Anyone who has popped open a Pringles can in their lifetime knows that they can’t just eat one. But you usually know where the snacking ends- halfway through. That’s because with the traditional Pringles packaging, once you’re halfway through the can, you struggle to get your hands down there to grab more. Recently, some packaging solutions have been offered by a few
highly touted design firms.
Despite Pringles being a household name for over 40 years, most consumers view them as outdated namely because of the packaging. The brand is in need of an overhaul. The recent announcement that Proctor & Gamble is selling Pringles to Diamond Foods, what better time to speculate what Pringles might look like in the not-so-distant-future.
Package #1 by The Goldstein Group
This is a version of clamshell packaging that features an interlocking freshness seal which provides easy access to every chip. The oval shape of the clamshell reinforces the shape of the chip. In addition, hanging tabs were placed at the top of the clamshell for retail peg displays. Black is used to allow the flavor colors to pop.
Visit The Goldstein Group
Package #2 by Zunda Group
This proposed packaging solution is ergonomic and functions with a simple twist of the bottom that raises the chips to the top of the new can. The lid on the package can double as a serving cup. Zunda Group also contemporized the iconic Julius character making him more animated and youthful.
Visit Zunda Group
Package #3 by Little Big Brands
The goal of Little Big Brands was to give Pringles a fresh look while maintaining its heritage. The concept of this packaging design was to retain the classic cylinder shape while splitting it in half to eliminate the frustration of not being able to access the chips without cramming your hand down the can or tipping it. Both halves of the package have a duo-part lid made from PETG or polypropylene.
Visit Little Big Brands
Now you should have a better understanding of what turned edge is and the process of making turned edge products. Turned edge can be applied to a variety of products. When a project requires a more professional look and a more durable material, turn to turned edge. The types of products that turned edge can bring a sophisticated look to include:
Boxes: Customization is key to making a product stand out from the others. Turned edge boxes are upscale and are perfect for products wanting to showcase elegance.
Binders: Turned edge binders have the look and feel of a hardcover book and are an impressive alternative to the standard 3-ring binder.
Permavue: These turned edge cases are excellent for showcasing unique and creative designs. The turned edge albums have many options like adding folders for discs and promotional materials. They are also light in weight, making them suitable for direct mail purposes.
Slip/Slant Cases: These turned edge cases are great for organizing program materials, periodicals, marketing mailers, and office papers.
Media Packaging: Turned edge media packaging contains thermoformed trays that are strong and durable, making them ideal for sales kits, multimedia kits, audio books, and promotional materials. They can range from holding one CD or DVD or an entire set of product materials.
Turned edge is unique in that it has an array of customization possibilities. The options include offset and screen printing, foil stamping, embossing, and debossing. There are also many foam shape and size options as well as the use of thermoformed trays. Turned edge works with a variety of materials. From standard paper to suede to linen, there’s a vast amount of materials to choose from. Turned edge packaging can also come in a variety of shapes and sizes that fit whatever a company has in mind.
Turned edge packaging provides durability, versatility, and the ability for a product to stand out from its competition. The upscale look turned edge packaging possesses gives a product a unique and creative look.
Clamshell packaging is capable of storing an array of products from electronics to toys. Clamshells are often criticized for contributing to wrap rage; the heightened level of anger and frustration resulting in the inability to open hard to remove packaging. Although clamshells have gotten a bad rap, they are a very beneficial packaging option. They provide increased security and protection for products. They may be difficult to open, but they keep products safe and secure.
There are a couple different kinds of clamshells. The first kind is the clamshell packaging most commonly found in retail. These clamshells are thermoformed. This is a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature, then formed to a specific shape in a mold, and trimmed to create a usable product. Clamshells are named because of the hinge it possesses. They can have one or more hinges. A clamshell with a single hinge usually includes a hanger tab, allowing it to hang from store pegs. Clamshells with multi hinges allow the packaging to have a flat base so the product can stand upright. Although these are the ones that gives us the wrap rage, they are a wonderful way to showcase products. The clear plastic allows great visibility to consumers. They are also very versatile, in that they can be designed in many ways that cater to specific products.
