2011 came and went pretty quickly. Prince William got married; Lady Gaga spent some time posing as her own boyfriend, Jo Calderone; and according to some people, the world almost ended numerous times. Luckily we made it through and are clear-minded enough to realize what's really important in life, packaging!
Many packaging trends debuted in 2011. Some products maximized the appeal of decorated clear containers while others were a bit riskier and played with the idea of packaging material, like laminated pouches and fiberboard cartons. What you see before you is a narrow list of all the exemplary packaging I noticed throughout the year. Here's to hoping 2012 is just as great.
Seventh Generation 4x Laundry Detergent. One might imagine that there's not much fun or creativity involved when creating packaging for a detergent. Well, one would be wrong. Take Seventh Generation's 4x Laundry Detergent for instance. The company decided to bypass the typical plastic bottles or even slightly more interesting clear containers for an entirely new packaging concept, at least in terms of detergents. 4x is packaged in a fiber bottle, made of 100% recyclable paper-based resources. This packaging innovation has set the product apart on the shelf, but has also garnered the hearts of many followers through its eco-friendly packaging.
Highlight #2: Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn Pop Up Bowl. Popcorn packaging has always puzzled me. The envelope-like style works for storage and initial popping, but after that it really just seems to be in the way. Luckily, the people at Orville Redenbacher noticed this messy and inconvenient setup and decided to do something about it. It only took them forty years.
In the spirit of new and more functional packaging Orville Redenbacher popcorn introduced the Pop Up Bowl. Consumers no longer have to worry about carrying clear containers to popcorn gatherings as the new packaging morphs during popping into an actual, make-shift bowl, allowing the goods to be more easily shared. A thin, red sheet of PET covers the kernels when they are first taken from the microwave, sealing the freshness of the product until it's ready to be enjoyed by everyone, in a thankfully cleaner and tidier manner than the previous packaging offered.
Highlight #3: Pom Poms. Pomegranates are good, really good, especially when you can eat them at your leisure, even if it's a little passed their season. How? You may ask, and I'll tell you. Enter Pom Wonderful's Pom Poms Fresh Arils. These small, to-go clear containers are the ultimate packaging solution for people on the go. As if this group couldn't be brighter, they also thought to package a spoon with the product as well. So 2011 and so perfect!
Frontera Guacamole Mix. Choosing packaging for a product line is like committing to a relationship, but you can always tweak the details. Imagine you started marketing your product in clear containers and later decided that you wanted to run with a bolder more innovative look. A pouch, perhaps? This was the exact question Frontera had to ask themselves when considering new packaging for their Guacamole Mix. They went with the pouch and have enjoyed success ever since. Pouches are differently an up and coming packaging trend, look for more of them on store shelves soon.
When you think about packaging you think, bottles, jars, clear containers and buckets. Those items will always be what packaging is about. In 2011, we all witnessed how these standard packaging options will continue to serve our most basic packaging needs, but we were also privy to see the future of packaging. As the world and our ways of living continue to evolve, our style of packaging will as well.
Many packaging trends debuted in 2011. Some products maximized the appeal of decorated clear containers while others were a bit riskier and played with the idea of packaging material, like laminated pouches and fiberboard cartons. What you see before you is a narrow list of all the exemplary packaging I noticed throughout the year. Here's to hoping 2012 is just as great.
Seventh Generation 4x Laundry Detergent. One might imagine that there's not much fun or creativity involved when creating packaging for a detergent. Well, one would be wrong. Take Seventh Generation's 4x Laundry Detergent for instance. The company decided to bypass the typical plastic bottles or even slightly more interesting clear containers for an entirely new packaging concept, at least in terms of detergents. 4x is packaged in a fiber bottle, made of 100% recyclable paper-based resources. This packaging innovation has set the product apart on the shelf, but has also garnered the hearts of many followers through its eco-friendly packaging.
Highlight #2: Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn Pop Up Bowl. Popcorn packaging has always puzzled me. The envelope-like style works for storage and initial popping, but after that it really just seems to be in the way. Luckily, the people at Orville Redenbacher noticed this messy and inconvenient setup and decided to do something about it. It only took them forty years.
In the spirit of new and more functional packaging Orville Redenbacher popcorn introduced the Pop Up Bowl. Consumers no longer have to worry about carrying clear containers to popcorn gatherings as the new packaging morphs during popping into an actual, make-shift bowl, allowing the goods to be more easily shared. A thin, red sheet of PET covers the kernels when they are first taken from the microwave, sealing the freshness of the product until it's ready to be enjoyed by everyone, in a thankfully cleaner and tidier manner than the previous packaging offered.
Highlight #3: Pom Poms. Pomegranates are good, really good, especially when you can eat them at your leisure, even if it's a little passed their season. How? You may ask, and I'll tell you. Enter Pom Wonderful's Pom Poms Fresh Arils. These small, to-go clear containers are the ultimate packaging solution for people on the go. As if this group couldn't be brighter, they also thought to package a spoon with the product as well. So 2011 and so perfect!
Frontera Guacamole Mix. Choosing packaging for a product line is like committing to a relationship, but you can always tweak the details. Imagine you started marketing your product in clear containers and later decided that you wanted to run with a bolder more innovative look. A pouch, perhaps? This was the exact question Frontera had to ask themselves when considering new packaging for their Guacamole Mix. They went with the pouch and have enjoyed success ever since. Pouches are differently an up and coming packaging trend, look for more of them on store shelves soon.
When you think about packaging you think, bottles, jars, clear containers and buckets. Those items will always be what packaging is about. In 2011, we all witnessed how these standard packaging options will continue to serve our most basic packaging needs, but we were also privy to see the future of packaging. As the world and our ways of living continue to evolve, our style of packaging will as well.
About the Author:
Many products were packaged in clear containers in 2011. Read Kayla Holman's article on how clear containers and other packaging options were castoff in 2011.
