By
Outerspace Design Group
Cryovac - Sealed Air Corporation Australia
Description
DANONE’s pouring yoghurt under its Activia® brand not only introduces a thinner-style breakfast yoghurt to the market, but the innovation extends to the packaging design, redefining the level of functionality offered to the consumer. Focusing on the brand owner’s desire for the “tub to look and perform more like a jug”, the pack design screamed out for design features to improve grip and an integrated spout to facilitate a directional pour. Convenient, thoughtful and accessible, the pack is an example of good design, combining user-friendly elements with quality moulding techniques to raise the bar in the dairy case sector.
Key Features
and/or Benefits
The lid design incorporates a flip-up hinged section, so that after first-opening, the product can be accessed and re-closed without needing to remove the entire lid. Small break-away features on this hinged portion of the lid serve both as tamper evidence and to control integrity of the part from moulding to lidding in production, and then off shelf and into the home of the consumer.
"To Spoon or not to spoon"? Working in conjunction with the flip-top hinged lid, a pour spout, integrated into the container body, facilitates controlled serving of the product direct from the pack. The spout is of clear benefit with this thinner viscosity yoghurt, resulting in less mess and easier dispensing of the product..Spoon free.
Smooth flowing indents at either side of one end of the container communicate the correct pack orientation to the consumer and also assists with gripping and handling of the pack. Typically these larger size packs are quite wide, and a secure grasp calls for two hands, especially with the added slipperiness of condensation on the container. By including these grip indents on the DANONE design, those with small hands or limited dexterity can find greater comfort and control in handling the pack. The grip design needed to be both ergonomic and suitable for placement of the in-mould label.
The injection moulded polypropylene container incorporates a lithographically printed, clear stock, non-cavitated polypropylene In Mould Label (IML). This enables maximised branding coverage and a high quality and dynamic print, whilst maintaining a monopolymer component. By using a clear stock IML, the branding was also able to include a clear window in the grip indents, which serves as a humanized measuring aid. This reminds the consumer when it’s ready to “add to the shopping list” and aims to reduce food waste by clearly seeing the bottom of the container.
Commercial implementation of the pack with these features created a number of challenges. The grip indent was bound by the limitations of the in IML process, and the container including spout was required to fit with the existing manufacturing line. On top of this was the added pressure of a tight three-month window from concept to production in order to meet trade launch deadlines. By developing the pack in harmony with the manufacturers existing plant and equipment, the key design features were able to be integrated into a pack that can be produced efficiently and was successfully delivered on time.
