Is she responsible for one of the more memorable jingles of all time?
Maybe it’s just me, but I think there’s a little bit of a trendlet happening right now in the world of advertising. Jingles have made a comeback of sorts. And I’m thrilled. Read More »
On September 20, members of the LAUNCH and PKG Brand Design teams attended the Private Brand Movement, an annual conference focused on news, trends and innovation in the world of Private Label packaged goods. The stellar lineup of presenters at the conference reinforced a couple of key ideas that LAUNCH and PKG hold true.
Mark your calendars and gear up for breakout sessions and swag bags—LAUNCH is excited to announce our sponsorship of the 2011 Packaging That Sells conference. This year’s conference will be held at the W Chicago—City Center hotel from October 6–7.
Billed as the “only event specifically focused on the marketing impact of packaging,” the conference is a can’t-miss annual gathering for package designers and developers, brand marketers, agencies and anyone seeking insights, inspiration, and information on brand packaging. Last year’s speakers included Eric Ryan, cofounder of packaging innovator Method; Aimee Johnson, VP of Strategic Coffee Initiatives at Starbucks, who shared the story of the coffee giant’s Via instant coffee product; Jennifer Westemeyer, Kimberly-Clark brand design director, who gave a “daring” presentation on the attention-grabbing new U by Kotex packaging; and Katrina Markoff, founder of Chicago’s own Vosges Haut Chocolat (with which this LAUNCH employee is delightfully familiar).
I caught the 8:16 train recently, and found a single seat in the upper deck. Even though earlier in the week the temperature had been below zero, it was now warm (mid 30’s). I needed something to cool me off, a morning refreshment. I opened a bottle of Naked Juice.
“Welcome to my aisle” is a phrase I have been known to announce while grocery shopping for gluten-free items in my local Chicago Jewel. You may have heard the phrase “gluten-free,” seen it on packaging, read about it in the news, or know someone who has gluten intolerance. But what is gluten? Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and some processed oats, and has recently become a popular topic because of the growing number of American consumers who cannot tolerate it in their diets. The market for gluten-free products is ripe: According to The Nielsen Company, the sales of gluten-free products increased 74% from 2004 to 2009. Does labeling a product “gluten-free” really help sell it, and why are more and more CPG companies going through the painstaking process of modifying their foods to be gluten-free? Is the marketing benefit worth the cost?
Launch Creative has snatched up another award—this time a 2010 Design of the Times award. Our Sara Lee EarthGrains Eco-Grain packaging won a Best of the Times Bronze award. Created to promote Sara Lee’s use of sustainably farmed Eco-Grain in its breads, the refreshed EarthGrains Eco-Grain packaging uses a neutral color palette to provide shoppers with visual cues about the line’s “natural” and “healthy” attributes. While keeping with the original EarthGrains brand image, the streamlined design looks cleaner and more contemporary, making it easy for consumers to find EarthGrains Eco-Grain product on the shelf. The packaging also calls out the line’s product benefits, enabling Sara Lee to attract shoppers, drive sales and create a new favorite bread among healthy eaters.
Last week, Launch took flight at Chicago’s Navy Pier for the 2010 Shopper Marketing Expo. Inside a bustling Exhibit Hall, vendors and suppliers displayed the innovations, ideas and trends happening—or about to happen—at retail.
We believe so much in the importance of making a good first impression, we made a movie about it. Watch “Launch: In-Flight.”
Launch in flight movie: Shopper Marketing Expo 2010 from thelaunchblog on Vimeo.
Over the last year or so, American men of all ages have lost their manly essence. Or at least that’s what many brands would like you to believe. The recent influx of ads telling us all to “man up” has been hard to ignore. But, before you start questioning yourself, let’s take a look at the types of brands that these challenges are coming from. It’s rather interesting.
