The Perfect Pairing

Brands everywhere are looking for ways to make you stare at their packaging just a little longer.  Pairing packaging with creative forces such as artists, writers and the consumer themselves, Brands are seeking another way to connect with it's user.

Beer for the Bohemian

This Mexican brand has partnered with the Frida Kahlo estate to launch a Limited Edition Frida Kahlo-themed Bohemia packaging. Featuring the iconic, world renowned Mexican painter, Bohemia hopes to appeal to their art-loving, open minded bohemian users. Also, Frido was known to throw back a Bohemian or two.

Bottled Water Goes Couture 

  
Since it's inception, Evian has been synonymous with luxury so it comes as no surprise that they're packaging went couture. For the past four years, Evian has introduced a limited edition collection of designer water bottles.  Each bottle purveys that designers image and style.  This year didn't disappoint with Issey Miyake's simplistic and playful design.  I've included the previous three years designed, respectively by Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier and Paul Smith.

A cup of coffee for your thoughts?

The new design is meant to work with their existing tagline, "Life is short. Stay awake for it".  Caribou asks their customers what staying awake means to them and voila!  You have a cup that displays America's caffeine induced thought bubble of optimism.

Simply Beautiful-The Boston Round

Sometimes, in attempt to stand out in the busy packaging design world, you need to get back to the basics.  When custom tooling isn't in the cards, best to stick to the classics.  One of my personal favorites is the Boston Round.  We offer these in many sizes, materials and colors.  The broad shoulders and a sturdy frame will make your product stand out amongst the clutter.  Put it in an Amber colored bottle and give your product an old school apothecary feel.

Plant a Sneaker and Watch it Grow!

What do you do with your old sneakers? The maker of these shoes ask that you not throw them out but bury them in your back yard.

OAT takes biodegradable to the next level presenting not only a biodegradable shoe but one that will sprout a tree when planted. Dutch shoe company OAT debuted the first fully biodegradable shoe at Amsterdam's Green Fashion Awards and took second place. Made from canvas and cork, the materials are fully biodegradable.  Tree seeds are packed into the lining material so the idea is that when buried deep in the soil, a tree will emerge.

The Green Debate-Glass or Plastic?

There's a debate going on in the packaging world regarding whether glass or plastic is the better "Green" option.  Not just plastic but PET.  PET is wholeheartedly competing for glass business touting, "Anything you can do, I can do better"!

For a long time glass has been considered to be the better enviro-choice for your packaging options.  Glass is made from sand and can be recycled infinitely without affecting the quality of the product.  It's been in the recycling stream for ages and can be recycled and made into another bottle again. Same as it was before.  What people don't realize is that there are few glass manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and therefore it will likely not be made into a bottle again.  A good reason for this is even if a glass facility would like to purchase said recycled glass material, it is very heavy and uses much fuel to transport, oftentimes, defeating the purpose of sustainability.

PET on the other hand is very lightweight and therefore uses much less fuel to transport.  PET is just as common in the recycling stream and as of recently can also be purified to be suitable for food contact once again. PET is offered in as many if not in more colors than glass and is more cost effective. While glass is not a suitable choice for many bathroom packages as it can shatter and pose a risk for injury, PET is nearly shatterproof and therefore is the safer option for the consumer and reduces loss for the manufacturer. Though improvements are being made, PET will still break down and lose quality as it repeats its round in the recycling stream and must be downcycled. For instance, what was once a milk bottle is now a plastic park bench.  There are also barrier issues when it comes to plastic.  Some products can permeate or break down the plastic and PET will melt at high temperatures, making it useless for many sauces and juices that are hot-filled.  There are some Hot-Fill PET offerings, but options are limited and minimums are high. 

Many foods simply taste better from glass.

So what have we learned today? Clearly, there's no definite answer here and it seems to be entirely situational.  What is good in glass is not always good in plastic so perhaps they'll both always have their moment to shine.