Sherwin-Williams Nabs Top Packaging Award

The 2005 AmeriStar Awards, sponsored by the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP), is a unique program because it covers the entire range of packaging formats. This year, I had the chance to observe the judging as IoPP's Director of Education. I learned that judges look for packages that grab shopper attention while incorporating convenience for both consumers and retailers. Here are comments on four winners from the 2005 competition, including this year's "Best in Show," Sherwin-Williams. For a complete list, go to www.iopp.org.Sherwin-Williams, Cleveland, wins again with a paint package that not only attracts attention on the shelf with a shape unique to the paint category, but also works for the consumer in a way no other paint package ever has.The Ready-to-Roll container is a paint package and roller pan in one. It lets consumers paint directly from the package by incorporating a tray that works just like a roller pan.Judges really liked this package because there is more than one "outside-the-box" idea in the concept.Size: Who says paint has to come in quart, gallon and five-gallon sizes? Sherwin-Williams decided on the 2-1/2 gallon size because the average amount used to paint a room is 2-1/3 gallons. With a little paint to spare, the package is tailored for its use environment, and not limited by packaging format.Rectangular shape: The packaging jargon term is "square footprint," and it meets retailer needs because it uses less shelf space than round containers. Sherwin-Williams brought out its first "square footprint" container in its Easy Pour gallon container that was a packaging contest winner three years ago. The front panel of the newer container carries a high-impact label that conveys the package's benefits to shoppers, supporting the buying decision.Helps the retailer: Because the package is the same height as a one-gallon paint can, retailers don't have to adjust shelves to accommodate the new shape. The package fits into the same shakers that paint retailers use for conventional, round five-gallon containers. A plug built into the cover lets retailers add tint without opening the package.As one judge said, "Sherwin-Williams threw every idea they could at this package. It helps them reposition the product."Yo-Yo Package Begs InvolvementA yo-yo package from Hasbro, Pawtucket, RI, responds to a central belief held by many marketers -- the package that the shopper picks up is the package the shopper will put in the cart. The container for Hasbro's Fast brand yo-yo gets shoppers to pick it up with its unusual formed plastic component. It lets shoppers play with the package in the store, and it lets the shopper see every possible angle on the yo-yo itself. It also answers an important retailer need by providing protection against shoplifting.The keys to the package are two thermoformed plastic parts. One snaps around and encases the yo-yo. Two plastic pivot points protrude from its sides and snap into recesses in the second piece, a formed plastic base. The result is that a shopper can handle and spin the encased yo-yo -- essentially "play" with the package.A paperboard sleeve encases the plastic base with graphics that explain the yo-yo's features. The unusual shape of the sleeve, which flares at the bottom, also stands out at point-of-sale. Tiny "feet" formed at the bottom of the paperboard carton help the package stand upright on a shelf.The judges considered the consumer frustrations in opening the package, but also recognized the need to prevent theft. A shoplifter would have to tear away the paperboard sleeve and rip apart the two plastic thermoformed blisters.3-D "Pop" on Popcorn TinsPopcorn tins are a perennial favorite gift package, often featuring decorative scenes and promotional tie-ins. Houston Harvest Gift Products, Franklin Park, IL, takes popcorn tins to a new level with the use of a lenticular lens that wraps entirely around the package. It adds a visual appeal that simply hasn't been done before.The popcorn tins entered in the AmeriStar competition featured a Shrek promotion in a 3-D lenticular lens, but the process opens up other opportunities. Lenticular lenses can also offer "flip" motion. The use of a lenticular lens on a round tin depends on adhesives that can hold the lens to the tin; Xtreme Graphics, Inver Grove Heights, MN, created the package.Single-Serve Biscuits Appeal to Smaller HouseholdsU.S. food firms continue to adapt packaging to the growing number of "empty-nest" Baby Boomers looking for single-serve portions of their favorite foods. General Mills, Minneapolis, launched packaging to fit this class of people with its new Pillsbury refrigerated single-serve biscuits. Refrigerated biscuits have traditionally been sold in paperboard cans that hold five to 10 servings. Because the cans are not re-sealable, consumers need to bake all of the biscuits at once.To package just two biscuits, Pillsbury developed a plastic pouch. "It's convenient and it specifically addresses the smaller household market," observed one judge. The new packaging format keeps unused biscuits fresh for later use. Each paperboard carton holds five two-biscuit pouches.Jim Peters has 25 years in the packaging field and is the Director of Education for the Institute of Packaging Professionals.

Sherwin-Williams Nabs Top Packaging Award

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