Walking around your local supermarket aisle should give you a clear indication that many brands need to up their game when it comes to catching the modern shopper’s eye. In the first part of my ‘Supermarket Sweep’ series, I introduced three key trends in packaging from brands that are using innovate methods to capture our attention.
Unexpected and disruptive
In a marketplace saturated with products that are bold, bright and beautiful, standing out is now more vital than ever. So what can you do to ensure your product draws the most attention on shelf?
Being unexpected and disruptive is about adding that extra factor of emotional engagement that stops customers and makes them not only look twice, but think and appreciate the additional thought that has gone into your packaging.
Philips, with its recent range of light bulb packaging, is an excellent example – especially for such an everyday product. The packaging layers pictures over the product to create a 3-dimensional image, such as a rabbit face without ears over its two-pronged bulb. The result is a range that not only grabs your attention but also gives you extra emotional satisfaction. This additional level of engagement uses assumed knowledge to create a connection between consumer and packaging.
The ‘ooh, ahh’ effect
When it comes to packaging, many brands seem to focus on how they can get the customer’s attention at the point of sale. But what about once the product is purchased and in their home? That is where the ‘ooh, ahh’ effect comes in to play.
This trend is all about giving customers a visually impressive product that captivates their attention, changing the preconceived notion of what the product is. This is achieved through the visual effect that happens in front of the customer from purchase, offering them the promise that they will enjoy an additional experience when they use the product.
This is a trend that we have seen extensively within the alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks sector. It is an extremely effective concept for products used during dark and night-like conditions.
A strong example of this in action is William Fèvre’s limited edition 2013 vintage Chablis bottle. Fully white from top to base with minimal graffiti-esque designs, the bottle asks consumers to ‘turn off the light’. In doing so, the bottle glows in the dark with various scrawlings of graffiti thanks to the use of UV ink. The bottle also features a QR code that links to a 360° animation and a level indicator, allowing clubbers to monitor how much of the wine they have consumed. With the aim of attracting clubbers and partygoers in the UK, it’s clear to see how this particular design is using the ‘ohh, ahh’ effect to its full advantage.
Cans can
Many brands are well-known for one iconic format when it comes to their packaging. Think of Coca-Cola and its hourglass bottle or Tanqueray’s cocktail shaker design; they are designs that are recognised the world over.
However, there is one major difference between the two; one has ventured into cans whereas the other has not. I’m not suggesting that all brands should explore this trend as it isn’t ‘one size fits all’, yet it should be kept in mind that adding a canned line to a brand can improve customer interest, thus increasing sales.
Drinks brands Belvoir and J20 are both perfect examples of incorporating canned drinks to their product portfolios. Both are known for their bottled beverages, yet by adding a canned variant to their lines, they not only increase ease of access for customers through storage, but also increase interest in their brands.
Although cans are far from a new innovation within packaging, the fact that these brands have moved from their well-known designs to incorporate cans creates a strong level of customer engagement.
In short; cans can still be a solution to packaging innovation for some brands.
The last part in my ‘Supermarket Sweep’ series will explore the three final key trends within FMCG retail and packaging. If one thing is clear from those listed above, brands are currently exploring new ways to bring an exciting new angle to packaging.
