packaging: graphics – KCW Global Research

love (is in) the details

my brother teaches special needs kids ages 10 to 12 in the mansfield, ohio city schools. he has been making a difference in the lives of those amazing kids for over 21 years. i am super proud of him. he is an inspiration.

for the last two years i have had the honor of spending the day sharing with them the magic and fun of qualitative research. i take them through a variety of exercises that i actually use for clients and then help understand the strategic learnings that come from the many exercises. needless to say, it is a blast.

beyond the fun of spending time with such curious and energetic kids, i always seem to walk away so impressed with the insights they have and how observant they are. to help illustrate this i have included pictures from our unaided drawing exercises from the last two years:

heinz ketchup (12.2012)

two of the kids even recalled the little detail of the tomato and vine at the base of the package (see the green on the one in the top row?)! what?! holy impressed!!

coca cola and pepsi (12.2013)

red is an equity – check. it says coca cola on the package – check. and did you see the polar bears?! top row #1 (“you only gave me a white crayon”), bottom row #1 & 2. genius.

looks like the classroom has a bit more to say about pepsi! note the logo, emphasis on blue, and the 12-pack box of cans, individual cans, and even the plastic bottle.

these kids make my heart smile.

TRY THIS AT HOME! make it a family activity or even something to do with friends. grab a 12 or 16 pack of crayons (one box for each person), a 11×8 piece of paper (and do not hesitate to use the WHOLE piece of paper), pick a brand, and start drawing! it is fun seeing the details that stand out for some and not for others. and if you do it, please PLEASE please send me the pics privately or post them in the comments section!

show me the goods!

there are some products that we just do not need to see.

imagine seeing potato chips in a clear bag. i did not think that would be a popular option….although it would certainly help me step away from the bag.

the increased popularity of real people canning and pickling over the last 5 or so years is now being visually captured in your local grocery store…and i think it is beautiful!

picture it, 20 minutes early for a brunch with my mom and i see a little local grocery store in a strip mall near by. my very patient boyfriend indulges my request – – but probably more for the air conditioning than the joy of going aisle by aisle through a local grocery store. towards the top of the aisle i see the following jars of fruit. i might have scared him a bit. i got pretty excited.

i am hoping that the pictures do the fruit proper credit but just in case i will describe what made me a bit giddy…. imagine a perfectly cut pear pieced together, like those orange chocolate break apart balls that are around during the holidays, so that it almost does not look cut. this coupled with the clear label and the glass jar had me swooning! the peaches were not quite as successful but i was still really impressed with the sense of freshness conveyed through the package design.

birmingham, alabama 4.2014

onto pickled goodness… sometimes i leave my cell phone, read: camera, in the car. that pretty much guarantees that i will see a package that i need a picture of. this next one alluded me twice but third time was a charm! well, umm, my neighbor had her phone so i was able to capture it for you…

chicago 8.2014

shush up. here vlasic is working it! the product itself looks so beautiful with the vibrant colors represented, it looks like my super green thumbed neighbor actually canned it at home, and i just feel like it will be the freshest and tastiest dill and bread&butter pickles ever. the simplicity of the label design in terms of size, coloring, and font style works so well with the canning type lid. i heart this package.

how are they doing in market? in the spirit of full disclosure, i did see these products in the clearance section. not sure why they were there but i am hoping that it does not mean that the product line is going away. this package makes me really wish i was big into pickles.

and just because…. here is an example of some super fun pickle packaging in budapest (say that 3 times fast!)…and yes, the jar IS looking back at you….

budapest, 4.2014

any packages that stand out to you as beautiful in the way they highlight the actual product contained? i would love to hear about in the comment area below.

branding / packaging: graphics / packaging: structure / product - 08/08/2014

sweet packaging in budapest

so i have been back from budapest for sometime now but there were two purchases of the sweet variety that are still moving around my home. the chocolate is so delicious and special that i want to be able to make it last forever and the candy is just so pretty that i am not sure i could ever actually eat it.it is just that beautiful.

don’t believe me? take a gander…

budapest, hungary 4.2014

amazing right? not only are the candies handmade but they are a mix of flavors, and therefore colors, and presented in a test tube. beyond the gorgeously simple presentation that just highlights the uniqueness and beauty of the tasty candies, we have the flavors themselves.

you might see a pink and green candy and associate that with watermelon but it could be cotton candy or cherry. the colors mean nothing in terms of flavor. to the US consumer this would be like having a bowl of jelly belly jelly beans where the colors mean nothing. crazy mind-blowing. again, the colors mean nothing. i feel like this would be a cute novelty for US consumers for about 5 minutes and then they would insist a map to decode the flavors.

i bought a big mix bag, small bag of one flavor, and a couple of test tubes (just in case one broke in transit), and honestly, i am nervous to try them. it is almost too much excitement and wonderment for me. but let’s not make any mistake, the candies in the bags are to eat and the candies in the test tube will be with me till my final breath…

so these candies are the star of this tiny off the beaten track in a tiny little shop called cukorka. please enjoy the little bags which are merchandised beautifully against a red wall with its simple red and white branding. (for those who may not know me: i LOVE the color red…my car is red, couch is red, toe nails are red, thermos is red, ink for writing my to do list is a red fine point sharpie, my company color is red, one office wall is red…net: i am a bit of a red whore and this brand’s use of red makes me happy to my core.)

