Box Vox

packaging as content

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March 12, 2009

Rainbow Array Packaging

RainbowArrays

Top left: Jones Soda photo from Desirable Redhead’s Flickr Photostream; on right Sanity by Australian design firm Percept; 2nd row: scented Pine Sol; 3rd row left: Naturapoteket vitamin packaging by Swedish branding and design firm BVD; on right: Jean-Louis Bissardon fruit juices labels by French design firm, Caracas; bottom row left: Uno Hair Wax jars by Shiseido in Japan; on right: Mr. Clean

No question, color is a useful way to differentiate between varieties in a product line. Sometimes it’s to help communicate the contents—(fruit flavors, vegetables etc.) Other times it’s more about how great the products will look all together on the shelf. (a rainbow assortment of iPods, etc.)

Colors may speak to the consumer on a more emotional level, but clearly all the colors will not sell equally well. Some colors will not be reordered as frequently. Some may be discontinued. The multi-colored product line has lately become so de rigueur, that I wonder whether a spectral array of products really stands out much any more. Do multi-colored product lines sell better?

Some product line packaging, while still multi-colored, shuns the obvious choices (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) in favor of more subtle, not-so-intense pallets: pastels, tertiary colors and beyond. That may be a step in the right direction, but I applaud those that experiment with different means of differentiation—patterns or typography for example.

If it’s food your selling, I get it. The oral/visual appeal of appetizing color cannot be denied. But why the delicious-looking, candy-colored cleaning products?

Randy Ludacer
Beach Packaging Design

One Response to “Rainbow Array Packaging”

  1. Kay says:
    March 13, 2009 at 11:21 am

    I work with packaging for gift baskets and it is all about color. We will pack the same product, same flavor in a variety of colors just so they match different colored or themed baskets. And we do the same popular tried-and-true colors over and over just because those are the ones that sell. And also because there will be a bigger concentration of products from other brands in these same colors, so they will be easier to match.