Wednesday, April 25, 2007 · Number 7

FEATURE: Mining for a Silver and Green Makeover

By HaLeigh Boutin

They've struck silver down at the 7J Ranch and are now bringing home the green. When Jardine Foods introduced the new look for select 7J Ranch products last year, they hoped to feed their Texas roots with some eye-catching sophistication that would make a cowboy tap dance in his boots.

click to enlarge

Collaboration between Jardine Foods employees and graphic designers dressed the products in a brighter, more descriptive foil label, and topped it off with a silver lid. The jar is hugged by a rugged silver and wood printed belt running across the label with the 7J Ranch emblem sitting as the focal point, buckling the two ends together. Each jar of salsa also has a color to match and define its flavor: Tomatillo, a green salsa, has a green band, Prairie Peach of course has a peach band, and the Fresh & Feisty salsa has a red band.

The Jardine Foods' executive v.p. of sales and marketing, Garth Gardner, says: "We wanted to do something new and different and really bring the '7J Ranch' brand name to the forefront, which we achieved through the new silver logo, complemented by bright, eye-catching color bands. We wanted this new label to scream 'premium.'" In all, 16 products throughout the salsa, quesos, barbeque sauce and marinade lines have been suited with their new hats and western wear.

Previously the line used a more "rustic" label topped off by a black lid. The makeover took many of the same elements from the old design and revamped them to hold better shelf presence. Jardine's stuck out like a rattle snake in the gravel with large, black letters across the top, while the 7J Ranch logo practically blended with the color of the label it was stamped on. Each salsa's signature color was used as a back drop for its name, rather than a highlight. Jardine Foods felt the labels needed the change to become descriptive and representative and also eye-catching and intriguing.

Completion of the makeover took between six and nine months with only small challenges. The company knew exactly what they wanted from the new design, and spent most of their time fine-tuning the details once they decided on the outline. Gardner says, "The biggest challenges were probably the subjective ones (color choices, layout decisions, etc.), but those also proved to be the most fun and interesting parts of the process."

A smooth printing process onto foil labels, an imaginative staff at Jardine Foods, and an outside creator made the production sweet as southern tea. CMA, a Houston, TX based brand presence and design company was hired to help. The team considered several other cowboy/Texas designs that didn't make the grade because they were too busy and eye-diverting rather than eye-catching.

Initial feedback on the design has left Jardine Foods excited to hear more. "The new label presents packaging features that relatively few of our competitors, if any, are using," says Gardner. "It's eye-catching but clean with a quality appeal." Customers and competitors alike will be tipping their 10 gallon hats and clickin' their spurs to the new line of Jardine Foods' products.

DESIGN FORUM: Humor on the Front Panel

When is it appropriate or advisable to use idiosyncratic humor on packages to promote a brand's message? For example, on the Snapple Lemon Iced Tea label, text explains that the sun is "Not to scale"; the Raspberry Iced Tea label says, referring to the sun, "If you were 100 billion degrees, you'd be thirsty too"; and the Peach Iced Tea label asks consumers to "Find out what the fuzz is all about." Our panel of experts this issue includes David Brier, Bill Goodwin, Tom Newmaster, and Don Childs.

David Brier, president of DBD International Ltd., Menomonie, WI

Humor on packages depends on two primary factors: 1) Is it an integral aspect of the brand voice?; and 2) Is this something that your audience will appreciate?

Tazo, for instance, has done a brilliant job of incorporating humor into their brand, as has Ben & Jerry's. Equally well done is the Pain is Good line of products. Those guys do a GREAT job of not only using humor but making part of the culture and voice of the brand.

So, humor has to be an organic fit that makes sense—and will actually BE funny—while adding meaning to the voice of the brand. Given we do projects for a number of international clients, I can say that certain cultures are NOT responsive to humor and take things too literally, so as a result, no matter how funny we might consider them, it loses reality with the audience.

Certain categories are naturals for humor, such as certain gourmet salsas and others, but the more serious the "problem" that the product is supposed to "solve," the less humor we would tend to suggest to be incorporated into a package design or its text.