with none of the labels having any english on them i am not even sure which individual flavor i bought. thinking i might save that as a special treat for a dinner party…

and look at how beautiful the individual pieces are…just like edible fimo beads!

seems that in all my excitement i never quite got to the dazzling delicious and beautiful chocolate. consider this the first of many memories of budapest…

branding / merchandising / packaging: graphics / packaging: structure / product / travel - 07/15/2014

huh?

okay, so one thing that has become abundantly clear in my qualitative research career is that i am not the norm.

i can look at the proposed package designs, advertising campaign directions, and new product concepts and know with a high degree of certainty that the one i like, is not the one that will be carried through to next steps. (side note: a client once told me they could save millions of dollars by having me taste potential products…knowing that if i liked it, it would fail in the US. yep, quite a feather in my cap!)

i would like to point out that this does not mean i am bad at my job, as i am not hired to guess what the consumers will like, but it simply reinforces that i am so very often not their consumer target.

why this long winded introduction? because i am about to share some products that i just do not understand…because i am not their target (she types diplomatically).

huh #1: mac and cheese loaf

not sure there is much to say on this one. i love my starches probably more than the average bear but this feels like it might be taking the joke too far. would you add this to a sandwich? is this to be thick cut and served as a side? i am now feeling a little regretful that i did not buy some at the time or ask more questions. anyone have any insights on this? please?

portland, maine 8.2013

huh #2: jack link’s jerky chew, original (shredded beef jerky)

this was found in a candy store. it was sitting beside a wide variety of innocent fun kids sugary treats. sure when i was a kid we had both sugary and gum candy cigarettes (remember how the gum ones would even give a puff of smoke? and the candy ones had the red coloring at one end to represent the fire?)…but now i am going be a hypocrite because this just felt so wrong to me…and somehow different from those other tobacco interpretations.

do i have qualms about big league chew? pretty much trying to mimic the same thing but in a soft foldable pack and gum not shredded beef jerky…i have no problem there either.

lakeview neighborhood, chicago, 2013

as i am typing this my hypocrisy on this is starting to irritate me. so i decided to open it. give it a taste see how it is.

it looks nothing like i expected it to (although i am not positive what i really did expect). it has the texture of a fine saw dust. and tastes like aged raw hide saw dust.

ok, so i think it comes down to my lack of love for chewing tobacco in general. i cannot think of another reason for this almost physical negative reaction. the packaging is typically used for chew and when that was combined with its flavor and texture this game ended quickly for me. sugary cigarettes had a melt to them that made them way way fun. big league chew offered an awesome grape flavor and even fun sugary original flavor. ultimately, earthy tasting saw dusty looking beef jerky is just not within my ideal target product set (but i am still being a hypocrite because chewing tobacco is not my thing). but for every product, there is a consumer….right?

merchandising / packaging: graphics / product / travel / unique fun - 07/02/2014

keep calm and summer on!

now that i have your attention, let me tell you a little about my girl summer. may 15th she posted this picture on facebook with the following caption:

“Well in princess crazy world, when you brush your newly grown back hair and it comes our in large chunks you have 2 choices you can let it ruin your day or turn yourself into a human potato head and try facial hair selfies. I chose the latter.”

she epitomizes beauty and love and has been fighting breast cancer with inspiring grace and unbelievable humor.

have you known someone who has fought an epic battle? do you recall feeling a sense of helplessness? it seems that we are not alone.

so what does one do when they feel helpless? well, in the teachings of my girl princess crazy, we work hard to put more love and kindness into the world.

i challenge all of you to do two things…

start looking for occasions when you can practice a random act of kindness and DO IT! offer someone else who looks exhausted your seat on the train/bus, pay for the person in line after you in the drive through, give a stranger a card wishing them a most spectacular day or even just say it and mean it! the options are endless…

pass this on. encourage others to take a moment in this crazy fast paced world to step back and share a smile or jump on an opportunity to do something unexpected and nice for someone else.

there is no real way for me to properly convey the strength and awesomeness of summer. she lives in bloomingdale, il and the city has designated this friday, june 6th as “Keep Calm and Summer On” Random Act of Kindness Day.

to learn more about our tenacious summer and to join the facebook movement for this event this friday, click on summer’s RAOK event ! feel free to share your random acts of kindness with me or with summer as we are working to compile a book for summer that includes the myriad of gestures made in her honor across the globe. be a part of the magic!

i think amy said it best…

“Please join the movement of random acts of kindness for my dear friend Summer. For those that haven’t had the pleasure of knowing her, think of the best person you know and that’s her. It would mean so much to her if all over the country and world people were doing nice things for other people in honor of her life. Keep Calm and Summer On.”

keep calm and summer on princess crazy! with boundless love….

branding / communication / fishing / hits / packaging / packaging: graphics / perspective / pigeon fun / product / Uncategorized - 06/05/2014

stopped me in my tracks!

