Packaging Process Book - Lauren Smith

L AUREN SMITH

PROCESS BOOK AR T 5 75: PACKAGING

PROCESS BOOK

PRODUCT SEARCH ASSIGNMENT ONE

Assignment One For my look at three different types of packaging I chose to examine different types of meat packaging. Meat packing has been around for a very long time and the quality of meat and the volume of meat distributed has a big impact on how it is packaged. There is typical grocery store meat on a styrofoam tray in air tight plastic, more select style meat in packing

with thought to design, and then there is meat that is packaged by a butcher or hunter that is usually delivered in some kind of brown paper and twine assemblage. It was interesting to think about the different audiences each type of packaging might appeal to as well as the practical and financial reasons behind the packaging.

PROCESS BOOK

THE GOOD, THE BAD + THE UGLY ASSIGNMENT T WO

Assignment Two The Good, The Bad + The Ugly 1. Why are these brands important to you?

Why did you choose them?

These brands are not necessarily all important to me but they all accurately represent the good, bad, and ugly. Two of them are important to me but the third ugly one has no impact on me except creating an eye sore at the gas station.

2. How do you use this product?

Does the package help?

they have similar international counterparts.

For the product I use everyday, mint tea, I drink it every day or every other day. The packaging is beautiful and was what originally drew me to it. My sister took me to the tea aisle and said I found this tea that you’ll love, just based on the packaging. The dog food, Taste of the Wild, is obviously the food that I feed my dog. I didn’t buy it because of the packing but the graphic and text on the front reinforce that it’s a reliable, more natural, rugged type of dog food.

The marshmallow puffs are hideous and based on the packaging I assume that they probably taste terrible too.

4. Would the package communication change in other countries or regions?

3. Is this brand or product available in other parts of the world?

These brands are not available in other parts of the world but

If these products where sold in other regions or countries the text would be the first change, the language would need to be translated and the use of different word lengths may change how it is displayed.

5. Collect and critique visual and verbal communication materials that represent the differing touch-points of each of these brands (logos, advertisements, packages, taglines, web-page screen-captures, etc.)

The peppermint tea by Harney and Sons Fine Teas has a refined and intricate brand look. The company looks historical and refined but the tagline “Unique and Uncommon” lend a novelty type of feel. Each different tea flavor has a different color packaging, much like the dog

food, each different flavor of dog food has a different cover image to reflect the taste but they all feature outdoorsy images of wild dogs. The branding channels a more Cabela’s type of feel, like something you would feed your team of Alaskan sled dogs, I’m sure my beagle puppy appreciates the sentiment that he could take down a wild bear or herd a sheep like the packaging suggests. It’s reinforced by the slogan, “The balanced diet that nature intended”. The last, Mallo Cup, is a very old chocolate candy and has been through a few small packing variations over time but not many. The website emphasizes the old feel by positioning old black and white photographs beside the product.

PROCESS BOOK

KLEENEX REDESIGN ASSIGN MENT THREE

Assignment Three Kleenex Redesign I thought that this exercise was very interesting because believe it or not the Kleenex brand is something I have considered before. I always thought to myself, doesn’t it suck for other tissue brands when the very word Kleenex is often used to describe all tissues in general.

The stark contrast in the flat, rectangular boxes with the dull, predictable colors and patterns against the cube, oval, or triangular boxes with vibrant images and patterns is stunning. I completely related to the drop in sales while Kleenex reverted to typical boring boxes; if I walk by tissues in the store and don’t see a box that I’m attracted to I’m not going to buy any, unless it’s peak allergy season of course.

While researching this topic I found a blog written by two everyday moms and one of them had written a post on Kleenex. http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot. com/2013/10/my-allergy-defensekleenex.html. The author of the post mentioned, “Kleenex has such nice patterned boxes that I don’t feel bad keeping it around my home

and it is so gentle on those little runny noses. The Kleenex pocket packs are my best friend. I carry them everywhere I go.”

She addresses something else I’ve thought about myself when I’ve purchased well-designed Kleenex boxes before; they are cute and functional and become less of an awkward bodily fluid catching device and more of something that you want to show off. Redesigned Kleenex boxes may not be something you put on your mantle but they are far more likely to be displayed when they are attractive.

I found some insightful feedback on tissues, Puff ’s specifically, on a discussion board.

“I keep all our tissues in a cabinet, a drawer, the pantry, or the appliance garage anyway. Couldn’t tell you what any of the boxes in our house look like.”

“I cover my pop-up Puff ’s tissues with special “Kleenex covers” my Mom stitched with plastic canvas.”