Bill Goodwin, president & CEO of Goodwin, Media, PA

I think this is an advisable strategy for nearly any category, and particularly with youth, which is our focus at Goodwin. Of course there are no-go zones. I'd caution against the application of idiosyncratic messaging when trust, health, or safety are concerns that create uncertainty or insecurity among consumers in the category. It also depends on audience, channel, and even retailer.

"Me-too's" are a real threat too. Look at the health and beauty category. Origins and Philosophy were among the first to use this type of approach. Then Salon Selectives, Bliss, and Clairol joined the party, and it has now largely become a health and beauty norm. Method recently introduced an eco-friendly Go Naked line of products, with the tag lines:

• "Celebrate Earth Day in your birthday suit"
• "We think Mother Nature would approve"

We advise our clients about humor that it simply comes down to authenticity, which should be reinforced at every touch point in an ownable way. We all know that in branding being first is best, and we've come to recognize that the success of brands is tied to emotion and experience. I recommend tempering any strategy accordingly.

Tom Newmaster, partner at William Fox Munroe Inc., Shillington, PA

I have always liked incorporating humor into packaging, when appropriate. I've done it several times over the years, but you have to very careful not to offend anyone, or at least minimize the offense or offenses taken.

Most of the really good stuff gets killed in the concept stage, but every once and awhile, good stuff makes it through. I don't think you can break down whether or not it's advisable by category, it's more of a product specific or brand specific question. Certain brands and/or products just seem to have the right personality for idiosyncratic humor. It can be the main visual or communication, but many times works best as a discoverable aspect of the package communication. One of my favorites is Oral Pleasure, which has symbols of a spoon, a fork, and a knife with tags that read "Breakfast," "Lunch," and "Dinner," respectively. The text on the package also includes these lines:

• "Here for a good time, not a long time"
• "Active Ingredient: Cocoa 34%"
• "For internal and external and internal and external use."

This type of communication can really start a buzz among consumers and can even create a sense of adventure when trying to find the next new humorous message on a package. Snapple has always done a good job with their humor. Jones Soda has succeeded with a similar approach at times, as has Ben & Jerry's with their flavor names and descriptors.

Don Childs, vice president, laga, Cincinnati, OH

It is possible that this tactic be overdone. But if handled well, it's a great way to connect a consumer to a brand's essence. Effective brand design is a balance of verbal and visual and the more completely you can communicate an essence or promise of a brand. Snapple's brand essence revolves around a slight attitude—irreverence that tilts towards whimsy. The addition of ironic comments that appear to be handwritten, almost graffiti-like, do a nice job driving the brand essence forward. It's key to this brand's narrative.

The danger comes when this tactic doesn't support a brand's promise. It doesn't always make sense to add verbal components. Especially when it overpowers the broader strategic communication. I call the dance between all of this brand communication the ergonomics of understanding. Snapple allows these comments to be an afterthought, a neat little detail that the consumer might not even notice until they are enjoying the beverage. The treat adds depth to the brand story.

I'm not sure I'd look at it by category but rather brand by brand. You wouldn't assume humor had a place in upscale beauty care, but the premium cosmetic brand Lush does a wonderful job of using on-target humor to support the essence of the brand. So, when this tactic of adding a personal humorous touch with the verbal component can reinforce the brand communication and elevate the understanding of the brand promise, it's an effective tool. But when it is off-strategy and used as a gimmick, then it detracts from the brand and runs the risk of making the brand disingenuous in the eyes of the consumer.

DESIGN: DermaQuest Revitalizes Packaging With Vyant Group

click to enlarge

Vyant Group's ultimate goal was to position DermaQuest as one of the leading skin care lines. Vyant's client brief included the development of brand guidelines, positioning, brand strategy, media kit, sales collateral, product catalog, packaging design, and more. Vyant chose a clean bright look that included new silver packaging, a user-friendly website and several marketing pieces.

DermaQuest wanted the products to reflect on the outside what they feel on the inside and Vyant was able to convey that message clearly. "We chose to work with Vyant because they are true professionals who are experts in branding," says Sam Dhatt, an award-winning cosmetic chemist and owner of DermaQuest Skin Therapy. "The new look Vyant created for DermaQuest not only met our expectations, but also exceeded them! DermaQuest's new image has created quite a buzz in the skin care industry and we feel Vyant created our new look to match what DermaQuest Skin Therapy stands for—a scientific product line which is serious skincare yet elegant."

With the dramatic triple-digit increase in numbers since The Vyant Group repackaged the new skincare line, DermaQuest feels that it has exceeded their expectations and the return has been exponential. DermaQuest reports noticing an influx of leads and as numbers grow they are confident that by June 2007, they will continue to be a leader in the Cosmetics Industry.

STRUCTURE: Alcoa Flexible Packaging Introduces Safety-Pak Plus

Alcoa Flexible Packaging, a leading pharmaceutical packaging supplier, is pleased to provide three specifications within its Safety-Pak Plus line of trusted Safety-Pak blister lidding specifications. Safety-Pak Plus PP is Alcoa's peel-push version of this consumer-friendly, child-resistant specification. It utilizes the traditional CR opening process, but provides the ability for a full-panel-peel without tearing, making this child-resistant material much easier for an adult consumer to open.

Safety-Pak Plus PL lidding offers a child-resistant, peelable opening process developed for fragile pharmaceuticals or unique drug delivery medication systems. Safety-Pak Plus LT is Alcoa's "lock-tight" lidding specification providing the ultimate in child-resistant lidding. Safety-Pak Plus LT requires a tool, such as scissors, for accessing drugs that require an F-1 rating.

All three Safety-Pak Plus specifications utilize the same exterior film that provides a higher quality printing substrate than paper, thereby enhancing brand graphics. The 200 gauge white polyester film is compatible with solvent-based, water-based and CSAT inks, and in-line printing processes. Safety-Pak Plus offers a broader sealing window that allows for secure seals at lower temperatures, a benefit to temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals; this also adds valuable seal processing latitude for high speed rotary sealing equipment. All Alcoa Safety-Pak Plus blister lidding specifications are available in trial quantities, unprinted, in as little as two weeks.

SOFTWARE: Ubelix Announces New Product to Open Architecture

Organizations designing packaging or marketing material face the daunting challenge of generating and approving copy, and then integrating it into graphical file formats. This process involves many individuals from diverse departments within different companies. It is prone to error, and requires a great deal of rework and quality assurance. Ubelix streamlines this process to dramatically reduce rework and errors by enabling revolutionary copy management, resulting in faster time to market and reduced costs.

In the typical work process, copy is managed in files like word documents; excel spreadsheets, and PDF files. These files are designed to be easily handled by all the humans involved in the review process, but they are ill-adapted to the final steps in the design work. Ubelix's new model centers copy management on copy. The copy is not managed by file but by atomic copy elements within a database. This enables the automation of many tasks, and therefore speeds the process while also eliminating many of the error-prone human activities.

Ubelix enables the rationalization of brand copy management. Copy common across SKUs in will be present on all labels and automatically managed on all labels across the brand live. For example, to change a Flavor name from "Strawberry" to "Wild Strawberry" the user would update the one piece of copy in the Ubelix Brand Copy Repository and this one simple change would automatically take effect in all the artwork files for the labels of this flavor. For more information, visit www.ubelix.com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dimensional Impressions Becomes Artwork Systems CAD Solutions

Dimensional Impressions, developer of the popular Score! portfolio of CAD applications, will become known as Artwork Systems CAD Solutions effective immediately, the companies announced today. Artwork Systems Chairman of the Board, Guido Van der Schueren, says the name change reflects tighter integration of resources among Artwork Systems companies.

Artwork Systems' sophisticated knowledge of digital design and processing technologies for packaging and graphic arts is core to all three of its businesses: Artwork Systems, Enfocus, and Artwork Systems CAD Solutions. As a result, all 3 can leverage the overlapping, foundational technology strengths the companies have become known for, and additionally share appropriate operational resources. For example, Artwork Systems CAD Solutions' Score! product line will be able to utilize Artwork Systems' considerable, and advanced, Macintosh development resources. Score! is already renowned as the only package industry-specific CAD solution available for Macintosh.

