One of the best examples of this method in action is none other than the infamous Pet Rock from the 1970s. If not for the pet carrier box, the straw lining and the booklet enclosed, no one would have ever thought to buy this product. Due to the packaging alone, 1.5 million pet rocks were sold for $4 each. The owner quite literally became a millionaire by selling rocks to consumers. That’s how powerful packaging can be.

The best and most creative packaging ideas start with the product itself, using it as the inspiration for its packaging. Time has progressed since the Pet Rock and there are hundreds of new, clever ways to package products. These are a few of our favorite examples.
1) New York City Spaghetti

This packaging was originally created as a University project by designer Alex Creamer and has received a lot of media attention. According to Alex’s website, “NYC Spaghetti started as a university project, where we explored different ways to package everyday food items. My choice was spaghetti. Rather than build a facade or pack around the spaghetti, I decided to make the product itself the focus. When tightly packed together the spaghetti began to take on sculpture like properties that when placed on different surfaces would create a like for like impression on top. This led to the idea of NYC Spaghetti, a series of skyscrapers around the world made out of our favorite Italian food. In this instance a model of the Chrysler building (created by Ben Thorpe) was modeled and pushed into the spaghetti creating a similar impression on top.” It looks like her innovative thinking really penne-d off.

2) Gnome Bread & Note Headphones

These are a few simple ideas that are still creative. The packaging in the first photo was created by Lo Siento Studio, a graphic and media design company founded in 1996. It gives the simple bag that comes around a loaf of bread a whimsical feel. The second comes from designer Corrine Pant and displays headphones as music notes. It’s a simple concept, but it can really stand out amidst the typical boring chords.

3) Ford Ranger Extreme: Matchbox

This one was created by an advertising agency called JWT from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As pictured above, they used matches to look as though a Ford truck was carrying planks of wood in its extendable cargo bed.

4) Mustache Paintbrushes

This is another example emphasizing the idea of a product inspiring its packaging. These Moustache Paint Brushes were designed by Simon Laliberté and feature a series of fuzzy-faced friends to make the a paintbrush more humorous.

5) Hanger Tea

Created by the designer Soon Mo Kang, Hanger Tea is both useful and creative. It has a cute, simplistic look, keeps your tea bags organized, and allows your tea to hang perfectly at the edge of your cup while it steeps.

6) Penguin Juice Boxes

This one is just plain adorable. Creative Guerilla Marketing took the flaps that you’ll find at the ends of juice boxes and transformed them into the flippers and feet of an adorable penguin.

7) Playable DJ Pizza Box

Getting into the more technical territory, Pizza Hut took things to a whole new level by creating a fully functional DJ pizza box. Is this something we needed in our lives? Honestly, probably not. But we can’t deny that it’s extremely creative and certainly got them some attention.

8) Loot Crate

Many monthly box subscriptions, such as Loot Crate, are also known for their creative packaging. Every month, Loot Crate will choose a theme to feature and the box itself either becomes the backdrop of a scene, a diorama, or it can be folded up to become an item of its own.

How’s that for thinking outside the box?

The post Thinking Outside the Box: Creative Packaging Designs appeared first on Inventionland.

The story begins with you walking up and down the aisles of your favorite store. From floor to ceiling, there are products that are wrapped in different colors, with different fonts and of different sizes.

Some get lost in the shuffle while others stop you in your tracks and entice you to pick that product up off of the shelf and do a little investigating.

It’s the latter product packaging that we strive to design here at Inventionland.

To us, product packaging is the best storyteller.  Why? Because through visuals, different shapes and materials, the consumer is able to gain a level of understanding as to what that particular product can offer them.

Creativity Cabin, which is home to the Packaging Department, is a place where products get dressed for success. It’s in this area of Inventionland that the product packaging story begins.

So, what goes into our packaging designs day in and day out? We asked one of Inventionland’s best this exact same question.

