trend report

A BroAd Stroke overview of Product PAckAging todAy

The consumer marketplace is becoming more

crowded and more competitive on a daily basis. As a

result, capturing the attention, the imagination and

the loyalty of the customer is both more important

and more difficult than it has ever been before.

Many manufacturers and retailers are looking to

their packaging to help them stand apart in these

close quarters. And what has traditionally been a

protective, tamper-proof cushioning device is now

being asked to work harder, longer and with greater

sensitivity for the environment.

Whether seen on shelf, in store, online or in

hand, packaging has an important job beyond

playing bodyguard.

It is an essential vehicle for the brand.

Tech Packaging

Considering that competition among portable

devices is some of the fiercest, it is little surprise

that this category has evolved significantly

over recent years. What was once a six-paneled

specification sheet is becoming a bastion of

minimalism, where less – a single image, a logo and

a name – is expected to do it all.

This is partly due to universal standards: No longer

does the customer have to scrutinize small-point

type on the back of the box while wondering what

edition they’re using at home. These days, if it’s on

the market, it’s expected to work with everything in

the store.

Of course, another reason is the adoption of

traditional luxury design cues by brands further

down the ladder. By co-opting minimal text, high-

quality photography and super-rich one-color

layouts, mid-range brands are trying to give their

products a sense of exclusivity and cachet.

Trends

Of course, product packaging is as diverse as

consumer products themselves, and just like the

things we buy online and at the mall, some are

better – sometimes much, much better –

than others.

This is where the Landor Trend Report comes in.

We’ve collected examples of some of the most

inspired, most innovative packaging from a range

of categories for your review, and provided our own

insights as pioneers in the field of how suitable

some of these trends are for the Verizon brand and

its product portfolio.

SuStAinABLe StructureS

PerSonAL eXPreSSionS

tAiLored interActionS

Product PedeStAL

Look for these icons to indicate the trends for each product.

| PACKAGING TREND REPORT 20105

SuStAinABLe STRUCTURES


The shift toward sustainable packaging materials,

such as paper, bamboo and similar sources, is not

so much a trend as it is a mandatory. This is largely

because of the demand of consumers who have

grown up with greater environmental awareness

and who prefer not sending more plastic to landfills

and incinerators.

For manufacturers, there are benefits in addition

to accommodating conscientious consumers. The

past several years have seen a wide variety of

sustainable materials come to market, many of

which can be advantageous in terms of cost and

especially innovation. When good design meets the

right sustainable material, the package may never

be thrown out, and rather become a functional

device on its own.

reuSe, reuSe, reuSe


The PUMA PhoneSOLAR CeLL PHONePrecision imprints with a smaller footprint.



The Puma solar cell phone is a prime example

of new forms finding new functions through

sustainable materials. Made from paper pulp, its

hinged design takes inspiration from outside the

category. An approximation of a briefcase or tool

set with dedicated recesses for each component,

the full system, upon opening, is presented

to the customer in a carefully choreographed

arrangement to heighten anticipation and

emphasize the quality of the product’s

engineering.

BECAusE OF ThE PACKAGE’s INNOVATIVE CONsTRuCTION

AND ITs usEFuLNEss As A sTORAGE DEVICE, CONsuMERs

ARE ENTICED TO KEEP IT AND AVOID PLACING IT IN ThE

RECyCLING BIN.

SuStAinABLe: inSide And outSide


SPRInTReCLAIM CeLL PHONe

high-tech device meets a natural expression and recycled materials.

PUMASHOe BAG

Literally “outside the box” and good to keep around.



SennheISeRHeADPHONeS

special-edition, environment- loving packaging.

eBAY BoXReUSABLe SHIPPING BOX

A new set of reusable boxes as part of a pilot program to make shipping a little greener.


MoDKATLITTeR SCOOP

second-use packaging: Plastic tag turns into a dust pan.

PACTUNDeRWeAR

Organic & sustainable underwear says it all.



recommendAtion

Verizon Wireless has already taken an eco-friendly

tack with its packaging through its choice of

materials and processes. however, because of

established consumer expectations and wide

exposure to eco-friendly practices, such as using

uncoated recycled paper stock and vegetable

dyes, there is little benefit in trumpeting its

dedication to using renewable materials.

ThE REAL OPPORTuNITy FOR susTAINABLE PACKAGING

Is ExTENDING ThE usEFuLNEss OF ThE sTRuCTuREs

ThEMsELVEs.

IMPlICATIonS

Although Verizon Wireless packaging has already adopted eco-friendly measures, there remain opportunities to increase the percentage of sustainable materials used. Additionally, by revisiting and rethinking pack structures themselves, Verizon Wireless has the potential to make great inroads in this trend of secondary use meeting sustainability.

recommendAtion


PerSonAL ExpRESSionS


Attention PLeASe.

using packaging design for fun brand expressions is

nothing new, but tech products have traditionally been

information- and photo-heavy as manufacturers have

had to assuage concerns over things like compatibility.

