When appealing to a buyer’s desire for quality, stylish colour cues or high quality packaging materials can lift a product above its competitors into a more upmarket category range. This month Shelf Shout looks at two design projects that aim to convey luxury appeal,
and, in one case, convey a broader social message.
A colourful campaign for equality
Client: Ecoya
Brand: Equality Candle
Agency: One Design
(New Zealand)
The Challenge: Sydney-founded Ecoya, a maker of gift home fragrance, candle, and body and bath products, wanted to make a statement when it introduced a Limited Edition Ecoya Equality Candle, inspired by a desire to raise awareness of the campaign for same sex marriage equality based on the personal experience of the company’s USA head of operations Christopher Valiante. He came up with a concept and design for the candle and its packaging, and passed it on to New Zealand design agency One Design to give it a touch of class to appeal as an upmarket and gift-worthy item.
The Solution: Valiante said the inspiration behind the Equality Candle design was the universal symbol for equality. The physical shape of the box was intended to look like a history book, with the thick binding and hard cover acting as a reference to changing history. The words inside the packaging are written from Valiante’s heart and were conceived as a ‘call to action’ to fight for equal rights. The cobalt blue and gold used in the package design is loosely based on an equality symbol. Its appeal received recognition when the product and its packaging won the EX·TRACTS Best New Product Awards at the 2012 New York Gift Fair based on its innovative design, creative use of materials and construction and use of new materials and technology.
Fine dining for feline friends
Client: Nestlé
Brand: Fancy Feast Classic Recipes and A la Carte
Agency: Saltmine Design Group
The Challenge: Deluxe pet food is a growing segment of the pet products market, as owners seek to treat their four legged companions to the best taste treats available. Nestlé was keen to differentiate its Fancy Feast premium cat meals range from competitors by updating the look of the range to better appeal to the contemporary cat owner, whose feline friends are their treasured companions. It was important the new packaging appealed to this discerning consumer and acknowledged their desire to choose meals from a high quality range with a wide variety of choices.
The Solution: Saltmine worked closely with Purina on the relaunch of the visual identity for the range and the end result is a clear reflection of the new brand personality. The core Classic Recipes range kept its distinctive white background, but also introduced eye-catching gold accents to highlight the premium status of the range. The A la Carte range (formerly Sensations) is differentiated through a silver pin-stripe background with teal accents to highlight the tin colour. A lifestyle food shot was also added to illustrate the quality of the product inside the packaging. Both ranges include an image of the distinctive, white Fancy Feast cat and the use of vibrant colour banding provides effective navigation through the gourmet flavours, innovative textures and delicious recipes of the range. The typography used on both ranges is modern and clean to allow for effective range navigation on shelf.
