For my packaging design class, I was asked to find and critique three examples of successful or good packaging design and three examples of unsuccessful design. Let's get the bad news out of the way first...
1. Kraft Singles (American Cheese)
Ah, Kraft singles...an American classic, unfortunately. Putting aside the fact that this once childhood favorite now makes me want to vomit at the thought, let's talk about the packaging design. First, the logo may be well known, but I think it could use a slight update. The packaging itself is so overcrowded without any real focal point or sense of flow, I'm not sure where to look first, much less next. I don't have a problem with the colors (though I'd like to see a clean and simple approach on white with much more negative space), but the design concept doesn't make me think of cheese in any way really. Not even overly-processed, hormone-pumped, preservative laced, plastic coated, trailer-cheese.
2. Admiration Pancake Syrup
Yeah, I've never heard of it either. But it looks like a bargain! Too bad I only buy my pancake syrup in racially insensitive epithet form. Admiration's web site promises the highest quality product at the lowest possible cost. Somehow I think that statement is more honest than it should be. Maybe I'm just a visual person, but I don't want to put anything in my body that looks like motor oil. If the distributor doesn't even care enough to at least try to fool my brain's impulse sensors into thinking this product is anything but mass-produced sugar syrup, I'm sure as hell not picking it up. Admiration? Really? What are we admiring, the sticker on the front of the plastic jug? The perfect symmetry of the stack of pancakes? At least they coordinated the color of the bottle cap with the logo.
3. Libby's Potted Meat Food Product
Let's start with something positive...I like how they've included "meat product" in big, bright, bold font, so there's no confusion on the consumer's part. If you're not familiar with potted meat, well, bless you. I'm only familiar with it because I grew up in the south, where hunting is not only your God-given right, but your duty as an American. And this stuff is often found in outdoor bags with other non-perishables. I've never actually tried it (I can only imagine that in some sort of Fear Factor circumstance), but from what I understand it's like Spam, only a thousand times more offensive. Anyway, we need to get Libby into the new millennium, folks. Doesn't this design look like something June Cleaver or Donna Reed would bring home and toss in the kids' lunch pails for snack time? I mean, I hope June would never give the Beave anything as disgusting as potted meat, but you know what I'm getting at (I told myself I was going to stop making fifty-year-old pop culture references after my last two dates didn't know who or what June Cleaver or Mayberry were, respectively...a friend said it aged me, but I'm only twenty-six, damn it! How do people not know these things?). In all seriousness though, is there really anything more unappealing than vague meat? I mean, what the hell's in there, horse? Dog bits? Who knows...
Now, for the GOOD stuff!
1. Archer Farms (various products)
Here we have Target stores' own in-house brand of all-natural foods in attractive, clean and consistent packaging that appeals to the slightly more health-conscious consumer looking for higher-end products. The logo and earthy tones used work well for the brand. And though you can't really tell from the pic, the box design of those cookies and even the chip bags are well-designed. The cookie boxes are easy to open and close with the slide of a tab, all the while keeping the cookies fresh in a foil bag. And the chip bags are pretty innovative too. I'm not sure if this is the first time I've seen it, but it's definitely one of the first brands to utilize the zip-lock-like seal as an opening on the front across the top of the chip bag. I sound like such a dork, I know, but buy a bag and open them up. I swear you'll say, "Oh that's pretty cool." I personally really dig Archer Farms' products. Forget the packaging for a minute, whoever is designing the menu for the range of products is an artist. It reads more like a list of foods you'd expect to see at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. And it's inexpensive to boot. Check out the yummy - there's even an Archer Farms Organic line!
2. Pom pomegranate juice & Pom Teas
Memorable brand logo. Eye-catching, attractive, easily recyclable bottles. Simple and successful. I might personally change the logo up a bit (I've never been a fan of the heart), but other than that, I think it's perfect. I think people like the pomegranate juice bottle for it's uniqueness, and I know a few who keep the Pom Tea glass/jars to use as drinking glasses. Hey, it's LA. We're crawling with struggling artists here.
3. Wolfgang Puck Pizzas
Nice focal point, excellent photo of the product, great use of negative space, classic logo, eye-catching, bright colors (yet still appropriate)...nice. Great. Now I want pizza.
There you have it guys and gals. And if you think my selections were a little biased based on my own tastes, well, you're probably right. But as always, everything I said is still true. So nyah.
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