Unlike other packaging titles, which simply provIde templates to copy, this book enables designers of all packaging types to create 3-D packaging forms that are specific to their needs rather than based ...
By Larry Jaffee
Summer’s Eve introduced its feminine hygiene products as a personal care subcategory in 1972, employing modern-era marketing to bring a turn-of-the-century product to the mainstream. As bold as the company has been, though, the brand has been updated only rarely, with the last significant effort in the mid-’80s.
Hitting store shelves in June and July, however, is a complete overhaul of the Summer’s Eve product line, which now includes seven different types of products, 32 SKUs, and 17 scent or formula varieties. Claiming the No. 1 brand in feminine hygiene, Summer’s Eve has evolved from its initial product to offer a complete line of external cleansing and freshening products, such as washes, sprays, and cloths, which were added to the line in the 1980s.
The redesign team, led by Steve Ruhf, v.p. of U.S. marketing and business development, and Angela Bryant, director of U.S. marketing, feminine care, for brand owner Fleet Laboratories, Lynchburg, VA, admits that the redesign was long overdue. “Our business has been doing well and growing, but through research we knew we—and in turn the category—were out of step with the younger women of today,” Bryant explains. “Each year that went by, we were getting further from her consideration set. So it was time to refocus and expand the women we were talking to. Even if business is doing well, you have to think long-term viability of a brand.”
Changes in attitudes
To make sure they did it right, Fleet tapped a number of creative partners (see sidebar) to overhaul the brand’s identity, completely and collectively. At the outset, Bryant says, “We knew we wanted radically different, but we didn’t know just how far to go.”
Though the brand largely dominates the category, with about 40% share, Fleet felt the heat of competition from private-label alternatives. “When you’re the leader, private label tends to get as close to what the branded player looks like without infringing on trademarks and copyrights,” says Bryant. “This makes package design, graphics, and uniqueness even more important. You want not only to design a beautiful package but also to try
to make it as ownable and unique as possible.”
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