The most enlightening comment

stood far above the rest and it is biodegradable and 100% tree free. The brand, Ology, owned by Walgreens is a gorgeous line of household items like detergent, cleaning products, bath tissue and paper towels. After using them they are much rougher than Kleenex but the visual and ecofriendly appeal won out in this case. I was enticed by the packaging and general feel of the brand enough to at least give them a try. is the following: “I don’t buy the tissue box with the ugly design either. I’ll go for whichever has the nicer box, but I stick with the brand names.” In my opinion this is how I, and most consumers, buy tissues.

The design change was a revolutionary move that put Kleenex back on the radar for Generation Y. The redesign sets Kleenex apart with the combination of uniquely shaped boxes, images/ patterns and the trusted brand history. I myself haven’t ever bought another tissue brand when Kleenex was an option, something I never even realized I did until doing this research.

Within the last few weeks I came down with a head cold from all the weather change and I stopped by Walgreens for a quick tissue run. I purchased the first box that caught my eye because aesthetically it

PROCESS BOOK

REDESIGN CRITIQUE ASSIGNM T FOUR EN

Assignment Four Redesign Critique For my package redesign I chose to look at Gatorade. It is such a widely used and iconic brand and the redesign made it even more relevant to young, athletic kids, teens and twenty-some things. The new design reflects the modern flat design and relies more on the color of the drink rather than the colors on the packaging. The design is more clean and graphic. The new G series features pre, during, and past workout drinks and amps it up to have a more intense and eye catching design. The G series features a somewhat abstract lightning bolt in the background.

The Gatorade design looks clean and healthy and cutting edge.

Gatorade’s leading competitor is Powerade, with brands like Propel, Vitamin Water, and Coconut Water coming in behind it. Powerade also had a redesign but it is not as visually appealing as that of Powerade. Propel and Vitamin Water fall more into the flavored

water category which often begs the question, why would someone spend money on them when they could get similar non-flavored water from the tap. When purchasing an energy, workout drink, consumers want to feel like their money is going farther than water. Although when Pepsi’s Gatorade first rebranded it seemed that it’s sales were plummeting, it began gaining momentum and sells better at a higher price than it’s competitors.

Gatorade’s design, brand loyalty factor, and bright drink color make it an obvious choice when walking past the energy drink section of a grocery store.

I asked my husband about his thoughts on Gatorade’s new design and he said he loved it. It read more modern and masculine and he said it seemed like it would work more as an energy supplement as the old packaging looked outdated.

Overall Gatorade’s evolutionary design is very successful and allows the brand to stay true to it’s purpose but change in order to remain relevant. It far surpasses it’s previous design.

PROCESS BOOK

PACKAGE ADAPTATION 1 ASSIGNMENT FIVE

Assignment Five Package Adaptation 1 For this project I choose the Kashi brand granola bars. I was drawn to the simplicity and healthy aspect right away.

For the new product variety I introduced a new flavor, Orange Cranberry. This is becoming a more and more popular combination for baked goods and things like granola bars. This flavor goes along with the already fruit/nut genre that Kashi already uses for granola bar flavors. I thought this flavor would be very appealing to their existing customer base as well as new customers.

For the promotional campaign I explored a few options but they all seemed to heavy and took up too much space on the box. I went to the grocery store and noticed I was most drawn to promotional campaigns that were simple and got the point across easily. I nixed the idea of using existing logos and created a circular promo telling customers that proceeds benefit The Water Project with a simple white droplet and circular text. The idea of giving back and helping developing countries plays to the already self and socially aware customer base that Kashi already has.

Lastly, I changed the packaging structurally by adding a perforated pop out on the side to dispense granola bars instead of having to remove the box from the cabinet and open the top. This idea was inspired by soda can boxes that has perforated tear offs and straw dispensers that allow a new straw to fall down when one is taken out. I think this is very appealing to customers because it seems new and fun and would avoid disrupting other items in the pantry when you remove the box to access it.

I was challenged and intrigued while working on this project and I often felt the gravity of my inexperience as I tried to generate ideas.

PROCESS BOOK

PACKAGE ADAPTATION 2 ASSIGNMENT SIX

Assignment Six Package Adaptation 2 Assignment 5 asked us to look at a product from Assignment 2 and work on a new product variety, a promotional campaign and a structural change. I chose the Kashi granola bars. Assignment 6 asked us to revise an make improvements to Assignment 5.

These were my original concepts for Assignment 5. I still feel confident in my selection for a new product variety, orange cranberry.

