Special Edition Boxes for Musical Artists

When we work with an artist or label on creating special edition packaging, we need to know the same things we need for every project. Budget. Dimensions. Desired customizations. But there's an extra level of care that comes into play - we're talking about the physical manifestation of a person's soul, right?

In these subscription special edition boxes that we made for Walker Hayes, we collaborated with Smack Songs. These boxes held unreleased music alongside handwritten notes, a custom beanie hat, and more unique things designed to appeal to the heart of his fandom. Walker Hayes has only risen in fame since this project, and we know his first loyal fans are along for the ride with these special mementos.

Owning special edition boxes is a badge of honor amongst true music fans. Supporting an artist they love, and feeling like they've been thanked in return, is part of the magic that these kinds of boxes can bring. It doesn't matter if you're a country singer, a heavy metal band, or a classic cellist. Fans--your fans--will love any kind of insider wink you can give them. Which is why a limited release package is the perfect way to say "thanks for your support."

Sunrise Packaging has put together special edition boxes for many artists over the years in different genres. We know the basics of what a good box needs, and we'll rely on you to bring your best and brightest ideas. Ready to collaborate? Talk to our team today!

Making the Case: Front Open Boxes

Designing front open boxes takes an eye for more than just aesthetics. While the overall effect is exciting from a visual perspective, it's the usability of this type of box opening that provides extra value.

99 Designs has a few idea for what makes for exciting packaging. They classify the unique approaches into single words like luxe, bold, charming, nostalgic, casual, and crisp. While these apply easily to the content, color scheme, and specific elements, they don't particularly convey the sense that they package is well-appointed to its intent. And with the front open box, it's front and center.

A front open box is a style of packaging that doesn't work for every industry or need. In our years of experience, we've seen this style of box lend itself particularly well to these specific industries or uses:

Educational: the front open box is perfect for organization while needing frequent access. It's simple to flip the lid, grab what you need and move on.
Retail: front open boxes are enticing on the store shelf as they quite literally invite the user to check it out.
Training: much like education, training or employee onboarding also has a system to how the user should access information. The front open box can convey that system in a method that's different from the more common folder or binder structure.

Ultimately, the package should convey the message intended for it's audience. But it should also convey that message in a way that makes sense and follows any important order.

FlashPad Packaging Creation

There's nothing standard about Sunrise Packaging products. We love to take our ideas to the next level and craft boxes and packaging that isn't just unique, it's personalized and handcrafted for a specific use and purpose. Our flagship FlashPad packaging is the perfect application of these ideals!

The FlashPad has been used for a variety of industries, and customized to hold a variety of products. While we initially created it as a companion to a conference USB drive giveaway, it quickly took on a life of its own. Now, our Flashpads are holding keys, fobs, gift cards, and more. The limits are... well, unlimited. Whatever you can dream up for this kind of

Custom Boxes for Next Level Marketing

It's not a stretch to say that designing custom boxes is kind of our thing.

Customization can mean many thing, and varies from product to product. For some customers, it might just mean integrating aspects of their brand in the colors and printing design for the package. And for others, it might be a total reimagining of an existing box structure.

But it doesn't matter what premise our customers are starting from, it's about where we can take it. Having the vision for designing something that brings together seemingly disparate elements to create a cohesive package is something we take a lot of pride in being to do. And one of the most popular box styles - the cigar box - is a great starting point for building off of.

A cigar box is, on the surface, exactly what you imagine. Flap top, hard sides, maybe wrapped or turned style edges. But level it up to meet your marketing needs.

Add a magnet for closure. A soft touch lamination. Embossing or debossing. It's immediately a lot more appealing, and a lot more than just a cigar box now. Take a look at the example to the side. In this product, designed for human resources company ADP, we created a promotional marketing piece that combines several box styles like our mag box, the cigar box premise, and more. While the functionality is clear, the design adds another element of customization. ADP has unique content and a clear sense of design. Combined, those factors help us understand their vision and how designing custom boxes aids that vision.

Modern marketing has many faucets. Analytics, social media, traditional print and beyond. Where does packaging figure in?

We'd argue that packaging design should be in the forefront of any marketing plan, whether your business is customer facing or B2B. When you look at your organization's collateral, what's the impression it gives off? If the impression is along the lines of, 'We need some custom boxes ASAP!' we're here for you.

Talk design ideas with our team or look over our marketing packages for inspiration. We'll be waiting!

Promo Marketing for Collector’s Editions

Promotional marketing, or promo marketing, is specifically geared toward increasing awareness of some kind of promotion. It's generally part of wider marketing efforts but with a more narrow focus. For example, Adam Sandler's 'Uncut Gems' film was released in 2019. Showings for the film included events in some areas. And those events, or promotions, included a series of marketing geared toward the event itself, separate from the wider movie marketing.

Promo marketing is a strategic approach to indirectly grow interest in a product or brand. The specialized nature of it makes it worthy of its own special variation of a brand, which requires something we love: unique packaging.

Promo marketing campaigns commonly surround special releases or editions. These types of campaigns target a specific subset of customers with the goal of elevating their like of a brand to love. In the project to the side, you can see an example of promo marketing packaging we created for a tattoo ink maker.

