Category: News & Updates

A healthier, low-glycemic formula candy bar wrapped in a mono-material polypropylene film that adheres to “Designed for Recycling” guidelines is healthier for the environment.

Improving the sustainability of flexible packaging films, pouches, and other formats in the packaged food category starts with a first step away from nonrecyclable multilayer barrier films.

That improvement often means a switch to a recyclable mono-material film, which Mars China has taken in announcing this month the launch of a dark chocolate cereal Snickers bar.

It is claimed to be a significant step towards sustainable packaging using a mono-material polypropylene (PP) that follows “Designed For Recycling” guidance and “can be easily recycled in designated channels”.

Available in select outlets, the new healthier-for-the-environment packaging matches the heathier-for-you, low-sugar, low-glycemic index snack.

The release points out that flexible packaging for food products typically consists of multiple layers of different materials to meet food safety and shelf-life requirements while being lightweight and flexible. However, the complex structure and materials make it challenging, if not unrealistic, to recycle.

In contrast, mono-material flexible packaging using single-polymer PP or polyethylene (PE) packaging is easier to recycle.

The “Flexible Plastics Reborn” project.

To address the challenges of flexible plastic packaging collection and recycling, Mars China partnered with the Green Recycled Plastic Supply Chain Joint Working Group (GRPG), China Plastic Recycling Association of China National Resources Recycling Association (CRPA), P&G, PepsiCo, and Dow to initiate the “Flexible Plastics Reborn” project.

This joint effort in China explores a sustainable flexible plastic packaging collection and closed-loop recycling system by addressing design, collection, and recycling challenges. The mono-material flexible packaging of the new Snicker’s dark chocolate cereal bar is specifically designed for the recycling requirements of the “Flexible Plastics Reborn” project.

After use, consumers can collect and drop mono-film packaging like this at designated collection points covered by the “Flexible Plastics Reborn” project.

Box sustainability and improved packaging quality.

The brand has taken a more holistic approach to the product’s sustainability by ensuring the candy bars’ secondary box packaging for multiple bars uses paper material certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) which supports sustainable forest management.

The brand owner also bolstered quality assurance for the new packaging by implementing more comprehensive validation and quality standards to ensure the Snickers packaging materials meet food safety requirements for product protection.

It’s one of several avenues global brand owner Mars is pursuing to avoid metallized multilayer flexible substrates; in May 2023 it was revealed that Mars Wrigley UK was piloting recyclable paper wraps for Mars Bars.

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/food-packaging/recyclable-mono-material-snickers-bar-packaging-debuts

A striking contrast between the new can’s small size and a basketball legend’s generous proportions sparks laughs.

Pepsi has joined forces with basketball star Shaquille O’Neal on the launch campaign for Pepsi Mini cans, giving big props to the little package.

A commercial for the 7.5-oz cans, starring Shaq, began running on national television sports broadcasts in November 2023. Titled “I Wish,” the commercial continues in the tradition of Shaq’s Pepsi commercials from the 1990s.

Pepsi Mini cans are available in 6- and 10- packs in numerous Pepsi flavors, including Original, Zero Sugar, Wild Cherry, Diet, and Real Sugar. Original and Wild Cherry Pepsi are also available in a Mini can 30-pack.

The new commercial positions Pepsi Mini cans as the ideal accompaniment for snacks and meals, contrasting Shaq’s height with the can’s small size.

Shaq and Skee-Lo with the new Pepsi Mini cans. PEPSICO

The ad features a parody of Skee-Lo’s 1995 hip-hop song “I Wish I Was a Little Bit Taller,” replacing “taller” with “smaller.” In the earlier commercial, Shaq plays his size for laughs, squeezing into an airline seat with minimal leg room, lying in a too-short bed, and getting fitted for a “big and tall” suit.

Skee-Lo sings the parody theme song and also plays a cameo role in the ad. The Pepsi Mini campaign marks the first time Pepsi and Shaq have teamed up on a commercial in more than 20 years.

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/packaging-design/pepsi-s-new-mini-cans-get-an-assist-from-shaq

Asda has rebranded its pet food lines – Hero for dogs, Tiger for cats – with a fun and vibrant new design by Stormbrands.

The brief was to to refresh and modernise Asda’s pet brand offerings in the face of increasing competition.

Stormbrands discovered a shift in consumer mindset from pet ‘ownership’ to pet ‘parenthood’, leading to a higher level of care for animals, which are now seen as family members.

The agency’s creative approach aims to dramatize this unspoken connection.

Stormbrands mentioned that the softer brand colors reflect the existing design but have been updated to attract a younger audience of pet owners.

The rebrand aims to alter customers’ views of a private-label pet-food line, showing that Asda’s products are equally credible and nutritious as branded options.

