Wow! What A Package!

Can Package Design Really Make Bathroom Cleaning Fun?

By Lynn Dornblaser

This toilet bowl cleaning product sold in Europe may help kids find household chores less tedious.

Household cleaning product companies keep finding ways to make the bathroom experience more...fun? "Premium" and "toilet cleaner" are usually not two phrases one would naturally put together. However, it appears that Sara Lee is doing just that.

In addition to selling lunchmeats and bakery products, Sara Lee also sells air fresheners and cleaners, mostly in Europe, under the Ambi Pur brand. Most of the products under the brand name are relatively straightforward, in "normal" packaging. Every once in a while, though, the company breaks out and offers a product in a very unlikely package form. This product is one example, but not the only one from this company.

Bathroom humor

For some reason, Sara Lee uses Germany as the market in which to break the mold, so to speak, in package design. Its Ambi Pur Clodette Design Box toilet cleaner combines three liquid continuous toilet bowl cleaners and a holder in a reusable box. The box itself is designed by German manufacturing and design company Koziol.

Koziol, in business since the early 1900s, is known for its fluid shapes, bright colors, and the sense of fun it brings to everyday items. They are semi-famous in the packaging world for making kitchen scrub brushes that look like little people.

The top of the new Ambi Pur box has what appears to be an octopus—smiling, of course. Inside are the three liquid refill units plus the holder for the toilet rim. The company says the box is reusable, either to hold more Ambi Pur toilet bowl cleaning products or anything else you might desire.

The upscale positioning extends beyond the "cool" factor of the box. The scents of the cleaner tablets also reinforce the more exclusive nature of the products. The cleaners include one pink one with a floral scent and two green ones with floral and fruity notes.

Blazing a trend

The Clodette box seeks not only to set itself apart by using clever design, but also to provide an additional functional benefit. That one-two punch of good design usually seems to spell success for products. Another clever product on the market that also combines functionality with design is the U.S. brand Method.

For Sara Lee's Clodette box, the functional benefits include providing a discreet storage container for something a bit unmentionable. The box has the added benefit of having a reusable container for additional cleaning products or anything else that should be kept under wraps for an all-around surprisingly unexpected "Wow!" experience.

Lynn Dornblaser is the director of the Custom Solutions Group at Mintel International. She can be reached at 312-932-0400 or lynnd@mintel.com.