packaging as content

March 1, 2010

Packaging and Consumer Confusion

Top photo by Joan Marcus from 9 to 5 The Musical site (Megan Hilty as Doralee, Allison Janney as Violet—holding the boxes—and Stephanie J. Block as Judy); lower photo from Tiny Details dollhouse miniatures site (See also: Dollhouse Packaging)

This weekend I happened to catch some of 9 to 5—(that movie from 1980 starring Dolly Parton, Lilly Tomlin and Jane Fonda)—on TV. A significant plot point hinges on the issue of consumer confusion between two fictional packaged goods. Violet (played by Lily Tomlin in the movie) inadvertently purchases “Rid O Rat” rat poison, mistaking it for “Skinny n Sweet” artificial sweetener. She puts some in her boss’s coffee before realizing her error, and complications ensue.

Conclusion? While trademark law is generally more concerned with similarly packaged products in the same product category—(unfair competition and all)—clearly, there are also pitfalls to cross-category consumer confusion. (See also: Medicine Cabinet Candy)

Hence, the popular 9 to 5 catch phrase: “It looks just like Skinny ’n Sweet… except for the little skull and crossbones on the label.”

Randy Ludacer
Beach Packaging Design

3 Responses to “Packaging and Consumer Confusion”

1. sroden says:

   March 27, 2010 at 10:32 am

   a few days ago i posted images of a more elaborate paper record player, patented in 1955 by a greeting card company:
   http://inbetweennoise.blogspot.com/
   according to some info on the cardtalk, although it looks older, it seems to have been made in the early 1960′s… but i’ve read many different stories on it…
2. Klaus-Dieter Hinck says:

   September 7, 2010 at 3:09 am

   Hi …. the audio voice of that video about and their judgement on GRN seems to be a bit “antichristian” and unrational, as suggesting some oftenly repeated lies:
   * indoctrination and western export of faith
   * suspicious world rulership and masonry motives, which are not named clear, the mystical tone and art of that video suggests, christians want to do some more crusades and gospel recordnign network could belong to christian conquereres, western culture exporters
   * the suggestions are made in an unclear and facts open leaving slight way, not really saying and naming them
   * the lie, GRN is a sect based organization, which is based on, telling or showing the case of a suspicious non trustable mystical organisation selling unnatual and wrong message to poor people misleading them to follow hated western church doctrines
   * ….
   Not sure if I get the goal of this site, the video right, but this is which comes to my mind, listening to the sexualizing voice or the funny half rational story teller women selling me her truth about christians.
   Christians make mistakes and often use manking stuff, sometimes are masons and failed in mission history may times. But the intonation and basic message of this “report” about GRN seems a bit discreting, not based on facts or putting facts into a complete different content and surrounding so that the picture of radical fundamentalists can be build up, which is not really true and which denies that not all christians are like ungood extreme directions. Which GRN will not belong to, from my experience. If there is evil in the midst of that institution, may God change this, in Christ alone and his truth, grace and changed through his word in the bible. Not through mankind or other powers.
   As the goal of GRN is and was to spread the eternal life resulting word of Christ and the cross.
   The Homepage link on this comment goes to that word of God in many languages, not to my homepage. Which is more important and in the end, also thanks for the informations aout the made art of this card player. But there is no reason to put all active christians sharing their eternally related and important life, faith and this in an active way.
   Dieter from Germany.
   http://www.linkedin.com/in/usertask
   (Infos to my person and network)
   Gosplel recording network resosurce:
   http://globalrecordings.net/topic/cardtalk
   (an interdenominational network and organisation, not put to a special denomination and direction, if there are ungood things, well may God – even if the word is widely misused also from some christians or used with double meaning – show them)
3. Klaus-Dieter Hinck says:

   September 7, 2010 at 3:17 am

   And sorry for my bad grammar, sentence building and missing of letters … :-] Whatshowever – hope I could show the other side of the medal according to GRN, discussion welcomed here on this website, if the author agrees. Not sure who developed this card player, but good, that is is developed. From my viewpoint as a christian as from my viewpoint as an interested person in interesting and energy saving technics.
   But GRN is not that evil and in the end they made this product available to many many people who can use it for recordings in general, even if they are not available any more as records are only pressed in some countries.
   Cu @ll.
   Dieter.