Package Design - March 2015 - 56

field

NOTES

the packaging

Measured Improvements
Did functionality
and user-experience
improvements help
or hurt this household
product's branding?

man Freedom! Concentrate and transfer it to Libman's spray mop without
spillage," says Scott Jost, vice president
of innovation and design at Berlin Packaging, which designed the squeeze
bottle.
When users squeeze the bottle, they
can watch as the translucent bowlshaped measuring chamber fills. Excess
product is returned to the bottle to
avoid over-dispensing. The design team
also integrated a hook into the dispensing closure to enable the bottle to be
hung and merchandised alongside
other Libman products.
With such a strong emphasis on
function, we ask Package Design readers if function reigned supreme or did it
improve the overall branding for the
product?

The Libman Company's Freedom!
Hardwood Floor Cleaner's design draws
shoppers' attention with its bright blue
and green color schemes and an oval
shape that is repeated on label and in
the package's structure. But the star of
the design is a patented dosing feature
that screws onto a squeezable PET bottle via a standard threaded finish.
"The challenge in this project was to
allow consumers to consistently and
accurately meter a 1-fl.-oz. dose of Lib-

accurate dispensing with no mess or
waste.
The dimpled texture on the bottle
shoulder will aid grip around the neck
when inverted. One item that I think would
aid on shelf presence would be a necker
tag flagging the squeeze-and-save feature.
Overall, it's a nice design. Well done.

Brooke Carlson

the verdict

} This fully-integrated package design
truly reflects the brand's DNA-simple and
smart cleaning solutions. I love the hightech dosing and dispensing features that
reduce waste and increase accuracy. The
colors pop, and I like the on-the-go feel of
the bottle, cap and handle. I do my own
hardwood floor cleaning, and everything
about this package appeals to me.

senior manager global package design at
Pfizer Consumer Health

professor at the State University of New York's Fashion
Institute of Technology and a beauty industry
consultant

} The different blue and green colors
create visible color segmentation
reinforced by the well-defined label
graphics.
I do think there will be a learning curve
for the consumer initially, but if it works as
described the metering top will allow

Robert Fucinato

} This product would stand out at retail
based on its unique shape and structure.
The structure is different than other
products in the category which makes the
product feel new and innovative. The
structure allows the product to be
merchandised many ways which is great.
Putting all brand equity aside, the label
doesn't match the uniqueness of the

product. The label design feels typical and
dated. It's a lot like other similar products in
the category. The combination of the two
make the brand feel like the same old
cleaning product in a different package.
The brand does offer a unique
proposition in terms of how the product
works. (Dispensing the proper amount of
cleaner every time). Unfortunately, that
unique selling proposition is really not
conveyed on pack in a way that consumers
understand quickly and therefore they
won't understand the value the brand
offers. I do see the flash at the bottom,
which delivers the squeeze-and-save
message but its position on the label
doesn't connect well to where and how
the package structure delivers this.
Randy Redford

vice-president of creative at
Fish out of Water Design Inc.

WANT TO HAVE YOUR PACKAGE DESIGN HIGHLIGHTED in this column or comment on future, spotlighted package designs?
Contact Linda Casey at linda.casey@stmediagroup.com and type "Field Notes" in the email subject line.

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MARCH 2015
Package Design - March 2015

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