Issue: May '05

Cover Story

Shout! Factory Makes Packages 'Pop'

by Patrick Henry

Package design is at the heart of Shout! Factory's marketing strategy. Shout! Factory is known for reissuing classic TV shows on DVD and classic recordings on special CD sets. In a few short years, this group of former Rhino Records employees have carved out an ever-expanding niche of their own. [more]

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Designer's Corner

by Bill Goodwin

Packaging Youth Brands. Kids influence more and more purchasing decisions every day. Designing packages that market directly to kids is an art form where even a very complicated message can be communicated visually. Also, choosing the right colors can allow SKUs to market successfully across different age groups. [more]

Market Review: Pouches Prevail!

by Noel Jeffrey

The U.S. may lag behind in embracing new pouch technologies, but times are changing as retortable and self-heating pouches gain acceptance around the world. As pouches move into untapped categories, designers may turn more and more to gravure printing because of its ability to print vibrant images with tight register. [more]

ALSO: Gravure Printing Finds a High-End Home on Pouches [more]

The Second Annual Package Design Makeover Challenge

by M. Grace Maselli

The stage is set for our Second Annual Makeover Challenge. Meet the five teams who will tackle the redesign project, and learn about their strengths. The teams are Brand Engine (formerly Be Design), Goodwin, Gravity, Michigan State University, and U.K.'s Tin Horse. [more]

Global Trendsetters: Korea

by Ted Mininni, David Becker, and Davis Masten

The rapidly growing economy of South Korea is changing the way young Koreans view Western and domestic brands. Koreans long to be engaged with the Western world but their loyalties are not easy to pin down. Also, Koreans associate colors with emotions very differently from both the Chinese and Japanese. [more]

The Front Panel

by Mona Eisman

Licensing a celebrity icon such as Donald Trump for a new product can be a tricky and constraining affair. Package designers should resist the temptation to reinvent a personality, even slightly. The goal is to grab consumers' attention and reinforce what aspirations the consumer already has about the icon. [ more ]

Profile: Verst Pack

by Debora Toth

Verst Pack is a fast-growing contract packaging company in Kentucky whose specialty is shrink labels. Through the latest equipment and efficient logistics, Verst is looking to make shrink labels the most attractive label option out there. Customizing labels for regional or seasonal sales is another attractive benefit. [more]

Research: Business of Innovation

by Scott Young

Both qualitative and quantitative research have their place in assessing the potential of a package design innovation. Knowing how to use each method will prevent good ideas from being discarded and will allow for refinement of innovations. Asking consumers if they will pay more for an innovation, however, is useless. [more]

Pack Expo Countdown

Pack Expo Las Vegas is closer than you think: This year it's September 26-28 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Only at Pack Expo can you be among the first to see innovations in package design and production that can directly impact product appeal, consumer satisfaction, production efficiency, and the bottom line. [more]

Wow! What a Package

by David Luttenberger

Wouldn't be great if you didn't have to unwrap your new underwear, and instead you could just throw the whole package in the washer? If you responded "yes," Fuseproject and Devo Underwear were trying to fulfill your dreams--and do it in an eco-friendly way to boot. [more]

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