I feel it fits well with the current brand and is a popular flavor combination in other types of products. I was quite honestly unsure how far to push the project but after seeing some of my classmates work and receiving feedback I feel I understand my shortcomings on the promotional campaign and the structural redesign.

To the right shown from top to bottom are the original product from Assignment 2, the new product variety, the promotional campaign, and the structural redesign.

I chose to keep the promotional campaign clean and simple to reflect the overall aesthetic of the brand. The feedback I received from the critique was that the promotional campaign was unclear and the small font on the sticker was unreadable at the distance

consumers would see it. I really appreciated this feedback and added a sentence beside the sticker stating that, “10% of each box benefits The Water Project�.

I liked my concept behind my first structural redesign, adding a place on the bottom of one of the sides where consumers could push through the box and take Kashi bars from the bottom, like a straw container. I refined my original idea into two concept sketches. The first concept is a box for 6-12 bars that would have the top panel flip open.

This is ideal for a smaller box that consumers would sit on their shelf or counter and be easily accessible.

The second is a box about twice the height of the average box. This box would hold 12-24, or even more, and is structured to fit nicely into a cabinet or pantry shelf where it will not be moved. This large box would still feature the punch out area on the bottom of the side panel so consumers could grab a granola bar without removing the box to open the flap on the top of the box.

PROCESS BOOK

CAKE PACKAGE POSITIONING ASSIGN MENT SEVEN

Assignment Seven Position 1 Our task for assignment seven was to develop three cake packaging concepts based on two options. The first option was to make adaptations on the Oreo brand and the second was to create three brand new ideas featuring cookies and cream flavored cake. I have had the opportunity to work within brand standards many times so I used this chance to make something new.

My first position was a company called Cake & Bake that would market to children and moms. I played off of the dirt and worms cake kids love that is comprised on crumbled Oreos and gummy worms. It’s such a fun concept that I knew would attract attention in the supermarket. The packaging is bright and busy and allows the consumer to view the product through a die-cut in the top of the cake box.

Assignment Seven Position 2 My second position was a by-theslice piece of cookies and cream cake. The approach was to market the piece of cake as a special occasion, delicacy type treat that would easily become an impulse buy. My marketing plan was to launch it as an indulgent, somewhat rebellious line of dessert. The kraft paper background appeals to millennials and the bright pink pops in the foreground and draws attention.

The sensual tone is meant to entice and plant the thought that this is what the consumer wants. It’s a take on the “treat yo’ self ” mentality.

Since the brand Sugar sells by the slice it makes consumers, specifically women, feel less guilty compared to the alternative of buying an entire cake. The single slice is so decadent that it makes up for only being a single serving.

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Assignment Seven Position 3 My third and final cake packaging position was a cookies and cream cake directed towards party goers and consumers looking to pick up a sweet treat to indulge in after a meal at home.

How many times have you realized you forgot to make a dessert or something to bring to Suzy Shoemaker’s second holiday party of the week? Or planned and created an entire home cooked meal only to feel too exhausted to whip up dessert after a long day at work and slaving away in the kitchen?

This version of the cookies and cream cake by the company Crème seeks to satisfy consumers that want a delicious product but almost more than taste value is presentation and sophistication. Crème’s target market would want to show up to a party with something that makes the other guests jealous, and eases their guilty conscious of not making a homemade dish like everyone else. It is a high-end product with packaging to prove it.

PROCESS BOOK

ENTHUSIAST BRANDS ASSIGN MENT EIGHT

Assignment Eight Enthusiast Brands 1.What could another brand learn from these examples?

Vans has always appealed to a very specific customer base, young, adventurous, skater teens and young adults. They also have a following of older individuals who have been wearing their brand for decades.

The look of Vans shoes is appealing because they have remained classic but relevant. Their biggest seller is still classic black or solid color shoes but they create limited edition printed shoes with bright designs and colorful patterns. Other brands would do well to understand the balance Vans has found between classic and memorable and fun and relevant.

2. How are they authentic brands?

Vans are authentic and original because they have history, memorability, and reliability.

3. What brand benefits and values help engage the consumer emotionally?

Vans stands for a rebellious and adventurous youth looking to be inspired and communicate a certain identity. Vans plays off of this in all of their adds. Most of their adds have motion and many look as if they were taken on an old film camera while out surfing.

VANS

VANS

NIKON 1. What could another brand learn from these examples?

