without adding to the cost. • Have a shape that adds to your brand values. There is no point in making something so distinctive that it just looks weird. • Before you put a new design into production, check that it’s just as effective as the previous one. There are stunningly designed teapots that pour tea all over the table rather than in the cups. Distinctive is only good if it is also useful.