Package Design - March 2014 - 12

SNAPSHOTS

Fruitful Flexo
Dried fruit expert enters new venture.

S

toneridge Orchards, The Dried Fruit Experts, partnered
with Murray Brand Communications (www.murraybrand.com) to introduce a brand new offering from the well
established purveyor. The dried fruit brand desired a packaging system for this new venture that would emphasize that
the product offering is quality whole fruit enrobed in premium dark chocolate and Greek yogurt, opposed to the jellyfilled candy sold by competitors.
The Murray Brand Communications design team presented Stoneridge Orchards with five package design concepts to select from. "I think they selected this design
direction because it really communicated immediately the
idea of enrobing the fruit in the chocolate [and yogurt]. The
whole pieces of fruit splashing into the big pool of chocolate
[and yogurt] was such an immediate visual story that the
consumer could get exactly what this product was, without
even reading anything on the package," comments Scott
Knudsen, Murray Brand Communications
director, brand
strategy and project management.
On pack, a
medallion system
was created to
call out product
features, such as,
70% and 52%
cocoa on the dark
chocolate varieties, and the tagline, Rich & Creamy, on the Greek yogurt varieties. The
medallion incorporation and installment of a dotted graphic
line were both details inspired from premium chocolate
packaging. A modified script font was utilized for copy such
as, dark chocolate and Greek yogurt, evoking a high-end
appeal. "It's nice to have a cohesive look, instead of having
three or four typefaces, that can kind of feel jumbled and not
as elegant," explains Murray Brand Communications design
director, Brad Berberich.
Cranberry, blueberry and Montmorency cherry images
were created by hypo-realistic illustration. Fruit images were
captured via use of camera and then retouched in Photoshop, adding layers of detail and embellishing with highlights, providing a hypo-realistic feel. A clear flexo-film
package supplied by Sierra Converting (www.sierraconverting.com) features a small window on the back, for consumers
to see the actual enrobed whole fruit pieces.

12

MARCH 2014

Flavorful
Fashioning

Essential oils add flavor to food
packaging sector.

A

ftelier Chef 's Essences, an array of pure essential oils
developed by Mandy Aftel, award-winning natural perfumer and author are adding flavor to shelves nationwide.
The package design venture completed by Cult Partners
(cultpartners.com) makes use of illustrations focused on botanical ingredients and large numerals to help identify the variety of
flavor offerings. Inspired by vintage cocktail bitters packaging,
Cult Partners strives for an authentic feel on pack with sophistication that appeals to an affluent consumer seeking a new specialty food product. Vintage flavor cues via use of illustrations
and various colors are used effectively to differentiate flavors
amongst the family of oils. Color selection intends to be indicative of the flavor, green serving as basil and yellow for lemon.
Cult Partners' Mike Hester, partner, creative director
details the organization process of such an extensive collection, "With literally hundreds of flavors in her assortment, it
was necessary to create packaging that was as much a cataloging system as it was packaging," Dingbats are incorporated
around the brand name, as well as a crossed fork and knife
graphic to provide a simple design flourish. Custom illustrations commissioned from a local artist depict key ingredients
and serve as a prominent primary display panel for consumers
to easily distinguish flavors. A simplified version of the ingredient illustrations appears on the vial, allowing differentiation
once in the consumer's pantry. The outer package is a coated
cardboard solid bleached board and the inner vial is composed
of glass with a plastic screw-top lid.
Typefaces utilized include: Latin, Brandon Grotesque and
a custom type, all lending to a vintage, yet polished appearance. Hester reports that the most challenging task at hand
during the package design project was the small size of the
box and vial, "getting all the relevant information to fit, posed
a slight challenge."
Package Design - March 2014

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