(so the last pig post was a little disturbing so i wanted to lighten things up a little with this stunner of a package…)

in chicago we have a relatively new food market called plum. they are like whole foods in their more natural food but they also have a pretty broad selection of international brands and products…and a cheese selection that can bring a cheese lover to their knees!

while shopping for a variety of cheeses for the annual christmas tree party, a package on a shelf near the end cap caught my eye.

it was true love at first sight.

i couldn’t take my eyes off of it.

it exuded a sense of quality through its branding and old school, almost vintage material and design.

i had to have it.

did i know what the product actually was? i kinda read the label but i did not care and it did not matter what it said. probably strawberry related and who does not like strawberries?

then i looked at the price. this led me to re-read the product description because i assumed it is a strawberry related product due to the package but there must be more in there at this price point. are they diamond encrusted strawberry fruits in syrup? a caviar and strawberry fruit and syrup mixture? alas, it was just 21 ounces of fabbri strawberry fruit and syrup. but for true love there was no dissuading me from my purchase.

chicago, 12.2013

beautiful right? i will let you take a moment to fully grasp the beauty of this package. i do hope that the density and quality of the material is coming through in the photo (otherwise i might sound a little more off than usual).

i still have yet to try it. i am not sure what i am saving it for exactly but i am optimistic that it will be the best “strawberries in heavy syrup” that i have ever consumed!

it is not often that a package will stop me in my tracks. but when it does, the wonderment around the power of a successful package just makes me smile!

curious as to the price? i could just tell you but think it might be more fun if you try guessing in the comment box below (and no cheating!)…

hits / packaging: graphics / packaging: structure / product - 04/22/2014

lost in translation

one of my favorite things to look for, especially in asia, is the way they use the english language on packaging, shirts, or just anything that can be printed!

example #1: mint package

shanghai, china 9.2013

pure gold! why? well, because it is….

– fashionable

– minty

– healthy

– delicious

kidding aside, it is amazing to see the influence of the english language.

and here is another example that i had to own: a cd case that says on the front “Don’t pay attention to all the static.” seems totally normal-ish right? the plot thickens… on the side where it looks like it has the item number and such (that little bit of orange on the right edge of the case) it continues to say… “HAPPY MUSIC, BER15120, A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” this appears to be a very very deep cd case.

tokyo, japan 2002

and yes, of course i have more. the topic choices and mixing of messages never gets old. enjoy these beauties…

chinatown, singapore 11.2013

in case you cannot read them…

– Good good study day day up

– Sleep whenever he woke up / Count the money a few hand cramps

– REWARD MY MOST MY MOST BEAUTIFUL WIFE

– STUDY HARD EARN MONEY

– (and one not included in this batch..) DO IT AND I RELAX

branding / communication / packaging: graphics / travel - 02/13/2014

little packages

full disclosure, i really really enjoy little packages. (wait till i share my condiment collection. yep, i’m that cool.)

auburn, alabama 2014 *** any westin anytime *** manila, philippines 7.2009

they are brilliant! in the US we are accustomed to using these sorts of things for travel or trial but in lots of other countries, they are sold like this because people are paid daily and therefore can only afford to buy day to day. i have seen this in Brazil, Mexico, India, and the Philippines to name a few. the types of products range from shampoo to candies to spices for cooking. seeing how the traditional trade shop keepers integrate them into their store takes space efficiency to a new level.

udaipur, india 11.2013

one thing we do a bit more in the US with our little packages, is try to maintain the brand experience in its cute miniature package structure. i have a Maker’s Mark package in my office that just makes me smile!

baltimore, maryland 2009

communication / packaging: graphics / packaging: structure - 02/13/2014

for the love of spam

my father is addicted.he has been for most of his life.

it isn’t uncommon.

he isn’t alone.

i have even been known to take a little jaunt down the rabbit hole as well.

and i bet you have as well.

yes, i am talking about spam.

(old san juan, puerto rico 1.2013)

i honestly, cannot think of another brand that brings me the same level of joy. sure it is mostly rooted in nostalgia and family jokes/jabs but i am continuously amazed by the new innovations they bring to spam. not sure you can read the products well in the pictures so here is the spam sum up from this particular store…

– spam oven roasted turkey

– spam with real hormel bacon

– spam light/spam light single

– spam 25% less sodium

– spam classic single

truly, i am not even sure what the first two are but i can say that they make me deliriously happy!

thank you spam! keep it up!

branding / fishing / packaging: graphics / packaging: structure / product - 10/22/2013

ooooooh…. texture

mmmm… so love it when companies really embrace the power of texture in their structural design.

take this gorgeous aviation gin bottle as a great example…

chicago gourmet, 9.2013

the texture on the lid just compels you to want to touch it.

and i did. and it was spectacular.

the lid matched the awesomeness of the rest of the package design as well. i love the way they took something so simple but created, for me at least, such a vivid story. i can almost imagine the aviators drinking it next to their planes decorated with colorful and cleavage forward nose art back in war time.

further, i think a really successful design is when it can be both beautiful and functional – and this is a ding ding! the texture of the ridges on the bottle helps you with gripping as does the lid.

branding / packaging: graphics / packaging: structure - 10/22/2013