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Buckyballs Packaging: Before & After

Maybe you’ve seen the YouTube videos of someone’s expert hands, artfully wrangling these magnetic ball bearings into different polyhedral arrangements. A fun crystal-structure teaching opportunity (and cool that it references Buckminster Fuller and fullerenes, AKA: buckyballs)

Zoomdoggle recently switched their packaging from a glass jar to a PVC box. (I met owner, Craig Zucker last August at Gift Fair and learned that the design of the new pack was handled in-house.)

(A Buckyballs display, after the fold...)

Too Late’s Wristwatch in a Jar

This is not the photo I wanted. At Gift Fair, what I saw at Too Late’s booth were rows and rows of jars, each containing a single brightly colored rubber watch. The only packaging photos I could find online were ones like these, where, naturally, the intention was to feature the product rather than the packaging. (I guess I should have just brought my camera.)

But you get the idea: a product that borrows its packaging from another product category. (Like jeans packaged in paint cans and the like.)

Here is the company’s own rather breathless assessment from their web site:

What could be said about the packaging? Too Late watches are place in a sparkling, well-rounded and Eco-friendly glass jar. This innovative packaging, first in the world for a watch, has received a nomination at the 2009 Condè Nast Design & Innovation Awards in London.

I'll say this: the rows of jars containing multi-colored watches, made for a cool display.

Randy Ludacer
Beach Packaging Design

Esque Studio's Bottles etc.

Top: Another glassware gun—this one’s an object d'arte paper-weight, rather than a container, although it is probably made of glass from melted beer bottles; lower left: vases based on those bear-shaped honey containers; lower right: “JP’s Apothecary”—hand blown from recycled beer bottles. (Boxes are handmade from reclaimed wood and the backdrop is mirrored)

The altered green beer bottles (below) are what drew me to Esque Studio’s booth at Gift Fair. Glass-blowing duo, Justin Parker and Andi Kovel make high-concept, decorative glassware.

I spoke briefly with Justin at their booth and learned that, although they still use “pure glass“ (for customers that prefer their glass: crystal-clear and bubble free), their re-melted, recycled glass work has become increasing popular—both for its appealing imperfections and its eco-cachét.

(Another variation on their re-purposed beer bottle theme, after the fold...)

ZIPit Packaging

Photos from a review of the ZIPit in The Gadgeteer

I saw another packaging-related product at Gift Fair: the ZIPit battery operated clamshell package opener.

Unlike some manufacturers in this product category, they wisely avoided the negative irony of packaging their product in clamshell, opting instead for a paperboard carton. Not a prize-winning graphic design effort. (Might also be mistaken for a Glad garbage bag box.) Still, it does communicate the “As seen on TV” vibe that this product embodies...

The thing is, this is not the only “Zip It” product on the market. As is often the case with trademarked names, there are a number of other “Zip It” retail packages to be found in other product categories...

(See more Zip It packaging, after the fold...)

Ridley's House of Novelties Packaging

I attended Gift Fair this past weekend. These extreme vintage boxes for Wild & Wolf’s “Ridley’s House of Novelties” got my attention. I think the illustrations really capture the dime-store/magic-shop gestalt of these products.

I was also impressed with how far they were willing to go with the faux-vintage background color of these boxes. Personally, I’m attracted to the time-worn look of old retail boxes that you find in thrift shops, but I wonder if some stores might be put off by packages that looks almost shop-worn even though they’re brand new. (Of course, pre-washed denim sold alright when that came out, so maybe it’s a non-issue.)

Also: check out the knockoff Doublemint—“Pure Mint”—joke gum pack on the “5 Classic Jokes” box.

Randy Ludacer
Beach Packaging Design

Candy Package Pillows

Similar to the plush candy-pack dog toys that I wrote about last August, only for people. Scenario’s “Sweet Thang” soft goods division makes licensed, candy-pack pillows. (And also soda can pillows & cereal box pillows.)

