NEW DESIGN FORUM: When Is a Brand Extension Not a Brand Extension?

PepsiCo recently introduced G2, a line of low-calorie sports energy beverages. The word "Gatorade" does not appear on the label, though the iconic lightning bolt does.

Would you advise leaving the "parent" brand name off the label of a new brand extension line? Do you believe this G2 label is instantly recognizable as coming from Gatorade? Is there enough reason in this case to disassociate G2 from Gatorade?

FORUM RESULTS: Package Design and Anti-Counterfeiting Strategies

In our last Design Forum, we asked if package design could be a significant part of brand protection and anti-counterfeiting strategies. Amy Graver, Amy Graver, president and creative director of the Elements design firm in New Haven, CT responded: "Graphic design elements are an essential part of an overall strategy, but cannot by themselves deter counterfeiting. Only the triple threat of consumer vigilance, retailer engagement, and design solutions (both overt and covert) will create an environment in which it is too expensive and/or difficult for counterfeiters to prosper."

Another reader offered: "Like money, the combination of delicate and intricate patterns with high-quality printing can be a first line of defense anticounterfeiting measure." Dan Matauch, principal of Flowdesign in Detroit, said that it would be very difficult for package design alone to discourage counterfeiting, because any graphic element can be duplicated. "Unless the decorating technique is new or too difficult for the counterfeiter to duplicate," wrote Matauch.

Another contributor chimed in: "I believe package design elements themselves can be effective, if time and money is set aside for overall development, better materials, different substrates, and/or custom packaging materials. If the packaging materials are specialized in some way, that alone will eliminate quick and easy counterfeits. Custom watermarks or custom holographic materials, and custom shaped packages would be harder to copy as well. And being a designer, I would have to include better quality of the overall graphics as a deterrent. If you are concerned about the quality of your graphics and the consistency of your product line, the counterfeits will be easier to spot. I feel a good mix of some/all of the above would be the easiest to implement, and in most cases, be the most cost effective."

Graver concluded: "Counterfeiting is a complex problem that defies single-source answers. As packaging designers, we need to be aware of the latest and best practices, but must help our clients understand that—while we are certainly an integral and important part of the solution—we cannot shoulder the burden alone."

For more information on the Brand Protection Conference taking place in Miami Beach on February 28th and 29th, click here, or register here
Note: Brand Protection Conference Admission includes Graphics of the Americas registration.

DESIGN: Wallace Church Conveys Wholesome Goodness with Sesmark Chips Package

Sesmark's authentic, all-natural crackers perfectly balance premium taste with honest health benefits. Wallace Church revolutionized their prior, generic identity with a compelling "Health from the Heartland" story. The sepia photography changes across each product line to invoke its natural ingredients while creating an excellent stage for an updated brand mark. By keeping the design remarkably simple, the product becomes the center of attention and captures the brand's essence—fresh, wholesome, and from the heart.

STRUCTURE: Miracle Packaging Debuts New Miracle Cone™ Dispensing Pouch at WestPack

The Miracle Cone Model PCH is a flexible standup container for a wide variety of consumer products including sauces, oils, creams, lotions, gels, cosmetics, liquids, and powders. The Miracle Cone offers a distinctive conical shape with convenient dispensing while reducing packaging and transportation costs.

Miracle Packaging sells the Miracle Cone premade to manufacturers in the food and cosmetics industry. Miracle Packaging offers companies the opportunity to test their products with the Miracle Cone by participating in the Miracle Launch Program. The program allows companies to lease the appropriate fill and sealing equipment and test the market without significant upfront investment.

Miracle Packaging has offices in Sarasota, FL, and New York City. The Miracle Cone is protected by a U.S. patent, pending patent applications and other intellectual property rights in the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Asia. For more, visit www.miraclepackaging.com.

STRUCTURE: General Line Packaging Group Introduces Grip-Handle Liquid Containers

The General Line Packaging Group, a division of O.BERK Company, has developed and introduced a new line of Grip-Handle Liquid Containers in PET in four sizes with 38-400 finishes (48-oz., 64-oz., 2-liter and 4-liter). The ergonomic design of these bottles makes them easy to pour with maximum room for a strong label presence.

The Grip-Handle Liquid Containers offer the freedom to select custom colors, labeling, and silk-screen printing. O.BERK Company is a major full-service supplier of glass, plastic, and metal containers; metal and plastic closures; and a total packaging resource for the cosmetic, food, healthcare, chemical, industrial, and specialty markets. For more, visit www.OBERK.com.

