Both a source of inspiration and an invaluable reference tool, Big Book of Packaging Prototypes provides a visual catalyst for the creation of exciting package designs. The diverse range of carton ...
When Sprint and Samsung were developing an iconic and more eco-friendly Reclaim™ phone, Sprint also approached Deutsch Design Works (DDW) in San Francisco to create an eco-friendly retail package for it. Bioplastic material made from corn makes up 40% of the Reclaim phone’s outer casing. The Reclaim is free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates, and nearly free of brominated flame retardants (BFR)—three materials commonly targeted on green electronics guidelines.
The final innovative packaging structure by DDW is fully compostable, uses 70% recycled materials, and is printed with soy-based inks. Deutsch Design Works believes greening the path to sustainable packaging helps clients like Sprint “walk the talk” to an eco-conscious future. Steve Goldman, general manager at Deutsch Design Works explains how the project developed. “Sprint wanted to come up with an iconic package,” Goldman says. “They wanted to execute it in a way to give it enough strength while maximizing the marketing and branding impact.”
Reducing Reclaim
The package has four paperboard components with minimal gluing. The images and text on the box as well as the phone warranty information are printed with soy-based ink. In addition, the typical thick paper user manual has been replaced with a virtual manual that users can access at www.sprint.com/reclaimsupport.
On the outer sleeve, the phone is presented over a verdant field of flowers, and embossing creates a tactile representation of the phone’s contours and buttons. “This is always stressed at Spint—the phone has to be central,” says Goldman. The package is uncoated kraft paper with no varnish and minimal ink.
The natural imagery on the outer sleeve reinforces the sustainability messages in several ways. The yellow tones support the Sprint brand color, while a butterfly could signify metamorphosis, flowers renewal, and a bird freedom. There are also three faint recycling logos of different sizes floating in the background. “We wanted the logos there, but we didn’t what them to dominate the scene,” Goldman explains.
Mark Rexroat, director, retail communications and marketing services at Sprint, explains how research guided the sustainability tone of the design. It seems that some consumers lower their expectations of a product when they see packaging that looks like it's trying too hard to be green. "There's a balancing act between the need to be green with a sustainable package and communicating a strong quality perception," Rexroat explains.
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