News | Mark Oliver, Inc. | A packaging design and branding agency

Tapping millennials: Hair Care Package Design

The assignment was clear: Promote Ceramide Care™, a ground-breaking new formulation for natural haircare products. Appeal to 18-33 year-old millennials shopping in Whole Foods and the natural channel. Accommodate French and English benefits copy. And create fun, vibrant, standout packaging that was different, progressive, fresh, and that would exceed industry expectations.

Millennials gravitate to authenticity and information. We did a deep dive into the product qualities and discovered what would become the graphics. The key attribute of these new products is their use of Ceramides. Simplifying the explanation of one approach used in its manufacture, the process of the synthesis of ceramide begins with the condensation of palmitate and serine. Palmitic acid mainly occurs as its ester in triglycerides, especially in palm oil. Serine is first obtained from silk protein.

We used “palm” and “silk” as inspiration for the graphics and reproduction techniques applied to the containers. “Palm” was shown by using “ghosted” palm leaf images. “Silk” was made by using metallic inks printed on pearlescent film which created a shimmering look and a soft touch. Vertical type was used to clearly differentiate the word “shampoo” from the word “conditioner.” This is important when consumers are in a shower and cannot see clearly. And this design device allowed us to cleverly divide the French from the English copy.

After the project was completed, Dion Label Printing spotlighted the Earth Science package as an example of packaging excellence and to show their ability to recreate high end packaging art.

How to build a Greek food brand.

Where do brands come from? Many have a rich legacy, others are created from scratch. Armed with the ambition to sell their Greek food products in the U.S. and a desire to win over the American consumer with superior flavors and quality, we were approached by a manufacturer to position, name, brand, and design packaging for their pistachio products. According to the USDA, consumption of pistachio nuts is increasing due to their health benefits. Most grocery stores carry one or more brands of pistachios and the financial impact of the U.S. pistachio industry exceeds $1.5 billion.

But these pistachios were different; they were Greek. In the past decade the popularity and sales of Greek food products has exploded due to the attention focused on the healthful Mediterranean diet. There are no imported Greek Pistachios in the U.S. marketplace. Because the source of the product was Greece, it was a very clean product, and the intended market would be places like Whole Foods, it was obvious to position the product as a healthy imported Greek product.

Naming was the next step. Our solution, “Hellas Farms,” communicated the brand’s origins using the original name English-speaking people used for Greece. Next, we solidified the message with the tagline “The Flavors of Greece,” additionally identifying the origin while opening the door to other types of line extensions.

Using selected Greek iconography, images, colors, and fonts to evoke the “Greek” origination of the product, we created a design for mass-marketing Greek Pistachios which would appeal to consumers in the 25+ category, and stand out in the salty snack sector of grocery or at the checkout-stand. Made market-ready in 1.75 oz bags featuring a cluster of pistachios and the feature copy “handpicked & roasted, lightly brined with Greek sea salt,” Hellas Farms Greek Pistachios made their way across the Atlantic to the American consumer this past summer and is rolling out first on the east coast.

SAMPLE BAGS

American grilling meets Danish smoke.

The backyard BBQ is a fixture in almost every U.S. home. Everyone has their own way of grilling meats and veggies. Some chefs prefer gas; yet others enjoy the flavor of Mesquite. But an increasing number opt for the savory flavors of the smoker.

What if you could combine the best of both—grill and smoke at the same time? Made in Denmark, our client’s trays contain a mix of beech-wood dust and spices. When heated, the tray emits flavored smoke. But packaging that sold in Denmark did not sell here. The product line had to be re-made for the States.

New and old packaging.

The challenge to the team at MOI was to create packaging that was appropriate to the target consumer: males 25-55, who dominate the grilling demographic. The product line had to show flavor components, and work in modular display configurations.

In strategizing the makeover, we proposed using a sleeve instead of a label. This provided the product with a “billboard.” A logo was designed to indicate product use. Iconic graphics conveyed product qualities, and windows showed the mixes. Modular POS structures enabled the line to fit into the deli section of grocery stores as well as hardware store grilling departments.

Positioned with the statements: “Fast & easy smoking for gas or charcoal grills” and “Gourmet smoke for any dish,” the products arrived stateside in time for the peak-grilling season.