At this point, it’s usually assumed that devices are

universally compatible and engineered for ease

of use. With technical specifications no longer a

primary design element, this information has been

moved to the in-box documentation, increasing the

available live space dramatically.

Product hero imagery has logically rushed in to fill

the void. Larger, higher quality images celebrate

design and heighten consumer desire. however, one

innovative approach has been to rethink the visual

design of the pack: rather than use the space

to communicate the functional benefit, which

the consumer is probably already familiar with,

why not use it to express a distinctly emotional

benefit? This has led to bold or unexpected human

expressions that reflect the brand personality.

Catching the consumer by surprise or reflecting a

positive internal perception is highly effective at

raising brand awareness and brand loyalty.


eARBUDeezHeADPHONeSFaced with a choice.



One highly successful example is the line of

Audiovox Earbudeez. For a product that is usually

encased in an impenetrable clamshell package,

Earbudeez takes a different approach that speaks

directly to the consumer. Through visual design and

slight variations in the earbud positioning, playful,

expressive faces alight the primary panel. When

making his or her selection, the consumer partakes

in a meaningful exchange as they consider their

personal view of themselves.

CONsIDERING hOW PERsONAL ONE’s MusIC usuALLy Is,

GIVING hEADPhONEs A PERsONALITy sIMPLy AMPLIFIEs

ThE OVERALL ExPERIENCE.

HeAdPHoneS witH PerSonALity.


PAnASonICHeADPHONeS



Panasonic takes minimalism one step further

with its headphone packaging. The shape of

the product and its position in the primary panel

suggest a music note, all that is needed to

communicate its purpose and its personality.

ThE LACK OF ANy suPPORTING VIsuALs OR PRODuCT sPECs

ACTuALLy MAKEs A LOuD sTATEMENT TO ThE CusTOMER:

WE KNOW ThAT yOu KNOW WhAT ThEsE DO.

As a result, for a package with very little to look

at, Panasonic almost assuredly captures the

customer’s full attention.

tHe SHAPe of tHingS.


Bell TVTV DVR

“you know what the TV looks like, so we’re showing you what you are going to look like.”

BoXSAlPICNIC IN A BOX

Maybe the outside doesn’t have to explain what’s on the inside, because one look and you’ll never forget.



Ge lIGhT BUlBSCONCePT PACKAGING

stay out of the dark and the dull.

MIllIBULLeT RUNNING SHOeS

speed as metaphor.


GAUSSLIGHT BULBS

Night vision.


AIAIAIHeADPHONeS & eARBUDS

Music isn’t the only thing getting plugged in.


This approach is usually device specific, reserved

for high-profile products. however, it is more often

turning up on accessory packaging to signal a

product’s – and a brand’s – approachability.

BECAusE OF ThE sIMPLICITy OF ThE MEssAGE, IT CAN

ACCOMMODATE NEARLy ANy OFFERING, AND As VERIzON

WIRELEss REVIsITs PACKAGING, IT Is RECOMMENDED

ThAT ThIs APPROACh BE ExPLORED. IN A CATEGORy WhOsE

DEsIGNs ARE OFTEN uNIFORM, ThIs CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE

AND hIGhLy MEMORABLE WAy OF sTANDING OuT.

IMPlICATIonS

Because of the need for standardized boxes,

manufacturing costs could go up, as this

design approach could demand additional color

stations to be used in printing.

recommendAtion


tAiLored inTERaCTionS


eXtrA dimenSionS

Between advances in industrial design and the vast

choices of available materials and reproduction

methods, the device package is a prime target for

additional meaning beyond the protection of a product.

While thoughtful, artfully designed packaging is

nothing new, it has generally been reserved for

luxury products where that “extra special touch” is

expected due to the price. Only fairly recently has

this style of packaging descended the ladder to

items outside the premium category.

Lower costs have increased the viability of specialty

packaging designs for more manufacturers, opening

the door to greater opportunity to enhance the

connection between product/brand and the consumer.


AMAzon KInDlee-BOOK ReADeR

The tailor of Amazon



tHere iS notHing Like A good Book.

One example of tailored packaging in a non-premium

category is Amazon Kindle. EVERy AsPECT OF ThE

PACKAGING ExPERIENCE WAs CAREFuLLy CONsIDERED

DuRING ITs DEsIGN.

While the exterior appears to be a standard brown

Amazon shipping box, upon opening it, the consumer

encounters a black interior and a black structure –

black packaging being traditionally associated with

premium products. The exterior varnish features

raised lettering, and after opening the package, one

finds the product itself in a pure white environment,

to both subtly and overtly reference the standard

print experience of reading black letters against a

white background.