As well as finalising the design for all lines across the range, the agency created packaging and brand guidelines to steer its future, plus point-of-sale activation and comms stimulus.

Zoe Phillipson, Stormbrands’ creative director, said: “We wanted to make sure this work delivers against what we’re famous for: energising brands to move mindsets, markets and culture.

“We’re excited to see how the new range can change current consumer shopping habits and perceptions of own-label offerings by capturing ‘swing shoppers’ and creating a destination brand for Asda.”

Justine Jackson-Hickling, Head of Own Brand Design at Asda, said: “Stormbrands’ response to reposition and redesign our much-loved Tiger and Hero pet brands was spot on from the very beginning. The clarity of thinking and clear rationale they demonstrated throughout their work was invaluable, particularly given the complexity of the category and range. Their bold and brave thinking really pushed us to see the true potential of these much-loved brands. They have defined a strong, modern and relatable identity for Tiger and Hero that allows us to continue to build strength across our portfolio of own brands.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/stormbrands-redesigns-asdas-own-label-pet-food

Harpic is introducing a new ‘self-adhering’ toilet block that eliminates the need for plastic cage packaging.

The soap stickers are coated in a biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol wrap (PVOH).

The packaging design emphasizes the product’s main benefits and the scents of the stickers (initially available in marine, citrus, and pine), with visual cues highlighting its promise of freshness and convenience, as well as the shape of the sticker.

Ally Cane, brand experience lead for Harpic at parent-brand Reckitt, said: “This type of launch needs to be rooted in consistency of messages and visuals. There needs to be a red thread running through such new innovations that takes account of 360-degree touchpoints but also connects with the DNA of the master brand.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/harpic-cuts-plastic-with-launch-of-self-sticking-toilet-blocks

Soreen, the malt loaf bread brand, has recently re-introduced its ‘Deliciously Snowy Christmas Loaf’ and limited-edition Mini Loaves.

The packages were direct and clearly displayed Christmas-themed packaging, with a snowman as the main feature.

Liz Jacobs, marketing director, Soreen, said: “Our Deliciously Snowy range provides the perfect combination, offering families a tasty treat that is low in calories, low in saturated fat and still retains that squidgy Soreen deliciousness to satisfy the taste buds either on-the-go, after or between meals.

“We’re delighted to bring back – by popular demand – our Deliciously Snowy Mini Loaves and core loaf. We intend to continue extending our seasonal appeal and help retailers to capitalise on their wrapped cake seasonal sales with our limited-edition variants, which are proving exceptionally popular.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/soreen-relaunches-snowy-christmas-loaf-limited-edition-mini-loaves

Seymourpowell recently updated the branding for CAILLER Pralines, a well-known chocolate collection in Switzerland.

The rebrand is specifically focused on premiumisation, aiming to refresh the product range and appeal to new audiences with unique and personalized packaging.

The work also included a new limited edition collection and packaging in time for the festive season.

The new design included understated graphic elements on and around the chocolates, as well as luxurious touches like gold foiling with precise embossing and varnishing to enhance the product’s positioning.

Seymourpowell’s revamp of CAILLER Pralines’ Christmas edition utilized intricate 3D illustrations of ribbons and gift tags to embody the newly designated brand personalities of the specific sub-ranges.

Custom patterns create the backdrop for each box, on which hyper-real ribbons are intricately woven and tied on top.

Each gift tag has a unique shape, following the design cues from the all-year-round collections.

CAILLER also launched a special Christmas praline collection for the holiday season; by incorporating ribbons and other symbolic elements, Seymoupowell maintained a consistent festive look across all CAILLER praline products for Christmas.

Tim Zurfluh, líder de negocios de marca de Nestlé, dijo: “Desafiamos a Seymourpowell a embarcarse en una misión de rejuvenecimiento, empujando los límites de la creatividad para reinventar nuestro empaque de pralinés de una manera fresca y emocionante. Colaborando con su extraordinario equipo talentoso, entramos en una nueva era de CAILLER Pralines. Han sido un socio increíble, alimentando nuestra creatividad y desafiando los límites del diseño. Convirtieron nuestra visión en una realidad transformadora.”

Allison Spence, brand creative director, Seymourpowell, said: “It was a pleasure to work with CAILLER on the rebrand of their iconic Swiss chocolate company. CAILLER has such a rich history, and our goal was to redefine their collection and elevate their packaging and branding to reflect the craftsmanship and luxurious quality which goes into every praline, whilst reinvigorating the brand for their existing following, and creating an exciting new image that will remain relevant for new generations to come.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/seymourpowell-rebrands-switzerlands-heritage-chocolate-cailler-pralines

Falconer Print & Packaging has created a chic gift set box for distiller Kindred Spirits.