These magnetic boxes are considered collector's editions within a subculture of tattoo artists or tattoo aficionados. We upped the ante in the design, using the magnetic box and matte lamination to create a style that echoes the classic ethos of the brand as well as the old-school tattoo stylings. We're digging the retro look of the design, especially with the modern functionality of the overall packaging. It hits the mark that the company wanted for this special release.

Creative Sample Kits for Creative Coverings

As a consumer, making big decisions requires time and thought. Particularly when it comes to things like carpet, flooring, curtains, and other items that require consideration in orchestration with the rest of your home. Imagine painting a wall. When choosing a color, you want to know how it looks in different lighting? Coordinates with the furniture? The best way to do this is via sample kits.

Just like the products they hold, sample kits come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The variety reflects the unique qualities of the organization. As extensions of your brand, and of the product itself, designing a sample kit shouldn't be an afterthought.

Sunrise Packaging recently completed a project with Creative Coverings. Creative Coverings rents and sells luxury linens for weddings and other events. This sample kit will be house fabrics for potential customers. These fabrics, in brilliant colors, textures and patterns, are the true focus of the kit. When it comes to designing for such rich products, we know that simplicity equals elegance.

The sample kits are covered in green linen paper, a forecast of the feel of the linens. It features crisp white handles with a white foil stamp. And while many organizations take advantage of our ability to create custom inserts, this project required a spacious interior for the linen variety.

Creative Coverings prides themselves as being creative, efficient, and current. We're loving that this partnership created a sample kit that exemplifies those qualities.

Software Packaging Case Study

Software packaging can be an ambiguous term. It might refer to how files and resources are digitally packaged together, or a suite of applications, like Microsoft Office. As a packaging company, you can probably infer that we mean it in the most literal sense. However, we do take inspiration from the other meanings of "software packaging."

When it comes to creating packaging for software, Sunrise usually turns to the FlashPad. It's a hybrid style of packaging that brings together multiple elements. It can work as a display kit, a pamphlet, an advertising piece, and of course, a container for products. The small, compact size lends itself well to custom USB drives, key fobs, business cards, anything that can fit within the parameters.

Sunrise Packaging recently worked with Psychology Software Tools to create packaging for their E-Prime 3.0. Here's how they made the FlashPad their own.

The pieces are then cut and wrapped around the FlashPad hard backing, providing support and security to the products. Then the liner, or the inside of the packaging, and the foam. Finally, the product is boxed up and shipped!

As you can see from the video, these FlashPads are fully customizable in almost every way. We've created these as marketing pieces for organizations ranging from colleges to real estate brokers. They're a versatile packaging style that we create with love in Blaine, Minnesota!

FlashPad Love

Check out more examples of one of our favorite packaging styles, the FlashPad. And when you're ready, contact us to create a customized software packaging solution for your organization!

What is the Recipe for Packaging?

I came across an introduction to the Brand Packaging’s Packaging That Sells V show that is scheduled for October 2009. They say:

“Your packaging is critical to your brand. It’s the last three feet and last three seconds (and the ultimate measure of success) of your marketing program. But, these days, packaging has to do more than just “pop” at the shelf; it must communicate the story of your brand and become an essential part of consumers’ daily lives. Is your packaging powered to do all that?”

This is so very true and good packaging design can help you make your product, your brand, and your packaging an “essential part of consumers’ daily lives.”

Examples of custom, limited edition, water bottles by Evain designed for different audiences.

So you may ask, what’s the recipe for creating this type of packaging?

Meaning: The first step in creating packaging that will communicate the story of your brand is to know what story you want to tell. People don’t want to simply purchase your brand they want to be apart of it and by knowing exactly what you want to communicate you can achieve this. Figure out your story and then try to make this visual through your packaging.
Audience: Packaging is an interaction between the product, your brand, and the audience so to better communicate through your packaging you must know your audience. Knowing what they relate to, what issues affect them, and their lifestyle will allow you to create a packaging that centers on these things.
Response: Once your brand has meaning, create a list of outcomes that your packaging could achieve. Think about your audience and what types of emotions, feelings, and reactions the product packing can evoke in your customers.
Stay Informed: The last ingredient in the packaging recipe is to stay informed about your competition. This is a simple task that is often over looked. Staying on top of what the competitors are doing allows you to be innovative and stay ahead.

Put all these things together and your packaging will have a recipe for success.

So when the above quote asks you, “Is your packaging powered to do all that?” Your reply will be, “Yes it is!”

Creative Packaging: Coca-Cola Bottles and Cans

We cannot stress enough how important it is to differentiate your product from the competition. If there are comparable products, one of the main ways to differentiate your product is with packaging and design. A creative and unique package will help your product stand out and “pop” on the shelf.

Coca-Cola did just that with their special edition bottles and cans of soda. With custom packaging, they can create their own distinctive design that the competition can not compare to. And since there is a limited amount of these designs produced, they could become collectors’ items. Since they are eye-appealing with creative design, along with the fact that they are rare, these bottles are likely to be snatched up from the shelves. Here are some of our favorite special edition Coca-Cola bottles and cans that we found online: