Zero Waste Packaging

KFC Good for You, Good for the Earth

By Delphine Hirasuna | May 7, 2019July 19, 2019

Some of us remember the time when our Japanese grandmothers would give us bite-size pieces of hard candy that we could pop in our mouths wrappers and all. The translucent “tissue” would easily dissolve because it was made out of rice paper. Back then, it was a delightful novelty, but now it may be a solution for the mountains of packaging waste produced by fast-food chains. In Hong Kong, KFC is offering chicken sandwiches wrapped in edible rice paper and printed with edible ink. It makes sense. It cuts down on litter. It’s a tidy way to eat fried chicken without dropping greasy crumbs all over. And it is still “finger lickin’ good.”

Designed by Ogilvy & Mather Group Hong Kong, the edible wrapper was created to pair with KFC’s bunless Double Down sandwich, which features two pieces of fried chicken in place of bread. If you eat every last bite, you are responsibly contributing to the Zero Waste Movement.

Product Design

Irresistible Trade Show Treats

By Delphine Hirasuna | February 6, 2015February 9, 2015

Chocolatexture_1

Tokyo-based Nendo creative agency was just awarded “2015 Designer of the Year” at the Maison & Objet (M&O) trade show in Paris. Nendo won for designing a special chocolate lounge and candy named “Chocolatexture.” Instead of basing the names of the Chocolatexture line on the usual attributes – e.g., country of origin, flavor, percentage of cocoa butter content, technique, etc., Nendo based the names on shape. The nine different chocolates are about the same size, but differ in texture. The product names use Japanese colloquial terms to describe the specific shapes. Thus, “Tubu Tubu” implies tiny chunks of chocolate drops; “Goro-Goro means that there are 14 connected points; “Suka-Suka” means a hollow cube with thin walls, etc. The packaging features shape silhouettes as well.

The Nendo chocolate lounge was open for a limited time only during the M&O show in January. The design delegates who attended the event probably wanted to take the well-conceived packaging home to show their staff, but it is questionable how many were actually able to resist the delicious treat.
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Packaging

Pasta Packaging with Personality

By Delphine Hirasuna | May 22, 2013September 4, 2014

Russian design studio, Fresh Chicken Agency, developed the brand name, Italian Chef Pietro mascot, and packaging for this premium pasta brand. It’s delightfully understated yet memorable. The simple line drawing of Pietro is printed in one color on what looks like unbleached cardboard, which, in this case, suggests naturalness more than low production budget. The pasta product itself is kept the focal point with the die-cut window peek inside. Most other pasta brands are wrapped in clear cellophane so consumers who don’t remember the difference between radiatori and conchiglie, for instance, will know which is which on sight. Pietro Gala’s approach is more integral to the design and less likely to crush the dry pasta inside.

Packaging

All-Natural Meals in a Can

By Delphine Hirasuna | August 27, 2012September 4, 2014

Querida Carmen, pre-cooked traditional foods from Spain, suggests its all-natural ingredients and clean, distinct flavors through the uncontrived look of its packaging. Barcelona-based design agency, Grafica, developed the name, identity and packaging for the brand. In addition to its appealing graphics, the packaging cleverly keeps the “wet” ingredients separate from the dry ones by placing a metal can within a cardboard carton. Everything is pre-measured, pre-chopped and pre-cooked, and all the home cook has to do is bring the ingredients in the can to a boil and then add the rice or noodles a few minutes before serving. Dinner is served.

Packaging

Packaging That Doubles as Home Decor

By Delphine Hirasuna | August 21, 2012September 4, 2014

For packaging designers, retail shelf presence is the primary consideration. Does the brand stand out from the competition? Does it make shoppers think it is better, more innovative, easier to use? Does it make them want to buy it? Bravo, if it does all that. What’s often missing, however, is considering how some types of packaging will look when the consumer gets it home. This is often true of products like liquid soaps, dish detergents and hand lotions where the package serves as the dispenser. The product may be easy to spot on a drugstore shelf, but it looks too functional in a bad way when placed on your bathroom counter next to your color coordinated towels and elegant perfume bottles. So,it is delightful to see that Method, known for its eco-friendly cleaning products, has released limited edition packaging by Irish fashion designer Orla Kiely. Her patterns look botanically natural, fresh and contemporary, with fragrances like pear ginger, vanilla chai, bay leaf and primrose to match. The bottle shapes are equally charming. Even if it is Method dish soap or all-purpose cleaner, people will want to leave the bottle out to enjoy as part of the décor.