What is clamshell packaging? If you don’t know it by name, it is almost certain that you’ve seen it. It’s the clear plastic packaging that showcases an array of products from retail, food, medical, etc. The word clamshell indicates that the formed plastic package has one or more hinges. A single hinged clamshell usually includes a hanger tab so the product can hang from store pegs. Multi-hinged clamshells allow for the packaging to have a flat base so the product stand upright.

There are many benefits of clamshell packaging. It’s a wonderful way to showcase a product while being very cost effective. The clear plastic packaging provides great visibility for the consumer to see the product as it sits protected inside the clamshell. The header card can be printed and placed inside the clamshell to provide more information for the consumer to make a purchasing decision. Clamshells also allow for great display versatility. They can be hung from pegs or sat upright on a store shelf giving great flexibility for retailers to position the products to sell.

Clamshells are plastic and cause some concern about the environment. Manufacturers are using different types of plastics to overcome this. PETG is a type of PET plastic that is fully recyclable after its use. RPET is previously recycled PET plastic. Both types can work together to promote the global recycling effort.

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Ask Sunrise about clamshell packaging

Most companies instinctively know that good design makes good business sense. However, companies are at a loss on how to quantify its effectiveness. Without measurable data, package design will always be seen as an expense rather than an investment.

It is so important to understand the impact packaging can have on a product in order to justify it. To understand the impact we need to know what role packaging design is going to play in a particular instance.

The primary role of packaging design of course is a brand identifier. For new brands, packaging is a link to other symbolic associations, playing more of an educational role. By accepting design as a link to brand meaning rather than the brand meaning itself, it becomes easier to specify the quantifiable measures that packaging and design can be evaluated on.

Effective packaging will have a direct impact on the growth of a brand. This can be measured in volume or value of sales. Consumers are driven by emotions and purchase instinctively. Packaging can be a heavily persuasive influence on a consumer if it stands out and link’s to a consumer’s positive perception. With established brands, if packaging changes, you have sales figures to measure against that help identify the impact that design can have on growth.

Margin is another measurable factor that package design has on a product. A brand’s margin is affected by the prices it sells and the costs related to producing the product. Packaging design will directly influence the retail price of a brand. If a product is packaged effectively it will send strong triggers of its brand’s world, reinforcing consumer links to the product. At that point, the purchase will be made no matter the price. Elements in package design that initiate those triggers give their brands opportunities to generate higher margins.

So while packaging design is an expense for a company, it should also be looked at as an investment. Seeking influential package design should be based on what type of role that the packaging will play. If done effectively, packaging certainly contributes meaningfully to a company’s bottom line.

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Brand Packaging

The loved and occasionally loathed packaging shell, commonly called clamshell, is a product with a lot of positive as well as negative reviews. Manufacturers and store owners appreciate the perfectly protected shell around precious products.  Customers reach for that new flashdrive, phone charger or other shelled item appreciating the fact that it sits where it is supposed to, untampered with.  However, the appreciation of knowing it’ll make it home safely sometimes fades to the frustration experienced when trying to open it.

So why does packaging that sometimes leaves you frustrated continue to find it’s way onto our shelves? The simple answer is because it looks nice and it works.  Does a shoplifter really want to experience all of that? Of course not, simply put, these shells reduce theft while at the same time showing customers the benefits of the product they are about to purchase.

Additionally, your product was also able to make the journey from one area of the world to your house or business without injury which is something that isn’t always easily attainable in other packaging designs.

For more information or to purchase packaging products, please visit our website:

Sunrise Packaging

We collect what we treasure. The binder has become a widespread method for holding onto these collections and keeping them safe.  For avid sports fans it means pages of baseball or football cards.  For the younger generation it may be pages of Pokemon cards, or coin and sticker collections. 

The binder has really been put to use as a photo album as well.  It’s kept together collections of old faded photos. Wedding albums display the big day and baby books show off the new arrival.

For those who like to go above and beyond photo albums there are scrapbooks.  Scrapbooking albums  come in all shapes and sizes. Scrapbooking continues to gain momentum and has now become the most popular craft segment.

Finally, it may be used to store all of the secret family recipes, and perhaps some of the not so secret recipes as well.  Whatever it’s use make sure to pick out a binder that fits your function.

For more information visit:

Scrapbook Dreamer

Cartoon Stock

Economic troubles of 2009 have left consumers cautious and penny-wise going into 2010. However,  companies can cater to this mentality in their marketing  programs.  People are appreciating coupons, discounts and free samples more than ever before.   Market and advertise to your customers using these  avenues.

