Page 21 - Packaging News Sep-Oct 2020

September-October 2020 | www.packagingnews.com.au | BRAND & PACK DESIGN
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connected world,” Andersen tells PKN. “We are championing a move from tech-centric to brand-centric thinking, focusing on human need, emotional purpose and the story at the heart of a brand campaign.”
Digital printing – with its attri- butes of flexibility, speed to market, and no plate-making required – lends itself to the limited edition pack, but also to many other on-pack engagement devices.
FRESH IDEAS
Healthy Sprout Company (HSC) is an Australian brand owner that pro- vides healthy products to enhance health, vitality and wellbeing. To promote the release of its latest Healthy Sprout product, Broccoli Sprouts, HSC wanted a playful twist on the existing branding to create something unique and interesting on shelf and deliver a fun and inno- vative product launch.
By adding new and changing ele- ments to an existing label design, HSC was hoping to capture the atten- tion of a range of demographics. Owner Adam Murphy wanted the labels, just like the sprouts, to “deliver something fresh every day”.
HSC collaborated with QLM Label Makers to create a range of fun sprout characters, clouds and sprouts that change position on every label. The technology employed was the HP SmartStream Designer plug in for InDesign or Illustrator with the HP Collage functionality used to pro- duce unique labels with fun and interesting combinations.
“The launch of the new product allowed for an exciting story to share with customers and retailers,” explains Lindsay Nutley of QLM Label Makers. “HP Collage enhanced the design and created a playful and vibrant version of the customer’s existing label design.”
“It was a unique label idea that ‘sprouted up’ out of nowhere to grow into something that would attract con- sumer attention on crowded shelves,” HP’s Andersen says.
COLOUR CUT-THROUGH
Colour is one of the greatest distin- guishing elements in a brand’s
packaging design and used well it can create clear cut-through in a cluttered media environment.
“Strong brand colours are always a great asset, on-screen and off- screen,” Andersen says. “Vibrant hues catch attention and raise engagement. The use of Indigo inks’ vivid shades can allow key brand messages to stand out from the rest.”
Colour is a central cue in the strik- ing Jason Kong gin pack design fea- tured on this issue’s front cover. The brands, owned by Cambodia-based Seekers Spirits, have always differ- entiated on-shelf with beautiful design. For their newest addition, Jason Kong, Tania Unsworth and Marco Julia Eggert wanted to create an eye-catching design, and relay through the packaging the vibrant Southeast Asian spirit they aspire to capture in their gin product.
Working with QLM Label Makers in Vietnam, and using HP Collage, they created the label design with a combination of vibrant colours and elements that moved and changed on every label. They also used vari- able data printing in their strategy to communicate batch and bottle num- bers. These unique labels reinforce the brand’s key message of living life in full colour and celebrating their consumers individuality.
5000 variable labels were pro- duced through HP Collage and were printed on an HP Indigo 6800 Digital Press.
“The labels popped with colour and visual movement that created a
MAIN: Jason Kong gin labels pop with colour and movement, creating a unique brand story.
RIGHT: Healthy Sprout Company chose digital print to create playful variation across packaging, with clouds and sprouts changing position on
every label.
BELOW: In the #hershegallery campaign, Hershey’s digitally printed, variable packaging showcased the talents of many brilliant women.
unique story for the brand,” Tania Unsworth says, “and also made for great Instagram imagery.”
Graphic design trends are as dynamic as fast-spreading global pop culture, with ‘what’s hot’ and ‘what’s not’ being decided in an instant, or in an Instagram moment. In such a connected world, keeping a brand’s look and feel on trend keeps the target audience captivated.
“By creating unique printed and digital assets that engage consum- ers and drive social media posts, brands can leverage the ‘Instagram effect’ to attract customers,” HP’s Andersen concludes.
And as digital print moves from the realm of niche to mainstream, brands small and large employing this technology will be best placed to tap the value of connection through packaging. ■