(Photos from Candy Warehouse)

Randy Ludacer
Beach Packaging Design

Snack Pack Key Chains

From Monkey Design, available in Taiwan, but discontinued in the USA: snack pack key chains.

“Everyone has their favorite junk food. In Taiwan, they like to carry miniature reminders of their snacks on a keychain. (Also available on a lanyard for cell phone usage!)”

–Monkey Design USA

(Some close up photos after the fold...)

Grow It

I like these tube-style carton sleeves for Gift Republic’s “Grow It” line. (I saw them last month at NYIGF.) The colorful, but economical packaging system for the so-called “garden-inspired starter kits” makes a good impact all together, on display.

Randy Ludacer
Beach Packaging Design

Tea Forté

Tea Forté from designer Peter Hewitt. A pleasing combination of geometric and organic: tall polyhedral infuser packs, each with a disarmingly natural-looking leaf/sprout tag. Although the tall pyramidal shape is not a “close packing” polyhedron, the individual tea-bag/infusers do pack together in a variety of sculpturally intriguing ways.

(A couple more images, after the jump...)

Menu Gift Boxes

At Gift Fair, since the emphasis is naturally on the products themselves, the packaging is often hidden away. Creative Danes’ booth was like this. Out on display were products from Menu A/S: a colorful series of rubber vases, organically shaped terracotta oil lamps, and other modernist housewares. But tucked onto the shelves underneath were some very nice gift boxes that these products come in.

Dark on the outside, photogenic on the inside, these Cinderella-like boxes perhaps don’t get the attention they deserve.

(A couple more Menu boxes after the jump...)

Boylan Bottle Glasses

Earlier this month, I'd fallen into a sort of unintended root beer rabbit hole. (Here, here, here & here) When I saw these glasses at Gift Fair, I figured I was meant to write about these also.

Last February I wrote about how the Green Glass Company refashions bottles into glasses and goblets. (See: Package Becomes Product ) Since then, they’ve teamed up with Boylan Bottling Co. to turn used Boylan deposit bottles into glasses. An interesting idea. On the one hand, it’s almost like a licensed product thing for Boylan, putting their re-purposed (but still branded) packages onto dinner tables. (See: Branding in Your Home) And, on the other hand, it provides Green Glass with a steady source of glass bottles that Boylan would’ve, otherwise, thrown away—(Since bottlers refilling glass bottles, appears to be a thing of the past.)

(More Boylan bottle glasses, after the jump...)

Statement Soaps

Last February I wrote about Kala Style’s Vote Soap, introduced during the last presidential election. (Before the twin-pack of war in Iraq & Afghanistan and the gradual, unapologetic Republican concession that Al Gore was actually right about global warming)

This time at Gift Fair I noticed that “Vote Soap” was actually one of a product line of three “Statement Soaps,” the other two being “Peace Soap” and “Save Water Soap.”

In view of what a “soap box” stands for, figuratively speaking—(and with another critical election just around the corner)—I think it’s an interesting choice to use soap boxes to make a statement.

Although branding pundits speak of brands embodying an entire lifestyle, most companies will tip-toe around any meaningful political values that their consumers might, in fact, embrace. While plenty of companies may lay claim to environmental convictions, when it comes to politics, most product makers tend to play both ends against the middle. (See Partisan Packaging). With a large, board-of-directors type of company, I can see why it might be this way. Smaller companies, however, are in a different position. When their owners have actual political convictions, they are in the unique position of being able to put their money where their mouth is.

I’m not talking about the blatantly political (and usually stupid) novelty products. (The Hillary Nut Cracker, comes to mind.) I’m talking about products that might sell equally well in red or blue states, except that the packaging is throwing down a sort of political gauntlet.

Here in the U.S. it’s a brave thing for a company to actually take sides, because—(as we demonstrated in the last presidential election)—the nation is cartoonishly divided in half. How many companies are willing to risk pissing off half of their potential customers?

