As DVD packaging and Blu-ray packaging continues to evolve, much is put into custom packaging to create a splash and increase sales. Traditional DVD cases and Blu-ray cases are still the standard, but as we take a look at a few examples, we find that companies are customizing the packaging to target their audience and make their releases stand out.

Last winter, Toy Story 3 shattered box office records and is due out on DVD and Blu-ray on November 2, just in time for the holidays. Pixar recently showed what they have in store for collectors by revealing the custom packaging for their Toy Story Ultimate Toy Box Collection. The collection will include Blu-rays, regular DVDs and digital copies of all three Toy Story movies- a total of 10 discs.

The packaging features a square box on the outside with a Toy Story character on each side. On the inside, an original wagon toy box holds all of the discs. By going the extra mile with exclusive custom packaging, Pixar is hoping to attract both collectors and youth to the box set that is retailing on Amazon for $65.99.

Not only big budget film releases like Toy Story merit custom DVD packaging. This example of DVD packaging comes from the Gutek Film Company who’s celebrating their 15th Anniversary by paying homage to the artistic Italian cinematography of Michelangelo Antonioni. This collection features eight classics targeting film art lovers (lovers of multi-level sophisticated film art that is difficult to perceive).

Package design for the project is simple containing two boxes. The main “grand box” holds a smaller box inside where the DVD discs and booklet are held. The book jacket is made of black cardboard and has a logo cutout. On one side of the disc holder sheet is information relating to Antonioni’s works while the other side features specially shaped envelopes that holds the DVD discs.

The music industry has been in a transitional phase for a handful of years. Digital sales continue to grow at a steady pace while CD sales continue to decline. Artists continue to fight the transition because buying digital albums means consumers are paying less and less attention to the artwork and digital mp3s do not sound as good as CDs. Thus the compromise of art and quality.

Packaging has come to the forefront in the music industry as many artists and record labels are trying to find innovative ways to convince consumers that they’re missing out when buying digital.

The example of Katy Perry’s recently released album “Teenage Dream” takes music and media packaging to the next level. After removing the shrink wrap from the album, the sweet scent of cotton candy is exuded from the packaging. After weeks and weeks of testing, the pressing plant was able to apply the scent into the printing varnish of the CD booklet. Not sure how consumers benefit from something like this unless maybe you’d like it to act as an air freshener in your car?

Regardless, this is a unique way of enticing your fans to pick up a physical copy of your disc rather than a digital copy from iTunes. It will be interesting to see what other ideas surface in an attempt to salvage the ultimate fate of CDs…..time is running out.

Digitally printed packaging is an emerging market that is expected to grow from $580 million in 2005 to $6 billion by 2015. There is good reasoning for this forecasted growth. When compared to conventional package printing technologies, digital printing delivers competitive, cost, and environmental advantages. It is also well suited for many packaging applications.

Digital printing can use just-in-time and print-on-demand approaches with shortened setup requirements. Digital press printing also allows for short run jobs for less expensive prices. Variable data printing capabilities also bring great value to businesses looking to add customization and personalization to their package printing.

The environmental advantages are also worth noting in regards to digital printing. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), packaging accounts for one-third of solid waste in US landfills. As sustainable packaging is expected to grow monumentally in the coming years, it could be a key driver of digital package printing growth. So what are the environmental advantages of digital printing?

On-demand production- Digital printing allows for specification on precise quantities needed in production, eliminating waste and reducing warehousing costs and energy requirements.

Electronic job ordering and submission, paperless workflow, and soft proofing- These processes reduce paper usage and boost efficiency.

Green paper- Recycled paper or paper with chain-of-custody certification that promotes responsible forestry practices works excellent with digital printing and in some cases, can sell for more.

No varnish- Varnish is required for offset printing while adding cost and environmental hazards. Offset inks take 24 hours to dry and harden so it needs a coat of varnish to seal the surface of inks. Digitally printed pieces have a dry and hard surface immediately with low risk of scratching.

Non-toxic glues- These are available for most binding techniques and eliminate the need for ventilation of toxic fumes and waste management issues.

Distribute-then-print- Digital printing lends itself to the least environmentally disruptive delivery because files can be distributed to your print center or partner electronically.

With these environmental advantages along with cost and competitive advantages, it is easy to see why the projected growth for digital printing is so positive. It definitely caters to our fast pace “need it now” business culture.

For more information on digital printing contact Sunrise Packaging!

Both Heineken and French design company, ORA-ÏTO, teamed up back in 2002 and created the Heineken aluminum bottle packaging which won a myriad of awards. Fast forward to 2010.

Back at it again, they’ve created the Icone Pure; a 100% sustainable aluminum bottle with a simple design. Heineken and ORA-ÏTO reinforce the notion that great custom packaging can be minimal and still maintain a stylish look. The bottle is covered with a white veneer and features Heineken’s iconic green logo with a minimal green dotted pattern. Truly unique- can’t say I’ve ever seen a beer bottle like this before- and it’s green.

The Heineken Pure green packaging is successful in branding the bottle as “pure” and “green” while still maintaining the aesthetic of the Heineken brand.

Like many other industries, the packaging industry has suffered through the current recession. Sustainable packaging, however, has showed impressive growth from 2008 to 2009, and has been immune to the economic downturn. Sustainability has helped companies cut costs and reduce packaging waste by using recycled and reusable materials. Europe and the U.S. represent the largest regions for sustainable packaging, together accounting for more than 70 percent of the global market.

Sustainable packaging is projected to reach $142.42 billion globally by 2015, according to a report from Global Industry Analysts (GIA). Drivers for growth include increased awareness about environmental hazards related to disposal and recycling of packaging wastes, government initiatives to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, and stringent regulations.