For Graphic Designer, Tess, simplicity is key, “You want your buyer to easily understand what the product you are selling does without them have to dig for it. I am a stickler for composition; you don’t want your elements to compete, but rather lead the eye where you want it to go, making it easy for them to understand the story you are trying to tell.”

Tess’ packaging philosophy is closely aligned with the simplicity of our packaging process.

Our graphic designers and packaging engineers work together to create attractive, cost-effective packaging solutions that tell the story of a product.

An example of this creative collaboration is the product packaging that we recently created for the Paula Deen Hugs Premium Select Pet Food.

Our Inventionland team designed the dog food packaging from the photos to the graphics and much more. The goal was to tell the story of the nutritional benefits that this particular pet food can offer consumers and their furry four-legged friends.  It was our job to create packaging that clearly articulated this story on each bag of pet food.

To that point, according to Adage.com, there are two fundamental factors of packaging that are commonly overlooked. These include the fact that “packaging is the only marketing vehicle that 100% of the consumers who buy your product see,” and, “the package is really the only vehicle that you have 100% control over in-store.”

It’s these two points that we fully understand at Inventionland. Product packaging acts as the bait that lures the consumer in to the product and, if done properly, will reel that consumer in to bite and purchase that product.

So, on National Storytelling Day, here’s a look at just two of the creative minds from the Packaging Department that help tell stories through packaging every day.

Trevor is hard at work designing product packaging.

Shannon nails another great idea for product packaging.

Copyright Inventionland, 2015

Sources:

https://adage.com/article/guest-columnists/shopper-marketing-packaging-conveys-a-brand-s-message/148283/

The post How to Tell a Story with Product Packaging appeared first on Inventionland.

Product packaging is the physical representation of the brand and it plays an important role in the decision-making process for consumers.

At Inventionland, we understand the importance of product packaging. Our 3D computer-generated package designs include everything from artwork and product labels to necessary dielines, bleeds and blisters. Thanks to our 3D innovation, we are able to build product packaging within days if necessary.

But, before packaging can be created, take a look at these factors that play a role in inventing eye-catching packaging.

Simplicity- Sometimes, a simple design can create a larger impact on the consumer than packaging that has a busy design. Let’s say, for example, a person sends a family member to the store to purchase a particular product. In order for the family member to recognize the product, the person has to describe the packaging. If they actually find it and come home with the product that the person described, that packaging has created a connection in a way that it is easily found among the other products in that category. The key to this approach is to make packaging simple, yet distinctive.

Against the grain- Simply put, make your product packaging different than the others. Product packaging allows a company to make their brand stand out amongst their competitors. Though one may think that brighter colors and other eye-popping graphics will work, that doesn’t always cut it. Creating a point of orientation on the packaging can help catch the consumer’s eye through attention-grabbing text, images and shapes that can trigger a certain feeling in the consumer.

Emotion- Product packaging that can make a consumer actually feel something is a great way to create brand engagement. It has been said countless times that many believe that decision-making is made in the subconscious. With that being said, your product packaging should speak to that part of the thought process. Packworld.com noted that packaging must make the brand desirable among its competitors in order to sell the product. On the site, the example of package structure was used. For instance, for lower-calorie food offerings, many are being packaged in smaller, slimmer packaging like Kellogg’s Smart Start cereal and their To-Go Breakfast Shakes. Through the packaging of these products, the consumer is able to subconsciously discern that this product, in particular, is geared towards those who want to start or maintain a healthy lifestyle.

As you can see, product packaging isn’t merely something that covers the product. It is actually just as important as the product itself when trying to stand out to consumers. Product packaging is an integral piece of the product development puzzle and companies far and wide go to great lengths to invent the most creative and eye-catching designs. That’s why, at Inventionland, we continue to create innovative product packaging for our clients’ products as well!

Copyright Inventionland 2014

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/onmarketing/2014/07/23/the-five-things-product-packaging-must-do/

https://www.packworld.com/package-design/strategy/appeal-subconscious-through-package-design

The post Three Tips for Product Packaging appeared first on Inventionland.