Nikon maintains a classic look with black and gold packaging. This simplicity broadens their consumer age range and makes Nikon seem timeless. The gold brings to mind luxury and quality and reflects on their products. Nikon has generally remained the same with evolutionary adjustments along the way. Other brands could learn from Nikon’s timelessness and high standards of quality.

2. How are they authentic brands?

Nikon, seems to me, most authentic by the way their consumers rave about their products. Word of mouth is critical. They are also authentic by their age. Nikon has become a generational product that consumers can remember from their childhood.

3. What brand benefits and values help engage the consumer emotionally?

Like the previously mentioned nostalgia of remembering family photos being taken on a Nikon from childhood. Nikon has stayed relevant and modern enough though to not become a nostalgic brand in and of itself. The customer loyalty is huge. Nikon markets itself when photographers, hobbyists, or everyday people carry around a camera with NIKON right across the front.

NIKON

VOLKSWAGON

1. What could another brand learn from these examples?

Volkswagon is an international brand that has stayed classic, covetable, and relevant through the decades. Their promotional campaigns range from clever, to smart, to inspiring. Volkswagon pushes a kind of lifestyle - modern, clean, and trend forward. Their introduction of models like the Golf have inspired clubs and thousands of custom additions.

They have stayed true to themselves yet relevant to new buyers.

2. How are they authentic brands?

Volkswagon’s age is clearly a factor

contributing to their authenticity, along with their quality standards.

Volkswagon is known for their quality engineering and quality of work.

3. What brand benefits and values help engage the consumer emotionally?

Volkswagon often references how far they’ve come and compares current models to original models.

It engages the customer by instilling faith that the vehicle will last for a very long time and that Volkswagon knows what they’re doing since they’ve been in the business so long.

VOLKSWAGON

VOLKSWAGON

PROCESS BOOK

CONSUMER PERSONAS ASSIGNMENT NINE

Assignment Nine Consumer Personas Project nine brought with it the experience of working together with my classmates in small groups of three.

My group was assigned the “millennial couple�. We were told to define it, research it and present the persona to the rest of the class. We picked gender neutral names and did not assign gender like many of the groups that were assigned older consumer personas.

Thus, Quinn and Taylor were born. We decided that they likely were not married but lived together in a somewhat serious relationship and lived modestly but with enough disposable income to travel and buy expensive coffee at their local coffee shop. A millennial is an early to late twenties individual, likely to have some level of college education and is incredibly tech-savy.

Where they work:

How they get to work:

Where they shop:

Where they eat:

Their hobbies:

Their brands:

Their free time:

PROCESS BOOK

CONSUMER TRENDS ASSIGNMENT TEN

Assignment Ten Consumer Trends Consumer trends are very important in packaging development. It’s important to be aware of what consumers are interested in so that designers and manufacturers are creating products that meet appropriate needs and wants.

For my packaging design I will absolutely be utilizing consumer trends and looking at what similar products are and are not working. My milk packaging might explore trends like slowing down and enjoying life, buying local, buying internationally, integrating technology and thinking about delivery and retail options. I’m interested in exploring the local trend and possibly using a matte type of packaging with more neutral tones as well as something that might be imported and have a very sophisticated sleek look.

Milk can be bought at the store as well as delivered. I like the idea of my product being delivered and available at the grocery store. I want to make it a luxury but also attainable and accessible. I plan on targeting it at the millennial generation, specifically the millennial couple. Marketing to a slightly older, health concise, active audience would also be successful, in my opinion.

According to Trendwatching.com, guilt-free is becoming a big trend.

Consumers want to be guiltfree when buying a product and companies are forced to be more transparent to accommodate. I’m interested in allowing the product to be seen through the packaging as well and using copy and ingredients that support the guilt-free trend.

PROCESS BOOK

CREATIVE BRIEF ASSIG

NMENT ELEVEN

Assignment Eleven Creative Brief This milk product is targeted at young millennials. It is a line of milk products, including Skim Milk, 1%, 2% and flavored milk like gourmet chocolate fudge, raspberry, and strawberry. I am still developing a name for the brand but it is a luxury milk, handmade, and health and environmentally conscious.

This brand would be available in grocery stores and for delivery.

This stresses the handmade aspect.

It would be more expensive than competitors like Trauth or Kroger brand milk - this could be a weakness and strength. The gourmet flavors would bring a new product to the market and would be the perfect addition to cookies and milk.

The average American drinks 45 gallons of milk a year. Milk is something constantly purchased and a specialty milk product would stand out in a section of the store that is constantly being used.

Market research, statistics, various grocery store visits, research on deliverable products, and consumer trends will provide insight into the market.