Not missing an opportunity, the Kindle story itself

begins on the outside of the pack:

Once upon a time . . .


nooKe-BOOK ReADeR

surprise details say,“you can’t judge a book by its cover.”


Other approaches include using structure

and placement of additional items such

as manuals, QRGs and secondary product

components to assist the user in better

understanding the product. For example,

a 1-2-3 construction can be a valuable

instructional detail to aid in activation

or assembly.

There are limitless possibilities for instilling

packaging with calculated details such as

these. What they all have in common

is a meaningful insight into how to enhance

the user experience.


WIIVIDeO GAMe SYSTeM

What could be a complicated setup is made easy through thoughtful design.

VUeTIMe PIeCe

unique enclosure system invites interaction and reuse.


MAC PACKAGeKeYBOARD

Precision fit of components emphasizes product construction.

URBAneARSHeADPHONeS

Reverse point of entry easily accessed through simple folding flaps.



lITl LAPTOP

Out-of-category materials add interest and personality.

MARShAll HeADPHONeS

The purely functional re-thought as a unique expression.

BIzeRTe DVD AND BOOK

Neatly bundled old and new media give shelves presence.

InCASePROTeCTIVe TeCHNOLOGIeS

Alternating high visibility orange with black lends a premium feel to a largely functional product.


noKIA PhoneCeLL PHONe

One box with multiple possibilities.

GloINTeRACTIVe BIBLe

The Good Book in a new way.

VooDooLAPTOP

Expertly fitted with the user in mind.

helGo ABC LIGHT BULBS

Fragile is no excuse for boring.



Because of the specialized processes necessary

for these types of packaging innovations, any across-

the-board implementation is not recommended.

hOWEVER, FOR FLAGshIP DEVICEs, IT Is sTRONGLy

suGGEsTED ThERE BE sOME sORT OF ADDITIONAL

DETAIL ThAT REAChEs OuT TO ThE usER.

IN FACT, MANy NOW ExPECT IT As MANuFACTuRERs

CONTINuE TO LOOK TO AMPLIFy ThE CONsuMER ExPERIENCE

ThROuGh suCh COMPLEMENTARy TOuChEs. IM

IMPlICATIonS

For the vast majority of packaging, this trend should have no impact, as tailored structures are reserved almost exclusively for flagship products.

recommendAtion


Product pEDESTaL


Packaging as a means to highlight product

design is another trend being encountered more

frequently. In some ways the absence of packaging,

these types of structures strive to make the

product itself the hero.

There are many variations of this packaging type

including clear plastic molded around the product.

Others include representational renderings or high-

quality photographs of the product applied to a

traditional paneled structure.

HigHLigHting Product


Product pEDESTaL

IPoDPORTABLe MeDIA PLAYeR

Product as hero.


wHAt you See iS wHAt you get.

One brand that is implementing this packaging type

successfully is Apple with its casing for the Magic

Mouse. Glass-like, high-quality plastic molded to

a sympathetic shape surrounds the device, which

means absolutely zero visual interference. This

is literally as close as one can get to the actual

product without touching the actual product. In

this instance, the design of the Magic Mouse is

the hero and is solely responsible for establishing

a connection with the consumer and telling them

what they want to know.

TO BE suCCEssFuL, hOWEVER, ThEsE PACKAGING TyPEs

MusT BE ExECuTED WELL, AND ThE DECIsION MusT BE

MADE TO usE MINIMAL COPy AND OThER COMMON suPPORT

ELEMENTs. When faced with packaging mandatories,

such as legal requirements, whatever live space

is available must be used economically, which can

entail additional design time.


APPleACCeSSORIeS PACKAGING

Product pEDESTaL


JAWBoneBLUeTOOTH HeADSeT


InCASeSLIDeR CASe

Product pEDESTaL

ARMoR MoUnTMOUNTS

| PACKAGING TREND REPORT 201040 40

zUneMeDIA PLAYeR

nIXonHeADPHONeS


XBoX 360ACCeSSORIeS

Product pEDESTaL


AIAIAIeAR BUDS

TIMeXWATCH

SAMSUnGCeLL PHONe


TABleTKIoSKTABLeT

noKIACeLL PHONe

hTCCeLL PHONe

DYSonAIR MULTIPLIeR

Product pEDESTaL


This packaging type is largely a novelty and is

best used for products with a high level of

design and engineering.

In the future, it is entirely likely that Verizon

Wireless will bring to market a product that would

benefit from a non-traditional packaging approach

such as these.

IMPlICATIonS

None until presented with a viable product candidate.

recommendAtion

tHAnk you

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