As eco-friendly packaging becomes mainstream, many companies are implementing green packaging as a marketing tool. Manufacturers also are under pressure to use environment-friendly materials, and adopt methods that require low-energy consumption and reduce environmental impact of packaging.

In terms of market segmentation, recycled material accounts for the largest packaging category, contributing nearly 90 percent to the total demand in the United States. However, biodegradables represent the fastest growing segment in the packaging industry. Biodegradable materials are easily decomposed by microorganisms, and reduce packaging waste, while the materials preserve food products and sustain freshness. Among biodegradables, bioplastics are garnering the greatest attention in the green packaging market. As questions loom about the limitations of bioplastics, the demand continues to swell, presenting an opportunistic market as bioplastics evolve.

Markets using sustainable packaging include cosmetics and personal care, food and beverage, food service and shipping markets, and healthcare. As an example, the study cites more than 600 new beauty products with a green label were introduced in Europe alone during the past two years, driven by consumer preference for eco-friendly plastic packaging materials.

27 percent of products at major U.S. retailers are estimated to have sustainable packaging in 2010, and by 2015, this figure is projected to reach 37 percent.

To be continued…..

Check out: Green Packaging 365

Starting in the middle of 2011, light bulbs are going to have new packaging required by the federal government. The new packaging design will feature “Lighting Facts”, modeled after the “Nutrition Facts” label that has been on food packages for decades. The reason for change is to further educate consumers about their efficiencies.

Currently, light bulb packaging only gives consumers watt measurements which make it difficult to compare traditional incandescent bulbs to more efficient ones, such as compact fluorescents. A compact fluorescent bulb may be able to produce the same amount of brightness as a traditional bulb, using significantly less wattage.

In addition to wattage, the new labels will report lumens, the basic unit for measuring the flow of light. The labels also will offer estimated yearly energy costs, life expectancy of the bulb (based on three hours of daily use), and inform consumers if the bulb contains mercury.

Essentially, the new light bulb labeling will allow consumers to save money by purchasing the most efficient bulbs based on the information that is now required to be included on the packaging.

Federal Trade Commission Press Release

Wine packaging is the focus today. Why? Because wineries are getting more and more creative with their custom packaging (and because it’s so tasty). Packaging plays such an important role in selling and differentiation, especially in the wine industry. In a previous post from a few weeks back, we saw the wine label that could be folded out into a poster rubber-banded to the bottle rather than glued. Packaging for these four wines below are all similar in that they’re so unique.

Francis Coppola Reserve label focuses on being memorable and eye catching while showcasing distinctive vineyards from Sonoma’s renowned appellations.

Revelry wines from Washington State are sold in patent-pending REVELution cask. The innovative boxed design holds almost twice the amount of wine that a bottle holds, isn’t susceptible to cork taint and keeps wine fresh for several weeks after opening. It also features recyclable packaging.

Paco & Lola from Spain takes a very unconventional approach to bottling their wines giving prestige to their modern and dynamic varieties.

Vancouver Island design company, Hired Guns Creative has designed beautiful packaging for Venturi Schulze Vineyards. The design of their wine bottles needed to convey that their wines were something special; a typical wine label just wouldn’t do. A silk-screened bottle concept was created with a design that matches the quality of the wines and works with each of the 10-15 types of wine that they release each year.

One function of packaging is describing what’s inside. Here are a few fun, clever examples that demonstrate this function.

Hot Dog: A coffee shop called TrueCoffee expanded their food range to a quick bite hot dog. They wanted hot dog packaging to attract teenagers and this is what Bangkok-based designer Subconscious came up with. The unique characteristic of the food was that it’s hot all the time.

Swell Drinks: The Ruiz Company in Barcelona came up with a great way to show the fruit combination in their new line of smoothies. Simple and unique.

More clever packaging @ The Dieline

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.

More info:
Ask Sunrise about clamshell packaging

When researching the relationship between packaging and sustainability, beverage packaging is the trigger for lots of debate. Plastic or aluminum? Which one is more eco-friendly? The debate goes on…

All the while, schools took part in sustaining our environment by competing last fall in the 2009 Aluminum Can Counsil’s (ACC) America Recycles Day (ARD) National School Challenge. The contest lasted 12 weeks and involved 133 schools which represented over 70,000 students. Collectively, over $53,000 was raised during the competition while more than 48,000 pounds of used aluminum beverage cans were recycled.

Congratulations to all of the schools who participated! Here were the top 3 winners for further recognition:

1st Place- Twin Lakes High School, Monticello, Indiana. Teaming up with Ball Corporation’s metal beverage packaging facility, they recycled 7,092 pounds of aluminum cans (9.8 pounds per student). The school fund the band’s new uniforms with the $3,556 that they raised.

2nd Place- Collins Intermediate School, Conroe, Texas. They also teamed up with Ball Corporation’s metal beverage packaging plant in Conroe to recycle 3,845 pounds of aluminum (7.44 pounds per student). The school contributed their earnings of $2,832 to the school’s Parent Teacher Organization.

3rd Place- Academy of St. Rose Phillipine Duchesne, St. Louis, Missouri. They teamed up with Metal Container Corporation in St. Louis to recycle 6.7 pounds of aluminum cans per student.

While packaging companies look for eco-friendly packaging options to provide to consumers and businesses, we must also look beyond that and focus on what else we can do to make an environmental impact. We commend the schools who participated in the recycling challenge. They brought their “Can-do” attitudes forward and made a great statement in enviromental sustainability.

More info:
Aluminum Can Counsil
Packaging Digest