How much does product packaging influence your purchase?

[MoeFOH]

The product itseIf has to be great and, therefore, desired, I know, but if I'm completely honest great packaging is a significant cherry on top of any purchase I make and goes a long way to brand loyalty in my opinion. My call is that no one has done it better than Apple. Sometimes I think I enjoy their packaging more than their bloody products... Yes, I have a problem... Anyhow, I got to thinking about other types of products and how far this extends. 

Pictured below is a one of my favourites spiced rums--Kraken. A great drop. But the bottle and the label are brilliant aesthetic couplings to the booze itself, and they (imagined or not) make the whole experience better. 

Is it just me? I think not. Yeah, I buy a lot of this stuff, but not enough for them to create the packaging just to foster my loyalty alone. 

If you share this same sort of, shall we say, sickness, what are some of your best examples? 

[JohnS]

I've never tried Crystal Head Vodka, but does the packaging make the vodka better or is it a gimmick?

 

[MoeFOH]

5 minutes ago, JohnS said:

I've never tried Crystal Head Vodka, but does the packaging make the vodka better or is it a gimmick?

 

I guess we'll just have to try it and find out, John.  

[Fuzz]

I always thought that Ski Double Up yogurt containers were a fantastic idea. Sure, you could go buy a tub of vanilla yogurt and some muesli or fruit separately, but who wants that hassle?

 

[Fuzz]

And I'll let you guys Google "Herr Vodka". Warning, it is NSFW. The packaging is, well.... suggestive.

[TNT009]

18 minutes ago, JohnS said:

I've never tried Crystal Head Vodka, but does the packaging make the vodka better or is it a gimmick?

 

Its actually pretty good!

[Fuzz]

19 minutes ago, JohnS said:

I've never tried Crystal Head Vodka, but does the packaging make the vodka better or is it a gimmick?

 

I never knew that Dan Akroyd had a hand in coming up with Crystal Head Vodka.

[MoeFOH]

8 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

And I'll let you guys Google "Herr Vodka". Warning, it is NSFW. The packaging is, well.... suggestive.

I have forwarded the link on to the wife for her, um, input... 

[JohnS]

14 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

I never knew that Dan Akroyd had a hand in coming up with Crystal Head Vodka.

I saw an interview with him discussing it a few years ago. Apparently it's won awards too!

[MoeFOH]

13 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

I never knew that Dan Akroyd had a hand in coming up with Crystal Head Vodka.

Me either. A lot more to that concept than the face value (pardon the pun). Part of me believes that they simply got hammered one night and committed to the project of doing a skull bottle too far, then woke up the next day and had to make up all that stuff to support the idea.  

[Lotusguy]

Kraken????? Holy crap, bro that stuff tastes about as good as lighter fluid...

[MoeFOH]

4 minutes ago, Lotusguy said:

Kraken????? Holy crap, bro that stuff tastes about as good as lighter fluid...

Yeah? Wow... I like the gear. What spiced rums do you recommend? 

[Derboesekoenig]

6 minutes ago, Lotusguy said:

Kraken????? Holy crap, bro that stuff tastes about as good as lighter fluid...

Have to say I agree with this. I tried to enjoy it...but just couldn't.

[Lotusguy]

Yeah? Wow... I like the gear. What spiced rums do you recommend? 

To keep it simple, I would recommend Sailor Jerry - though the packaging is nowhere near as fancy

[dangolf18]

I would say certain champagne bottles like Krug, Dom Perginon, Perrier Jouet, and even Veuve Clicquot are alluring in great part due to their design. I mean if you had a bottle that looked like Krug and it contained champagne from a $20 bottle, I'd probably still be enamored with it.

[MoeFOH]

4 minutes ago, Lotusguy said:

To keep it simple, I would recommend Sailor Jerry - though the packaging is nowhere near as fancy

Yep. A big fan of SJ, too.  

[MoeFOH]

9 minutes ago, Derboesekoenig said:

Have to say I agree with this. I tried to enjoy it...but just couldn't.

Tried it as a base for a rum Old Fashioned?

[mt1]

I cannot recall the number of scotch bottles I have purchased simply because I liked the label, shape of the bottle, or the picture or name on the box.  Some were hits, some were misses--very much like cigars actually.

I recently smoked the Punch Medalla de Oro UK edition, which is wrapped in gold foil.  It was a really good cigar but I'm pretty sure it tasted better in my head because I liked the packaging 

[MoeFOH]

1 hour ago, mt1 said:

I cannot recall the number of scotch bottles I have purchased simply because I liked the label, shape of the bottle, or the picture or name on the box.  Some were hits, some were misses--very much like cigars actually.

I recently smoked the Punch Medalla de Oro UK edition, which is wrapped in gold foil.  It was a really good cigar but I'm pretty sure it tasted better in my head because I liked the packaging 

Ha ha... yes! Exactly what I'm talking about.  

[Bearclaw]

I think in many cases, at a certain level, quality presentation/packaging is expected with liqour/tobacco. There are definitely exceptions, but I find poor packaging can be a bit of a turnoff on high priced boos.

[SignalJoe]

19 hours ago, mt1 said:

I recently smoked the Punch Medalla de Oro UK edition, which is wrapped in gold foil.  It was a really good cigar but I'm pretty sure it tasted better in my head because I liked the packaging 

This brings up a question I had never considered; with plain packaging laws would the gold foil have to be stripped from the cigar?  

[Fuzz]

1 hour ago, SignalJoe said:

This brings up a question I had never considered; with plain packaging laws would the gold foil have to be stripped from the cigar?  

Yep. Nothing but the plain packaging band.

[Wilzc]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mt1]

2 hours ago, SignalJoe said:

This brings up a question I had never considered; with plain packaging laws would the gold foil have to be stripped from the cigar?  

I had never thought of that..do you guys think it would be up to the regional distributor to remove it?  Never had to deal with any packaging laws for tobacco as they don't exist over here.

[canadianbeaver]

I graduated from Art College in 1982 and worked at design firms in Toronto, mostly as a package designer. Cat food for Ralston Purina. Beers for Labatt, boxes of Kleenex. 

Best line in market research was a guy saying he did not like condoms because it was “like feeling tits through a ski jacket”.

Best line about design from my boss was “Lisa, sales is sales, the rest is romance.” How frustrating.

On the other side, as a customer, we believe the great design packaging can make you buy it once, but only if you like the product, will you buy it again.

CB