The next type of clamshell packaging is clamshell CD/DVD cases. These are a great alternative to traditional jewel cases and paper sleeves. These cases provide excellent security with is strong center hub to keep discs in place. Clamshell CD/DVD cases are a fantastic way to save on storage space. Their slim design allows for more to be stored at once than standard disc packaging.
Ever wonder how clamshell packaging came to be?
Look familiar?
Read Naturally’s industry-leading phonics and fluency development, home support, and assessment and progress monitoring products have helped thousands of students become better readers. Their Video Workshop for Teachers is a tool that supports the proper implementation of their other materials. Because it is a high quality, high value product, Read Naturally wants those attributes to be reflected in the packaging.
Teaming up with Sunrise Packaging, Read Naturally chose a turned-edge Permavue™ album that is consistent with their reputation of providing high quality products. The outside features a turned-edge wrap that gives the packaging a classy look similar to a hardcover book. On the inside of the album, custom thermoformed trays were installed to hold the disc media and literature that comprises the video workshop. Thermoformed trays offer mass customization. No matter what your product is that you need to package, our custom tooling can find an existing mold or create one specifically for your project.
Learn more about Custom Trays.
Watch a video on how turned edge products are made
Brain Tunnelgenix Corp has an unmatched portfolio of proprietary products, including the revolutionary Brain Temperature Tunnel™ product line. Recently the company was rolling out their new Abreu btt™ 700 Thermometer and was looking for a packaging solution that would help protect and market their investment. Further, they wanted a packaging that would “secure all of the pieces and look too beautiful to discard”.
An upscale product needs an upscale package. Account Executive Nick Rude worked with Brain Tunnelgenix Corp to come up with a stunning custom turned edge package that is not only displays the product beautifully, it is extremely durable and holds the medical devices and disc media securely in thermoformed trays.
Our custom tooling capabilities allow us the flexibility needed to design packaging for components of various shapes and sizes. The turned edge wrap around the outside is digitally printed and laminated making the graphics pop and catch the attention of the market that this product is intended to serve.
Brain Tunnelgenix was very pleased working with Sunrise Packaging. They specified their delight in the fast production and turn-around time as well as the fact that they actually did end up with a package they believe is too beautiful to discard.
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.
You may not feel familiar with thermoforming, however, it is surprising to find just how often it works its way into daily life. The plastic plates you picked up for this week’s party are thermoformed. Those large plastic parts in cars and planes are thermoformed. The majority of food, medical, and retail plastic packaging is also thermoformed.
The difference between large thermoformed plastic parts for an airplane and the thin material of dinnerware is referred to as thin gauge verse thick gauge. Thin gauge means that the plastic is thin enough that it is actually fed through the machine on a roll. Thick gauge means that the plastic has to be fed through on flat sheets. Thin gauge is used for items like plastic cups, lids, trays, etc. It is usually disposable or recyclable. On the flip side thick gauge is tends to be used for more permanent items.
Now when you go to the store you can feel a little more informed about your plastic purchases.
The term, “injection molding”, is often thrown out in reference to packaging and storing DVDs, but many people do not understand the concept of injection molding.
The following information is a brief explanation of what injection molding is and how injection molded products like lawn furniture, thermal coffee cups and even DVD cases are made?
Injection molding is a manufacturing process used to produce parts from thermoplastic pellets and is similar to making candles from a mold.
Some of the common types of thermoplastic are: polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamide, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). These different thermoplastics vary in durability, resistance, and flexibility
First, a mold is custom designed from metal and detailed to form the desired finished product. Molten plastic is then injected at high pressure into this mold that is the inverse of the product’s shape. Hydraulic or mechanical pressure is applied to make sure all the cavities within the mold are filled. The plastics are allowed to cool and then removed with ejecting pins. There may be excess material, which is then trimmed off and recycled.
So the next time you consider purchasing a plastic product, you will have a much better idea of just what it takes to make it!
Watch this video if you are also interested in how thermoforming works:
