#106 Truly Terrible Packaging (and How to Fix It)

http://dennyhatch.blogspot.com/2020/08/106-truly-terrible-packaging-and-how-to.html

#106 Blog Post — Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Posted by Denny Hatch 

 

A Textbook Case of Truly Terrible Packaging!

 (And How to Fix It) 

When Covid-19 hit, the powerful message shouted over-and-over by scientists and experts was these 3 stark warnings:

1. Always wear a face mask when you leave home.

2. If you don't wear a face mask, you could inadvertently kill people. 

3. Close contact with persons not wearing a face mask could kill you… and kill members of your family.

After trying myriad face masks—from face-pinching little n95s to gifts from friends sewn from warn-out polo shirts—Peggy finally ordered the above box of disposables. She chose well.

Terrific Masks!  Alas, you’d Never Know It from the Box They Came in.

• The picture of the mask is a strange faded water-color-like drawing.

• All the features and benefits are in unreadable 4-point mouse type.

• Other copy is in teeny-tiny white type reversed out on light blue backgrounds.

• The contents of the box are described as a big “50” in faded urine yellow.

• 50 what? 50 Pcs. What is Pc?

• How many pcs to a mask? If 2 pcs, that’s 25 masks. Yes? Huh?

Okay. I Redesigned the Box Top. Not Elegant—But... With Everything Needed to Help Make an Informed Decision.

• Crisp photo of the Mask. You know exactly what it looks like.

• All features and benefits are easy-to-read—10-poinrt or 12-point type.

• “50 Masks” in big black readable type. (Not “50 Pcs”)

• I added one short line of “selling” copy:  

Heavy Duty, Wonderfully Light Weight.

Another Example of Lousy Packaging—Vinyl Gloves 

I bought this box of vinyl gloves from the little store across the square. I wear them when I grocery shop.

Look at the benefits and features above left in teeny-tiny white type on a light green background. Impossible to read! Translation:

          VIN103PF

          100 Vinyl Gloves

          100 Guantes Vinilo

          Non-Sterile / Powder Free

          Not Made With Natural Rubber Latex

In white mouse-type on the bottom of the box I discovered where this product came from: Made in China.

These disposable gloves are perfectly okay. But why rely on Asian designers that don’t know any better… who go for “pretty” rather than supplying critical, easy-to-read, helpful information?

This is nuts! 

Takeaways to Consider

• Product packaging has two purposes:

1. To keep the elements from spilling onto the store floor.
2. To include all the information needed to make an informed buying decision without seeing the actual product.

• A good, sharp photograph of the product is essential.

• Features and benefits should be in large, bold easy-to-read type.

• Package designers should make sure when the photo of the box is reduced in size for use in an ad—or featured in a catalog—the main benefits are still readable.

• Ideas for the sides and bottom of the box:

—Testimonials from happy customers.

—Ratings/reviews from experts and rating services.

—Guarantee of Satisfaction signed by the company president.

• “Short words! Short sentences! Short paragraphs! —Andrew J. Byrne

• “Type smaller than 9-point is difficult for most people to read.” —David Ogilvy

• “Never set your copy in white type on a black background and never set it over a gray or colored tint. The old school of art directors believed that these devices forced people to read the copy; we now know that they make reading physically impossible.” —David Ogilvy

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