Cracker Design Briefing Let’s Start Here … If we knew how to design crackers, we’d be doing it now. If we could draw anything more complicated than an egg, this document would contain lots of sketches to guide you. If we were good at writing design briefs, this document would be better. That’s why we need an incredibly talented designer – (that’s you). So, we’re going to suggest we take this in easy stages. 1. This brief (hopefully) defines the requirement and provides essential information 2. First stage will be a prototype design, with outline ideas, from you to us 3. Second stage will include refinement of text content and colours / materials etc 4. Third stage will finalise the design and create artwork appropriate for manufacture Let’s assume that today is Monday 30th March … so this timescale runs as follows :1. 30th March
:
Brief released
th
2. 10 April
:
First stage prototype design submitted from you to us
3. 24th April
:
Second stage completed
4. 30th April
:
Final stage completed and ready for manufacture
The role of social media … The design of this product will include links to Facebook and Twitter, of course, but – given the musical nature of the product, we want to attract customers to upload videos to YouTube (or Facebook) of themselves using the crackers (guaranteed loads of laughs) … so the design has to include clear ‘calls to action’ to excite people that buying THIS product will be more fun than buying any other boxes of crackers ! It’s never been done before !! … so this is a first ever on the planet. The Overall Design The following pages will provide information, ideas, suggestions, mandatory requirements etc. … … but we want you to create a great design – don’t be constrained by the brief – feel free to make us an incredibly wonderful design that transcends our expectations ☺ You’re Not Alone … if you want to chat or ask for feedback on ideas, you can give me a call on 079 68 800 825 or email aop.crl@gmail.com © Chandler Reynolds Ltd 2015
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Cracker Design Briefing Introduction This brief sets out the requirements of the cracker barrel and cracker box design for our first branded Marigold Gifts product; xylophone / chime bar crackers. For the past few years we have sold musical crackers from a manufacturer called Robin Reed – crackers containing either whistles or handbells. Each pack contains eight crackers and each cracker contains a handbell or whistle tuned to a different note within an octave. So, by playing each instrument in the right sequence, the players can produce a tune. Each pack contains a sheet of Christmas carol music – not on the usual music score but in a form where the numbers 1 – 8 replace the musical notes. Each player has a sticker with a number (1-8) and a conductor’s baton so that one person can control which instrument is played next by pointing to the person with the appropriate numbered instrument. In truth, the purpose of the Christmas cracker pack is not to enable the participants to produce pitch perfect renditions of well know carols; it is the chaos and failure to produce anything even remotely resembling the tune that produces real fun and enjoyment. As these are usually used at Christmas after imbibing typical amounts of Christmas cheer, the joint affect of alcohol and musical chaos often results in uncontrolled mirth and much merriment. Suitable for children and adults, these crackers are great family fun. These Marigold Gifts xylophone / chime bar crackers will not compete directly with previously available musical crackers but they will compete for the ‘cracker spend’ when people are choosing a musical cracker – our competitive edge is that chime bar set; so for those people who have bought whistles and handbells in the past, we will offer a new and exciting option. The Target Customers The target retail price of these crackers will be £29.99 per box so we are in the higher end of cracker pricing (although not as high as Harrods etc. !). For comparison, whistle cracker sets typically sell for £9.99 and handbells average £24.99 per set. We expect to start the selling season at £29.99 with a strategy to discount down to £19.99 if needed to achieve our volume targets. At these price levels, we have to target the higher demographic groups for whom £29.99 for a set of crackers is entirely acceptable; so the overall design has to be appropriate to a premium product. Branding This product will be used both to create sales and profit in its own right but also, and importantly, to advertise the Marigold Gifts brand and website. The packaging design must therefore contain relevant wording / logos / facebook and twitter icons etc to encourage buyers to visit the website after the crackers have been used. The key task is to get the overall design look and feel of the product planned. We can fill in the text later when the basic concepts have been agreed. For example, many crackers boxes are printed red but there is no reason why our crackers should not be different and be coloured-keyed to our logo colours. © Chandler Reynolds Ltd 2015
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Cracker Design Briefing Design Elements The following warning text must be printed on the box :Warning Adult Supervision Required Always pull cracker with a sharp tug away from faces at arm’s length Do not pull the cracker near eyes or ears Not suitable for children under 14 years of age Do not pull the cracker snap outside of the cracker Please retain this information for future reference Cracker snaps comply with BS7114-2:1988. Other Design Elements Box Top
:
small area only available – suggest this is used for logo and text such as :Musical Xylophone Crackers
Box Sides
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Suggest this is a design repeated on all four sides to include :• • • • •
Logo Eight Musical Xylophone Crackers Text to describe the game briefly Fun for all the family Etc, etc, etc.
Note, this “pack edge” space can be used to quickly inform potential customers about the product when on the shelf ; let’s use it well ! Box back
:
See photo of example box back on next page The layout can be considered to be in the following parts :1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
© Chandler Reynolds Ltd 2015
Logo Summary Text Block Image Warning About us Barcode SOCIAL You Tube
Top centre Text under logo to describe the product Sales blurb, mood words etc photo of key product contents Mandatory information (see above) Contact information etc Bottom Left “Calls to Action” for Facebook & Twitter contact Upload your videos of using these crackers !
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Cracker Design Briefing Sample Cracker Box Back Layout
The following pages contain further reference material :• • • • • •
Whistle Crackers information Handbell Crackers information Photo of Basic Musical Cracker Set from our manufacturer in China Photo of xylophone bar cracker contents Cracker Barrel artwork blank Cracker Box Artwork Blank
Finally, a word about the Marigold Gifts logo. If you want to change / improve the logo so that it better suits the cracker artwork, … just do it and, if it works for us, it’ll stay changed. © Chandler Reynolds Ltd 2015
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Cracker Design Briefing
Whistle Crackers
Š Chandler Reynolds Ltd 2015
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Cracker Design Briefing Handbell Crackers
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Cracker Design Briefing Basic Musical Cracker Set from our manufacturer in China
Š Chandler Reynolds Ltd 2015
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Cracker Design Briefing Xylophone Cracker Contents
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Cracker Design Briefing Cracker Barrel Artwork Blank
Š Chandler Reynolds Ltd 2015
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Cracker Design Briefing
Cracker Box Artwork Blank
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