New Heinz Ketchup Packet

Forty-two years ago the Heinz ketchup squeeze packet was invented. Now 42 years later, a new and improved packaging breakthrough is introduced.

According to the press release, the Heinz Dip & Squeeze dual-function package will give ketchup lovers two ways to enjoy Heinz Ketchup: either peel back the lid for easy dipping, or tear off the tip to squeeze onto favorite foods.

The new package is said to hold three times as much Heinz Ketchup as the traditional packet and will have 15% less sodium. Be on the lookout for the new ketchup packets by the end of 2010.

I'm sure many ketchup lovers will be happy to be rid of the cumbersome squeeze packets and less sodium is good.

Want to express your love and appreciate? Join their Facebook page and share you feelings.

Boxed Water

Looking at one of my favorite website - the Dieline - I came across the 40 Favorite Beverage Package Designs. If you view the post you will see that bottle design is clearly a work of art.

A little more than half way down the post I saw a package design that caught my attention - Boxed Water. The design is simple, but on purpose. It's basically water in a milk carton. It's nostalgic, yet modern, sustainable and environmental.

In fact, Boxed Water is better for the environment with 85% of the box being made from trees (a renewable resource). As an added bonus, the company plans to donate part of the proceed to water relief foundations and reforestation foundations.

Being a young company, currently they are only in Western Michigan but are always looking to add more distributors. Very cool concept, very cool company. Made such an imPRessions I wanted to help generate some awareness. I hope to see this in my grocery store some day soon.

Coach Packaging - Who Needs Wrapping Paper?

Yesterday for my birthday I got the present I was hoping for. Coach Legacy

Perfume. For this present no wrapping paper was necessary.

The package design from the bag to the box to the actual perfume bottle is beautiful. The design says this brand is pure class, sophistication and elegance. It smells wonderful too with a mix of soft florals, amber vanilla and wood. I'd spray some on this post if it would work. Maybe that could be in web 4.0.

If I Had A Million Dollars

Yesterday I admit I was daydreaming a little. . . .

It's no secret I love wine, especially red wine. Growing up in northeast Ohio I have visited many wonderful wineries that surround the lake area. When I go back to visit I always find time to catch up with old friends either at Laurello's, Ferrante's or Debonne's while enjoying some of the local grapes. On our honeymoon year's ago my husband and I went to San Francisco. I made sure we took a day to spend time in Napa Valley visiting the wonderful wineries of northern California. I love spending time at a winery.

So, if I had a million dollars I would purchase a winery. A cozy little place around the lake area that would be called "Wine By the Pine". In my daydream I pictured myself sitting on a bench under a pine tree looking out at the lake while enjoying a glass of Cabernet.

To take my daydream just a step further I spent a little time designing my wine labels. Here is what I came up with:

Now, how do I come up with a million dollars? Well, at least daydreaming is a fun distraction.

What's Up With Retro Oreo & Ritz Boxes at Target?

I have to admit, I am a frequent Target shopper. It's a store that no matter what's on my list I come out with about 5-10 extra things that I never planned on buying. A few weeks ago when I was in the store I couldn't help but notice the new Ritz and Oreo boxes.

At first I thought both brands had a simple, retro redesign until I noticed the boxes were unchanged at other stores. This left me wondering why until one of my favorite new website, The Dieline, a package design website, informed me that the new boxes were a Target exclusive summer promotion.

I'm not too sure I love the design idea. I like the simplicity, but looking at them on the shelf my first reaction was a generic, cheap product.

This Target only promotion prompted a lot of questions:

• Who pays for this promotion - Target or Nabisco?
• What are the benefits of exclusive store packaging? Does having a unique brand for just one store really work?
• What is the goal of this promotion?
• Will it really sell more cookies and crackers and will people know they came from Target, or even care they came from Target.
• Does exclusive store packaging make you want to go to the store because of the special packaging?

What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Even though I pick up extra items at Target each time I shop, I did not buy the exclusive Ritz Crackers or Oreo Cookies. Maybe the Target packaging didn't make a strong enough imPRession on me. On the other hand, it made me curious enough to research it and make a post about it. Hmmm.

Cup O'Joe is a Cup O'Clever

Yesterday I had a meeting at Cup O'Joe.  I ordered a medium sized regular coffee with cream - my usual.  Even though I was going to enjoy my coffee there, I asked for my coffee in a to go cup.  

It wasn't until I was almost finished with my coffee that I noticed the cup sleeve.  It was very colorful, had texture and prominently displayed the Cup O' Joe logo.  But on the back it had an incentive. If you saved the sleeve and reused it ten times you would redeem one fully punched sleeve and a free cup of Cup O'Joe coffee.  Very smart! 

This sleeve serves a few purposes.  The obvious being protection on your hand from the hot coffee in the cup. The second being clever marketing.  This is such a simple and smart way to get customers to come back (and to possibly even talk about it on their blog). The last being an environmentally friendly idea.  By reusing the sleeve Cup O'Joe is helping keep the earth a little greener.

Very clever indeed.  Kuddos to Cup O'Joe! 

I Like Cream in My Coffee

I enjoy a good cup of coffee (or two) everyday.  I like to add flavored cream, and try various types but my staple seems to be French Vanilla.  Over the years, I have gone back and forth between International Delight and Coffee-mate.  But lately, I have been buying more Coffee-mate.  It's not because of the taste, when mixed into my coffee I really can't tell that much of a difference between the two because they both taste good.  It's actually more because of the packaging. 

While both bottles are tall and almost a slender pear shape, the pour tops are very different. International Delight's pour tends to be messy, the cream catches in the cap so when you open it your hit by a slight squirt, and the cream usually glops instead of pours out smoothly.

But to my delight (international delight), I just learned that International Delight just redesigned their bottle addressing and fixing all the concerns I just mentioned and making it look more Euro-modern.  Reports say the redesign will save the $1 million a year in production costs. Hey, maybe they will lower the cost of their cream now. They listened to their consumers on the redesign.  Any chance they'll listen to a consumer on the price? One can only dream.

With the redesign I will buy International Design and give it another try.  

Before

After

Looks like during the product redesign a little logo redesign occurred.  The G swirling into a coffee cup on the old product seems not to have transferred onto the new product.