WHITE PAPER: Weatherchem Corp. Offers Free Study of Trends for Pet Food and Care Packaging

It is no secret that the pet owner of the 21st century loves their furry friend and demonstrates their affection by spending money to show they care. In fact, Americans spent approximately $41 billion in 2007 just to show how much they care. According to the APPMA National Pet Owners Survey of 2007-2008, 63% of American households own a pet and the total number of households that have a pet has increased from 58.3 million to 71.6 million over the past decade. Download this free whitepaper here.

COMPONENT: World Wide Packaging Adds Tube Child Resistant Caps to Product Portfolio

World Wide Packaging Inc. (WWP) a leading provider of cosmetic packaging solutions, is expanding its market with new child-resistant caps for plastic tubes. These caps provide the safest packaging available for tubes containing over-the-counter medicinal creams and lotions, claims Jeffrey Hayet, executive v.p. global sales of World Wide Packaging.

The caps can only be removed with the combination of force and a counterclockwise twist. The caps have undergone rigorous testing by SGS Testing Services in New Jersey and are designed to fit plastic tubes in a variety of sizes from 13 mm to 60 mm. "Creams and lotions that contain active ingredients may present a danger to children," says Hayet. "World Wide Packaging's child-resistant closures offer a sensible, simple solution that ensures the safety of our little ones." For more, visit www.wwpinc.com.

MATERIAL: Knick Knack Double Pack Benefits from Bobo Plastik Expertise

The thermoforming and preprinting expertise of RPC Bebo Plastik made this innovative double-pack concept possible. Launched by European margarine brand Lätta, the package consists of two 100-gram (3.5-oz.) portion packs labeled "Knick!" and "Knack!" joined together across a perforated edge. Once purchased, the packs are easy to split, enabling the second to remain closed while the first is in use.

The concept is aimed primarily at the growing demographic of single occupant households, for whom a single margarine tub may be unsuitable, but also provides a convenient size for eating in the office or on a picnic. For this solution, Unilever turned to RPC Bebo Plastik, which was already a major supplier responsible for other sizes in the Lätta brand.

RPC Bebo Plastik used its manufacturing expertise to devise a method for creating the perforations within the thermoforming tool, something that is difficult to achieve with PP. In addition, the Frischeduo double-pack is designed to fit the cell plates for the regular 500-gram (17.6-oz.) Lätta tub, meaning it can be filled on Unilever's existing filling lines.

Whilst the tub is decorated with adhesive labels, the lid is preprinted using the patented Bebo print technique for outstanding on-shelf presence and enhanced family branding with other Lätta sizes that are also decorated in this way. Unilever is supporting the launch with a major advertising campaign highlighting the healthiness of the half-fat spread and the convenience of the double-pack to young, busy lifestyles.

TOOLBOX: Designer's Toolbox Sponsor of the Week - ALLIEDFLEX

ALLIEDFLEX® connects forward-looking companies with innovative global pouch packaging technologies and the pouch packaging machinery solutions to reinvent a brand, stimulate sales, or launch a new product. Printpack has introduced their new flexible premade package format, Showpack. It is a side-gusset, flat-bottom, zipper reclosable pouch that stands up on the retail shelf and could be used for a multitude of products including cereal, snacks, pet foods, and frozen foods. Robert's Packaging model IMFS-1500 packaging machine provides the fill/seal automation for this new package format.

ALLIEDFLEX, 8586 Potter Park Drive, Sarasota, FL 34238; email Dennis Calamusa at DFC@ALLIEDFLEX.com.
If you missed the 2007 Package Design Toolbox, check up on the participants here.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Sun Chemical's Global Color Innovation Webinar Series Available on Package Design Website

The first of three in Sun Chemical's Webinar Series is entitled "Delivering the Emotion of Color." Duncan Berry, Ph.D., and director of Applied Iconology, and Iain Pike, business leader, Brand Color Management, discuss how colors are the front line of brand consciousness and how to engage consumers with color. Colors have a physical, emotional, and cultural context that deserves close examination.

To go directly to this webinar, click here.

ANNOUNCEMENT: ICMAD Announces Fifth Annual CITY Awards Honoring Products and Packaging

The Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMAD) is a 700 company member association that supports entrepreneurial businesses in the highly competitive cosmetic, toiletry, and fragrance industry. ICMAD opens a call for entries for its fifth annual CITY Awards for Cosmetic Innovators of The Year.

To be eligible for a CITY Award, the company must be a member of ICMAD and follow the criteria established for each award category. All products must have first shipped, and marketing and advertising programs initiated between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008. Deadline for entries is April 18, 2008.

The Call for Entries brochure is available online at www.icmad.org or by calling the executive office on 800-334-2623. The 5th annual CITY Awards will be presented during the ICMAD annual meeting and dinner on Thursday, June 19, 2008 in New York City and will honor the very best of the best entrepreneurial innovations. Six CITY Awards will be presented to ICMAD Member Companies entering in the following categories: Personal Care Product; Color Cosmetic Product; Skin Care Product; Personal Care Package Design; Color Cosmetic Package Design; Skin Care Package Design; Print Advertisement - Trade or Consumer; Internet Advertisement or Website Design.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Cortegra Appoints John Kay as the New V.P. of Operations

Cortegra Group Inc., a leading provider of packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical and related industries, recently named John Kay as the new Vice President of Operations. "John Kay comes to us with an outstanding background as a successful operations leader in the printed packaging industry," announced Cortegra president, Victor L. Dixon. "His skills and experience will enable him to lead our manufacturing facilities and enable Cortegra to execute our business strategy and rapid growth plans."

Kay was most recently the director of corporate development and effectiveness for J.J. White Inc., a major Mid-Atlantic commercial construction organization. He also spent 15 years at Alcoa's Consumer and Flexible Packaging Divisions, where he held a series of leadership roles in operations management and lead continuous improvement initiatives across several facilities that served the pharmaceutical and other markets.

A subsidiary of Menasha Corporation, Cortegra is headquartered in Fairfield, NJ, and brings single-source solutions with pharmaceutical packaging materials. For more, visit www.cortegra.com or call 973-808-8000.

SOFTWARE: EskoArtwork Introduces ArtiosCAD 7.3 with Expanded Functionality

EskoArtwork, the global market leader in innovative design, pre-production and collaboration solutions for the packaging and commercial printing industry, announces the introduction of ArtiosCAD 7.3. The latest version provides easier design features, more realistic views of packaging against backgrounds and extensive support for new operating systems and applications.

EskoArtwork has further enhanced the ArtiosCAD "background image" feature that lets users place their 3D structural designs in a store environment. New tools in ArtiosCAD 7.3 help the user create even more realistic views with a range of control functions that further enhance the visual model: preparing the proper scale; orientation and perspective; and by providing drop shadows influenced by the light position. This allows the brand owner to see a very realistic view of how a product will look on the store shelves before time and money is invested in packaging samples.

ArtiosCAD 7.3 includes a rubber design module for ejection rubber profiles. It is an automatic one-click solution for creating ejection rubber profiles for a cutting die—using a sophisticated set of user configurable rules taking into consideration rule type, location, geometry and other parameters. It even recognizes nicks and bolt holes.

ArtiosCAD 7.3 has a number of new design features created to simplify tasks and save time and expanded functionality in its 3D Designer for viewing and reports. "We have added significant features to ArtiosCAD 7.3," explains Richard Deroo, product manager structural design. "They focus on four general areas: tools to make it even easier to work and navigate within ArtiosCAD; a focus on maintaining open access to Esko ArtiosCAD on a number of operating systems and within environments such as laptop and dual-monitor use; tools that make it even easier to place 3D images onto a background in perspective; and a new module to design ejection rubber profiles." For more, visit www.eskoartwork.com.

SOFTWARE: Meadows Publishing Solutions Releases DesignMerge Software for Adobe Indesign CS3

Meadows Publishing Solutions today announced the release of DesignMerge Pro for Adobe InDesign CS3, supporting both Apple and Windows-based platforms. DesignMerge Pro will provide Adobe InDesign users with sophisticated variable data printing and data publishing features. The modules work within the application, enabling professional mail-merge, variable data printing, and document assembly features. The entire process is database-driven, completely flexible, and very easy to use.

All of the features of Adobe InDesign are available when using DesignMerge software. DesignMerge also supports the most popular VDP output formats including PostScript and PPML, and is fully compatible with systems offered by Canon, Xerox, HP, EFI, and Konica-Minolta, among others. For more information about DesignMerge technology, please visit www.designmerge.com/aboutplugins.

"DesignMerge offer consumers several advantages over its competition," notes Meadows president John Kriho. "First introduced in 1998, DesignMerge has matured to become one of the most established VDP offerings in the market. With thousands of professional customers worldwide, the software offers superior stability through extensive field application. And as a plug-in, it offers the professional designer an elegant tool that only enhances the Adobe InDesign workflow and does not impede its capabilities. Finally, it enables users to keep files native to the application and workflow, eliminating time-costly conversion and data loss." For more, visit www.meadowsps.com.