Some might say, that if you have a smaller company, you have less to lose. But if it’s true that consumers reward the brands which reflect their own personal values, then surely there is money to be made by stipulating your products’ political point of view. I mean, if your hands were dirty and there were two bars of soap at the store. And they were both the same price. And one was “Peace Soap” and the other was “Troop Surge” soap. Which would you buy?

(Another “Statement Soap” after the jump...)

The Brand Dilution of Duff Beer

Duff Energy Drink is made by Boston America. Photo on left from Caffeine Guru; photo on right from Triston Pelton’s Flickr Photostream

In an earlier post, I looked at Five Formerly Fictional Products, but there were bound to be more than five. Duff Beer, Matt Groening’s fictional brand of beer for The Simpson’s cartoon series, is another example. Even though Groening decided not to license the Duff trademark for an actual beer—(since it might be construed as promoting beer to children)—the Duff logo has been licensed to a bunch of other products that are not beer and, in some cases, have very little to do with beer.

The Duff brand Energy drink (above), an over-sized Duff Beer can package of playing cards, the Duff Beer Talking Ice Bucket [see Talking Package], Duff Mints in miniature beer can containers [see Soda Candy], a Duff Beer coaster Set, Duff tee shirts, Duff Beer lounge pants, Duff boxer shorts, a Duff Beer tube top, a Duff bikini, a Duff Beer Bottle-Opener Hat, a Duff Beer freezer mug, a Duff Beer magnet, a Duff Beer dice game, the Rotating Duff Can Lamp With Changing Characters, a Duff Beer key-chain, Duff Beer salt and pepper shakers, Duff Beer alarm clocks, posters, stickers, etc.

Pretty much the definition of “brand dilution.” Too many line extensions that do not reflect your core strength may cause loyal customers to wonder what, if anything, does the Duff brand even stand for anymore?

The unlikely hero in this story of diluted brand equity—(trademark infringement and welfare of children, notwithstanding)—is Rodrigo Contreras, from Guadalajara, who in 2006, trademarked “Duff” in Mexico. (Apparently beating The Simpsons’ production company, Gracie Films to the punch.) Consequently an actual “Duff Beer” is available for sale in Mexico.   

(See pirated/genuine “Duff Beer,” after the jump...)

Good Plain Packaging from Kathleen Lewis

Even though I am not normally a “spa” sort of guy, I was very taken with the spare, minimalist labeling for Brooklyn-based Kathleen Lewis Beauty. Starting as a DIY soap maker, local enthusiasm for her products has grown to where she now offers an extensive line of candles, beauty and skin care products.

At Gift Fair, her discreetly-labeled products were arranged on racks of aluminum trays, giving the whole enterprise a kind of pharmacological vibe. Interesting, that her stated skin-care credo is “Do no harm.” (Same as the Hippocratic Oath!)

Graphic design for these labels was done by fine artist, James Dustin.

A nice detail, that Kathleen pointed out to me: the labels wrap around from the left leaving a gap on the right—rather than wrapping, front to back. (Sorry. It doesn’t show in these pictures.)

I must be typographically-challenged. It’s only just now dawning on me that the color area of each label represents an “L” for Lewis.

(More photos, after the jump...)

Blue Q's Planetary Virtue

Sadly, the shopping tote above was not one of the two free ones that I received at Gift Fair. In a crowded product category, Blue-Q’s bag for the passive-aggressive, ecological shopper stands apart. The Saving the Planet Shopper—(“The more you shop the more planet you save”)—is their current best seller. Never ones to partake in the “New Sincerity,” even at their most virtuous, Blue Q manages a bit of backhanded irony—which, like water, is refreshing...

(See why in the world I’m alluding to water, after the jump...)

Licensed Lip Balm Packaging

A screen shot of Valeri Thalen-Passon’s flickr set of lip balm packaging

Gift Fair on Sunday, one of the booths at which I lingered, was License 2 Play, a distributor specializing in licensed products. In that booth alone, was enough “packaging-as-content” to keep me digressing for a very long time. For now, I’ll just have to try and confine myself to the licensed lip-balm thread.

