In the past, product packaging was simply used to keep the contents safe and secure during transit. Most of the time this would be a rigid container, such as a box or bottle. But over the past few years, more and more flexible packaging solutions have entered the market.
There are several reasons why this change has taken place. These include the need to minimise carbon emissions, save money on manufacturing and shipping, provide the consumer with greater product convenience, and protect the contents from the elements.
In addition to these benefits, flexible packaging allows big businesses the opportunity for more effective and influential marketing. Many are now creating some truly innovative packaging ideas. While designing new packaging and custom boxes is one thing, managing to produce it is another.
5 examples of effective packaging for marketing purposes
Ford Ranger matchbox – Featuring a picture of the Ford Ranger on its side, as soon as you pull out the inner compartment of this matchbox, it looks as though the vehicle is carrying endless pieces of timber.
Poilu paintbrushes – Poilu’s bristly paintbrushes, which come in different shades, double up as a man’s moustache on this clever piece of packaging.
Kleenex tissues – Boxes of tissues made to look like houses and typewriters make this simple packaging much more fun and funky for the home or office.
Trident chewing gum – This packaging features a smiling mouth, but the pieces of chewing gum replace the person’s teeth.
Note earphones – Featuring black ear buds and a black cable, this packaging has incorporated the product’s features to create a beamed note, which appears in front of a white notation background.
Challenges with Producing Flexible Packaging
Even if you manage to create an imaginative piece of packaging, your business still needs to manufacture it in a cost-effective way. The chosen method must also do the design justice with a high-quality finish. Unfortunately, current print technology doesn’t always meet these exacting demands. The two main production techniques for flexible packaging are flexography and gravure. However, these analogue-printing technologies cost an incredible amount to set-up and tend to waste millions of linear meters.
Due to these problems, flexible packaging isn’t always seen as a viable marketing solution, though it is the fourth-largest print segment in the $901 billion print industry. However, there are solutions to this problem.
Flexible Packaging with Nanographic Printing Technology
One company has found a way to offer the lowest cost-per-sheet of any existing solution while maintaining the high quality and speed you come to expect from flexography and gravure. Landa’s Nanographic Printing technology is the ultimate in flexible packaging printing.
This Nanographic Printing Presses generate throughput up to 100 m/min and use water-based colorants with light-absorbing nanopigments, which delivers a wide colour gamut using CMYK and matches more than 75% of the Pantone colour chart.
This is the only digital solution that supports any off-the-shelf flexible packaging stock without priming or pre-treatment too and can operate alongside analogue equipment to maximise output and productivity.
Developments such as this are key to allowing brands follow in the footsteps of the five mentioned above and deliver packaging that promotes and protects the product inside.