Coupons don’t have to be expensive mass mailings either.  Offer coupons online through your website or social media.  This will also entice your customers to return to your sites for future discounts.

Other avenues you may consider include sending company calendars, magnets, chip clips, travel tags, pens, binders and other useful items.   These types of promotions help you connect with your customers.  They also ensure that your brand becomes a common household item.

What method you choose will depend on your company budget and the products you offer.  However, get creative and don’t underestimate the value of ‘on sale.’

For more information visit:

Sunpack Store

You may have out grown your trapper keeper days, but it’s unlikely that you’ll outgrow the need for a 3-ring binder.   It keeps you organized, efficient, and did I mention eco-friendly? That’s right, this little contraption is so much more that you imagined.

The way you organize often depends on how you think.  To some it makes sense to place things alphabetically. To others it makes sense to organize according to time, project, client, or subject matter.  Luckily any system that works for you will work for the binder.   Within your system of organization you can further organize by using tabs or separating sheets.  You can also attach cd holders to store masses of information.  You may be thinking, “I know a binder’s organizational uses.”  Fair enough, but do you know all of the ways it can make you eco-friendly?

We’ll start with recycling. Many of the dividers and CD holders are being made of recycled material.  Additionally, they’re being made of material that can be recycled.  The binders themselves are also being made of recyclable material, whether it be from recycled plastics or papers.   For example, take our eco-binders.  They are made from 75% post-consumer recycled material and are functional as well as dirt and grime resistant. Additionally, you can reuse binders from one project to the next making them an efficient way to stay organized.

For more information visit our store at:

Sunrise Store

I think it’s safe to say that children and adults think differently.  Children have an innate curiosity to the world. They often walk into a store and want to touch everything.  They are drawn to bright colors and unusual shapes.  For this reason when packaging items that are marketed to children, such as toys, the packaging should pay close attention to these details while still fulfilling it’s packaging purpose.  Here are a few tips regarding color and construction offered by Mark Gallagher, the Creative Director of a brand positioning and consulting company.

Often, the use of die cut windows, clear plastic or other elements that allow the buyer to see the actual product can instill a level of trust. Being able to see the product’s color and construction is reassuring and will often sway the purchasing decision in your favor.

Although bright saturated colors tend to be eye catching, making your packaging too colorful can confuse your message. By using color with purpose, such as a blue/green pallet for a water related toy, your package design becomes thematic, making for a stronger message.

Check out these top toys of 2009.

The packaging on these toys are tastefully colorful.  They allow for children to interact with the toy while still protecting it. No wonder they’re the top sellers this year.

DR Toy

Have you ever seen a box or an advertisement that is covered with so many words, that you don’t know what to pay attention to?

An advertisement, or a package that has too many words may detract from sales.  Most people make a decision to buy something extremely quickly.  If a product, advertisement or package looks ‘too complicated’ it’s possible to lose buyers.

Words in advertising and in packaging should be short, to the point, and engaging.  A great example of this is the following:

This is a good example of wording because it tells the potential buyer, what it is, and what it does with a minimum amount of words.  It allows a buyer to make a quick decision.  There is nothing in this design that would make someone struggle to understand what the product is.

As you’re planning your next foray into design, consider using your words as minimally as possible for the greatest impact.

As technology progresses beyond the need for battery technology, solar powered devices are becoming a popular choice. Sun Drive, the newest solar charger, offers solar power through a solar panel that is wrapped around a battery inside the charger. Sun Drive can charge cellphones, MP3 players and digital cameras.  It can give your cell phone 100 minutes of continuous talk time and up to 25 hours of standby time with only one charge. Furthermore, Sun Drive is small enough to carry with you at only 64mm by 25.8mm.

But what makes this solar charger stand out from the rest? It is also a USB drive, that can hold up to 32GB of memory.

As far as renewable energy goes, Sun Drive is an excellent option for environment friendly consumers. So try it out, and while you are at it, check out Sunrise’s green efforts.

Barnes & Noble announced that the have opened the world’s largest eBookstore.  The eBookstore has over 700,000 titles and they anticipate having over 1,000,000 titles by 2010.

Electronic book readers do not need to purchase a separate device to read the ebooks, Barnes & Noble offers a free eReader download in teh eBookstore that is compatible with Blackberries, iPhones/iPods, and PCs/Macs.

eBooks are a great resource for travel since readers do not need to carry separate books.