Although I’ve noticed a lot of lip balm varieties out there, I never knew that there was a line of General Mills Cereal lip balms or a line of Betty Crocker lip balms. (Both, manufactured by Boston America.) So many food-related flavors for something you’re not actually meant to eat.

I like it when the backing card of a carded blister-pack is in the shape of some other type of packaging... the Betty Crocker frosting canister, for example. ...and all the die-cut cards shaped like bottles or cans, for the beverage-related lip balms. (Lotta Luv is a company that makes a lot of that type.)

Finding vpassion’s flickr site was a real eye-opener. She has an impressive collection of lip balm packaging—a lot of it of the licensed product variety.

Photo on left from Lip Treats web site; photo on right from vpassion’s flickr photostream

(a little more about licensed lip balm packaging, after the jump...)

Black Ice Cube Trays

Went to New York International Gift Fair today. Finally got to see the box for the new Suck UK all-black version of Sillycone, Inc.’s alphabet silicone ice trays.

Aside from a Letter ICE logo on the back (not shown here) and the photos on the top panel, we were not involved with the design of this package, but we really like what they’ve done... the stark black and white, the cutaway corner, etc.

One thing I guess I can take credit for: the simulated product packaging photo above. (Read more about simulated product photos here...)

(An actual, non-simulated photo follows, after the jump...)

Sferra 1891

Admirable packaging for Sferra’s recently debuted 1891 line. Linens packaging, (I think) is a generally overlooked area of package design. Perhaps it’s because one is forced to be so restrained, that the best packaging is in this category is invariably self-effacing and seldom garners much attention. Since the packaging must work with any number of unforeseen patterns and colors that are in the products, one cannot resort to the usual attention-getting tactics.

According to Aaron Stewart, Sferra’s Creative Director,

This was a brand extension to our Sferra fine linens brand of Italian made product ... So we wanted a logo that bridges the two brands together.

(a close-up photo and quote from the designer follow after the jump)

La Compagnie de Provence

I cannot speak or read French. It may be that La Compagnie de Provence’s typo-centric packaging had an even stronger impact on me for that reason. (Undistracted by the meaning of the words, I'm left just to ponder the way it looks: typography as pattern and color.) Another example of the sort of “typographic packaging” —(similar to the Waitrose Cook packaging shown on the dieline last week)— that uses verbiage as its main graphic feature. Seen all together, as they were at Gift Fair, these products make quite an impression.

The first product packaging for La Compagnie de Provence (founded in 1990 by French fashion designers, Philippe Boigeol and Pascal Bourelly) was traditional "Marseille soap" packaged in wrapping paper, tied with hemp rope and with a small wax seal. (more photos and more to read after the jump...)

Sorapot’s Corrugated Cardboard Box

We got to meet designer, Joey Roth, whose "Sorapot"—(a complete re-think of what a traditional teapot can be)—has been popping up in a number of blogs. We got a sneak peak at his new packaging. The first thing that struck me about it was the coarse, exposed corrugated cardboard. I'd never seen such audaciously rough-hewn cardboard packaging... more like a Robert Rauschenberg cardboard sculpture than commercial product packaging.

Quite the contrast with the gleaming chrome and glass product (seen here nesting in a molded pulp tray).

A check of his web site, however, revealed that this was not his first design for the package, but the culmination of a number of explorations. He had worked out an elaborate structural plan for making the entire box (top, bottom and inner support structure) from a single sheet of die-cut cardboard.

As Joey explained in an email:

The folded corrugated box was the original plan for Sorapot's packaging, but after some analysis I realized that it would actually use more material than the current molded pulp box and offer less protection during shipping. Still, I like to show people the flat pattern next to the folded-up box.

My approach with the actual packaging was to articulate the beauty of cardboard. I wanted to use the honeycomb corrugation as a design accent, and show the cardboard's actual color. The factory thought I was a bit crazy when I told them not to cover the structural cardboard with bright white or glossy black paper, but the design has received a great response.

Below are some more photos of the actual packaging.

Randy Ludacer