The project is to create a line of handmade (or animal and environmentally friendly) milk to bring a luxury product to a typically monotonous market. We

are designing it to bring a specialty and artisan aesthetic to the market to give consumers greater options.

This project is needed to give consumers a healthier and more importantly animal and environmentally friendly option instead of mass produced, assembly line milk with unknown origins and brand ethics The opportunity is to bring this kind of socially conscious product to the market where there is nothing else like it.

Objectives The goal for this project is to bring a socially conscious product to a monotonous market. We are trying to achieve a guilt-free product that gives back to American farmers.

Our top three objectives are to create a product that is animalfriendly, American made, and guilt-free. A product that stands out from the rest of the competition.

Audience We are generally targeting young millennials and gen x families.

With environmentally conscious millennial couples being our prime prospect. The ideal consumer is young and in-tune with current trends. They are about the ethics of the brands they buy as well as the visual appeal. They are concerned

about eating healthy but love to occasionally indulge - like on hazelnut, double chocolate milk.

For this project I am looking to explore other deliverables like a carrying carton and a mini six-pack concept of smaller, single-use milk jars.

Estimated Project Schedule March 10 - Initial bottle shape and layout design March 17 - Label concept finalized March 24 - Complete line of flavors and label designs finalized March 31 - Prototype developed April 7 - Complete package created April 9 - Revisions April 16 Completion

swot analysis Positive

External Origin

(Attributes of the environment)

Internal Origin

(Attributes of the individual)

(To achieving the objective)

Strengths

Eco-friendly, unique packaging, modern, sleek, color-coded

Opportunities

Introduce something new, develop a need

Negative

(To achieving the objective)

Weaknesses

More expensive, no standing brand loyalty, unfamiliar

Threats

May seem too good to be true, new, confusing

PROCESS BOOK

PRODUCTION ARTWORK ASSIG

NMENT T WELVE

Assignment Twelve Production Artwork I extended the bleed lines, created new images for the side panels with the gold dots so that the edges will cohesively match up, and deleted the nutrition facts and price scanner so that it looks more like it’s from a high end bakery - where the price and calories don’t matter.

2”

4”

2”

4”

Side Panel

Back Panel

Top Panel Top Panel

2”

Side Panel

Primary Face Panel

6” Side Panel

Side Panel

BottomPanel Panel Bottom

2”

Date: Feb. 2014

File Name: Creme Oreo Cake

Designer: Lauren Smith

Client Name: Creme Project Name: Creme Oreo Cake

Fonts: Mr Sheffield, Perpetua, Helvetica Neue LT Std

Color # 000000

Color # EED34F

Color # FFFFFF

DDDDDD

Color #

Color #

Color #

Color #

Tint %

Tint %

Tint %

Tint %

Tint %

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Tint %

Notes: X

PROCESS BOOK

FINAL ASSIGNMENT ASSIG

NMENT THIRTEEN

Derby City Dairy Co. Derby City Dairy Co.

Derby City Dairy Co.

Derby City Dairy Co.

Blueberry Caramel Muffin Hazelnut

Caramel Hazelnut

Cookie Caramel Dough Hazelnut

15.2 FL OZ (450mL)

15.2 FL OZ (450mL)

15.2 FL OZ (450mL)

Derby City Dairy Co.

Derby City Dairy Co.

Derby City Dairy Co.

Caramel Original Hazelnut

Peppermint Caramel Chocolate Hazelnut

Strawberry Caramel Shortcake Hazelnut

15.2 FL OZ (450mL)

15.2 FL OZ (450mL)

15.2 FL OZ (450mL)

Derby City Dairy Co. Derby City Dairy Co. started as a crazy experiment in high quality milk and unique gourmet flavors. Over the past six years we have perfected our handmade recipe. Each batch is made separately and with absolute Horses and bourbon aren’t the only thing Derby City is famous for, we like to think of it as dairy cow country but that doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. Our roots in Louisville, Kentucky land us right on the Mason-Dixon line and give us a special blend of city street smarts and Southern charm. We like to think we’re exceptional, just like our kickass customers.

Derby City Dairy Co.

Cookie Caramel Dough Hazelnut 15.2 FL OZ (450mL)

Our grass fed cows are carefully milked by hand and never see the glint of a machine. Derby City Dairy Co. uses absolutely no perservatives and no GMOs in creating the best milk available.

Our original flavor milk is all natural with no artificial flavors.

Our cows and our customers both appreciate our clean approach to milk.

Lauren Smith University of Louisville Spring 2014