A Slice Of - Packaging Design

Branding and packaging design for Barilla pasta and the issues faced by FMCG brands with tradition & sustainability.

It’s not often that I literally stop and stare in awe at a piece of packaging design. The pasta shelf has traditionally been a much unloved section of the supermarket. Plastic packs with the same old pastiche, Italian look. Then came Barilla!

(All comments are taken from my LinkedIn page and voiced on the podcast by actors) Each week, ‘a slice of’, will take a look at a supermarket brand and critique the pack design to find out what works, or doesn’t. What makes you desire them, or even hate them? Importantly what makes us put them in our shopping basket! I plan to keep the podcast to around five minutes each, and I’ll include some voice message comments that have been sent through about the packs from my LinkedIn page. You can find our contact details below: Alan Gilbody on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/ Slice Design Company website https://slicedesign.co.uk

Branding & packaging design for Festive products & the issues faced by FMCG brands protecting brand logos.

I’m seeing the example on the image quite a lot recently. Brands are challenging and changing their logo in order to fit a seasonal offering.

Hovis has transformed to ‘Ho Ho Hovis’ and Warburtons, rather more subtly has become ‘Warbrrrtons’.

Whilst this may seem fitting, it removes recognition from previously strong branding. Importantly, maintaining brand consistency also strengthens the legal case from private labels and discounters trying to copy hard fought assets and equity.

Now, many people may say, it shows the power of a good logo and how it can be flexed. The truth is, it doesn’t show flexibility, it shows dilution, and that is not what a successful brand should do.

Simply put, you don’t muck about with the logo and that’s exactly what I said on my recent LinkedIn post which is prompted quite a lot debate.

So why is this? why is the brand logo sacrosanct, let’s dive in.

Each week, ‘a slice of’, will take a look at a supermarket brand and critique the pack design to find out what works, or doesn’t. What makes you desire them, or even hate them? Importantly what makes us put them in our shopping basket! I plan to keep the podcast to around five minutes each, and I’ll include some voice message comments that have been sent through about the packs from my LinkedIn page. You can find our contact details below: Alan Gilbody on Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Slice Design Company website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://slicedesign.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #christmas #xmas #baking #bakery #bread

Branding and packaging design for Purina Go-Cat pet food and the issues faced by FMCG brands with busy packs.

Have you ever wondered why some brands excel at capturing our attention while others seem to get lost in the crowd?

Well, one crucial aspect of successful branding lies in the packaging design, specifically in making sure that the front and back of the pack work harmoniously to convey a clear and impactful message.

Importantly, that both the front and the back each have clear and distinct roles.

So today, we’re going be looking at the petfood aisle and talking about a particular piece of packaging that struggles with this Purina Go-Cat. Each week, ‘a slice of’, will take a look at a supermarket brand and critique the pack design to find out what works, or doesn’t. What makes you desire them, or even hate them? Importantly what makes us put them in our shopping basket! I plan to keep the podcast to around five minutes each, and I’ll include some voice message comments that have been sent through about the packs from my LinkedIn page. You can find our contact details below: Alan Gilbody on Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Slice Design Company website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://slicedesign.co.uk⁠⁠⁠ #packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #petfood #pets #pet #cat #food #BOP #backofpack

Branding and packaging design for Red Bull and the issues faced by FMCG brands creating masterbrands.

If you have invested time and energy in an instantly recognisable, master brand, it’s advantageous to use this navigational aid across the entire portfolio.

This consistency creates reassurance for your consumer and links the wider portfolio together.

It also ensures that your product looks like it is from the brand leader rather than one of the copycat discounters.

This inconsistency creates sub ranges and product lines that don’t seem as though they are part of the portfolio and so risks them disappearing into the background on the shelf.

A robust masterbrand serves as a beacon to reassure the consumer of their choice. If you have one, use it or risk losing out to the competition.

So, today, we're talking about the power of masterbrands and why consistency is key when it comes to product packaging across a brand's portfolio.

One of the best cases in point here Red Bull, and specifically how they seem to have forgotten that unique checkerboard identifier from the parent pack when extending the range.

Each week, ‘a slice of’, will take a look at a supermarket brand and critique the pack design to find out what works, or doesn’t. What makes you desire them, or even hate them? Importantly what makes us put them in our shopping basket! I plan to keep the podcast to around five minutes each, and I’ll include some voice message comments that have been sent through about the packs from my LinkedIn page. You can find our contact details below: Alan Gilbody on Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Slice Design Company website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://slicedesign.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #energydrinks #drinks #energy #softdrinks #masterbrand

Branding and packaging design for bottled water brands and the issues faced by FMCG brands being sustainable.

I’ve never really understood the need for bottled water. It’s bulky, it looks ugly in store and we can get it out of a tap, can’t we?

Whilst that may make sense in certain corners of the world, do we really need bottled water in developed countries? Is it actually serving in need or are we being served quite possibly the greatest marketing ploy of all time?

Clearly there are certain situations where locally sourced water may not be clean, but we are lucky that in most instances tap water is easy to obtain and completely safe.

So why do we have all of these brands, taking up all of this valuable retail space, requiring logistics that cost much more than infrastructure that is already in place, to transport it from one place to another?

So this week we will be looking at the bottled water fixture.

Each week, ‘a slice of’, will take a look at a supermarket brand and critique the pack design to find out what works, or doesn’t. What makes you desire them, or even hate them? Importantly what makes us put them in our shopping basket! I plan to keep the podcast to around five minutes each, and I’ll include some voice message comments that have been sent through about the packs from my LinkedIn page. You can find our contact details below: Alan Gilbody on Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Slice Design Company website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://slicedesign.co.uk⁠