The carton contains five 40ml miniature bottles of craft spirits from up to five different distillers around the UK.

The carton holds five 40ml mini bottles of artisanal spirits from up to five distinct distilleries across the UK.

Kindred Spirits, based in Cumbria, partners with craft distillers across Britain to bring a wide selection of gin, rum, vodka, and whisky to those who are new to these distinctive brands.

Created using Iggesund Incada Silk 590um, the lively design showcases two distinct Pantone blues. It has also been enhanced with Kurtz Blue 369 foil. In order to create contrast with the foil, a matte varnish was applied to all non-foil areas, resulting in a smooth, luxurious finish.

The carton functionality was designed with the end user in mind. Developed as a sharing set, it enables customers to select from a variety of miniature spirits.

The carton is designed to be generic but includes a personal touch with a hand-applied sticker, indicating the carefully selected set of spirits.

Oliver Barker, from Kindred Spirits, commented: “Our working relationship with Falconer was excellent. Their communication skills are outstanding, and they were very accommodating throughout the project. Moving forward, there are a few prototypes in the mix that we are considering with Falconer.”

Colin Pow, sales and marketing director at Falconer, commented: “Collaborating with Kindrid has been an incredible journey. They are an innovative retailer that focuses on enhancing the joy of gifting. Together, we have developed a gift box that not only meets, but exceeds expectations.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/falconer-crafts-luxurious-gift-set-carton-for-kindrid-spirits

The Protein Ball Co has introduced two new vegan flavors and undergone a complete brand refresh.

The new Choc Chip Muffin and Salted Caramel protein + vitamin balls provide additional options for busy consumers.

The launch coincides with a brand refresh, with the 45g packs now sporting a more mature look that features an image of the protein ball on the front, alongside clearer labeling.

Matt Hunt, the creator of The Protein Ball Co, expressed his excitement about adding two new flavors to the protein + vitamin balls range, catering to consumers with specific health goals who also enjoy sweet treats. The brand refresh was driven by customer feedback, aiming to align the packaging with the product’s quality and emphasize its unique selling points: high protein, no added sugar, gluten-free, and 100% natural. The goal is to provide retailers with additional reasons to stock the products.

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/new-flavours-and-new-look-for-the-protein-ball-co

CHINA – Budweiser Brewing Company APAC, the largest and fastest-growing beer company in Asia Pacific has launched a new ‘lightest aluminium can’ for beer in China.

Part of world’s largest brewing company AB InBev, the company produces, imports, markets, distributes over 50 brands including Budweiser, Stella Artois, Corona, Hoegaarden, Cass, and Harbin.

The ‘lightest aluminium can’ was launched during the company’s circular packaging forum for its value chain partners at Putian Brewery, Fujian province, China.

The 330ml can weighs 9.57g and is 4% lighter than the industry average. The average carbon footprint per can is 185 g, nearly 100 g more lightweight than the 2017 baseline.

The launch reinforces Bud APAC’s circular packaging approach which has thus far helped to reduce more than 40,000 tons of carbon emission, compared to 2017 baseline, through continuous efforts, with carbon emission per can down by over 30%.UPCOMING EVENTAfrica Fresh Produce Expo 2024

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The beer company reduced the use of packaging materials by 8,473 tons, with 63.2% of its total packaging volume being in returnable packaging and 51.3% of the primary packaging material made from recycled content.

Jan Clysner, vice president of Sustainability & Procurement of Bud APAC, said, “As the largest brewer in the region, we are fully committed to enhancing our efforts in promoting circularity to mitigate our impact on the climate and environment while empowering our value chain partners to reduce their carbon emissions.”

The launch comes in time when Bud APAC is actively addressing the challenges of aluminium can same-grade recycling by introducing can-to-can recycling, a closed loop solution for used beverage cans.

Bud is also fostering carbon reduction transformation among its upstream partners through various initiatives.

Bud light showing steady improvement

Meanwhile, Bud light brand is showing steady improvement and moving in the right direction according to a report by AB InBev’s CEO Michel Doukeris.

Doukeris attributed the steady improvement by the brand to drinker’s willingness to buy the brand again.

“Considering the steady improvement and what we found on our latest research, that over 40% of lapsed Bud Light buyers declared that they are now ready to come back [and are] open to drink Bud Light again, this gives us some certainty that we are moving in the right direction,” said Doukeris.

AB InBev recorded a 17.1% decline in volumes on an organic basis and a 12.7% decline in third quarter revenue to US$3.86bn.

Meanwhile, Bud light and UFC, world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, have announced a new multiyear marketing partnership that will see the brewer becoming the official beer partner of UFC.

Source:

https://www.foodbusinessafrica.com/budweiser-launches-new-lightest-aluminium-can-as-bud-light-boycott-begins-to-lose-steam/