There is tremendous value to be gained by optimizing overlapping functions—especially synergistic R&D operations—and the team at Artwork Systems CAD Solutions agreed that now is a good time to do so.

Mark Dziersk Joins laga as Vice President of Industrial Design

laga, a design and innovation partner to the world's leading companies, announced that Mark Dziersk has joined laga|One80 Design as Vice President of Industrial Design. Dziersk, a Fellow of the Industrial Designers Society of America (FIDSA), most recently was senior vice president of design for the Chicago-based international product design firm of Herbst LaZar Bell Inc. In his new position, Dziersk will provide strategic direction and creative horsepower for laga, with offices in Chicago, Cincinnati, and New York City.

"We are extremely excited to welcome Mark, who is widely recognized as an expert in industrial design," said Jim Warner, managing director of laga|One80 Design. Previous to HLB, Dziersk was executive editor of Innovation Magazine, and adjunct professor at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence and the New England School of Art & Design in Boston. He is currently adjunct professor for the Master of Product Development Program at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and was a founding member of the Design Council of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Rohrer Corporation Announces $1,000 Blisterguard Sweepstakes

In an effort to draw attention to its BlisterGuard security package, Rohrer Corporation is running a sweepstakes in which one person can win $1,000.00. Entry information and rules can be found by opening the tear resistant package found in the May issue of Package Design. However, you better have your scissors ready, since the tear resistant package will resist even the most persistent reader. Pass-along readers may receive a package by calling Rohrer Corporation at 1-800-243-6640 x44 or log on to the web site at www.rohrer.com/blisterguard.

Through its enhanced security features and high printability, BlisterGuard delivers high visual appeal and state-of-the-art security at a substantially lower cost than plastic clamshell packaging. BlisterGuard utilizes a specialty board for tear resistance resulting in built-in security against tampering and pilferage. Superior hanger-hole tear resistance allows manufacturers to use less plastic in their package designs thereby improving sustainability.

RESOURCE: Packaging Strategies' "The Global Market for Beverage Cans."

"The Global Market for Beverage Cans" is a thorough examination of the shifts in the shipments, sales, and trends surrounding the industry, broken down in regions of the world. Some of the findings, researched and summarized by the Omega Research Group, are discussed in the Executive Summary and reviewed here.

Beverage cans represent more than 70% of metal can shipments in the world. In the U.S., the growth of this category in total volume of sales may be slowing down. The fastest growing region in shipments is East Asia, despite a drop off in Japanese demand. Other regions of strong growth include Eastern Europe/Russia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

click here for full-size chart

Major trends in the international beverage can market include:

Market Saturation - In industrialized countries, beer and soft drink sales have leveled off.

Product Mix - In the mid-1980s, canned soft drinks surpassed canned beer quantities in the U.S. Around the world, though, beer cans are replacing beer bottles.

Industry Structure - As a result of many mergers, four companies produce all of the beverage cans used in the U.S. and 69% of the world's beverage cans.

Materials Usage - Aluminum is becoming the most commonly used material for beverage cans worldwide. The U.S. is completely aluminum, and nearly all new lines around the world are aluminum.

Globalization - As population growth slows in developed countries, the world's packaging companies are looking to the emerging economies to keep their sales growing. Growing middle classes are now able to afford consumer goods that were previously considered luxuries.

Opportunities still exist even though the two major markets for beverage cans, soft drinks and beer, are at the mature stage in most industrialized countries. In order to have an impact on these new end-use markets, canmakers must take several proactive steps.

Canmakers must continue to aggressively emphasize the advantages of cans for beverages, such as lighter weight, lower cost, faster chilling, and recycling. They must explore new beverage markets even though these could be niche markets with modest volumes in each. They should promote custom cans in established markets as stylish, modern containers for beverages. Custom cans, while no panacea, have the potential to reinvigorate some established but ailing beverage segments and create new markets for canned beverages.

The details of the Executive Summary and the table appear courtesy of Packaging Strategies in the research study "The Global Market for Beverage Cans." For a full prospectus or to order a copy of "The Global Market for Beverage Cans," call Packaging Strategies at 610-436-4220 (x8511); or email at orders@packstrat.com; or online at www.packstrat.com, then click on "Studies."