PACKAGING IN COVID TIMES

Gisela Villaverde. Creative Director.

The pandemic produced by COVID-19 will undoubtedly mark a historic moment in our lives and in those of millions of people around the world. Indeed, not only did it transform our daily lives and the way we socialize drastically, but also changed our perspective on how to take care of ourselves and the world around us.

Fitness routines via YouTube channels, meditation sessions and the incorporation of a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet are some of the effects that confinement brought about. However, this did not happen by accident. For a few years now, we have been transforming the way we relate ourselves with a healthier lifestyle and, of course, COVID-19 has intensified it. Through this extreme experience, we became conscious of the importance of keeping our body healthy and eating foods that meet our needs.

According to Mintel*, during the first two weeks of March, Google searches combining the terms “food”, “immune” and “system” skyrocketed. In fact, it is already known that having a diet rich in minerals, vitamins and nutrients helps maintain a strong immune system. Nevertheless, though not new, this health area has been largely ignored by the market until the advent of COVID-19. Even among the products that use this positioning strategy, few of them show this information on the package front and center.

However, what does our immune system do? Nothing but defend our body, that is, there is a set of cells, tissues and organs that carry out certain mechanisms to protect it from infections arising from foreign agents, such as viruses and bacteria.

If we consider the products that have been launched during 2020, I have found some interesting examples of foods and drinks recognized as beneficial to the immune system. Such is the case with Kellogg Immune*, which provides 50% of the recommended daily amount of vitamins D, B6, B12 and folic acid. Another example is Tropicana Essentials Orange, Carrot & Ginger Immune Support Juice*, a blend of orange, carrot, pineapple and ginger juices containing vitamins A and C.

Both brands created a product with a strong and compelling name that literally focuses on the benefits it renders and takes up more space than the brand logo itself. Only those brands that are already highly recognized by consumers can afford this luxury.

In the Argentine market we can find La Serenisima Multidefensas*, a milk that covers the daily needs of vitamins and minerals, since it is fortified with vitamins A, C, D and E plus zinc.
In this case, the brand holder decided to differentiate this milk from its others milks by creating a name that refers to the immune defences through multivitamins, which end up being the design protagonists.

In Colombia, the renowned Alpina brand developed a milk drink that contains probiotics and renders a positive effect on the immune system, all of which helps strengthening the immune defences if the drink is consumed regularly. Defensis®* is the name they have chosen for Yox®*. It refers to the two types of probiotic cultures included in the drink: lactobacillus gasseri and lactobacillus coryniformis. Said microorganisms, once consumed, survive gastric juices and reach the intestine alive, which reinforces the intestinal barrier. Certainly, this name does not behave like a brand, but it works as an extra benefit (unlike the other brands above mentioned).

At last, we can mention a pioneer product among those centered on immunity: Central Lechera Asturiana*, a Spanish brand that has launched the first fortified milk that strengthens the immune system. This is why it received the Innovation 2012 award.

This milk is sold in a package known as Tetra Evero Aseptic*, one of the items in the wide portfolio of packages developed by Tetra Pak* (it is worth mentioning that Central Lechera Asturiana* enjoyed the worldwide exclusivity of using this package for its products during a period of two years). This is a totally innovative and revolutionary package, which combines the advantages of the carton with the possibility of a flexographic printing.

As for the graphic design, we can see that it does not explore a name related to the immune system, but it uses a cup shape and turns it into a shield. This is a clever design solution that is reinforced with a clear claim: “It contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system”.

For now, we can see that these products sell more than milk, yogurt, juice, etc.: they sell a functionality (the immune system). This is the reason why the package design relies more on the benefit rendered by the product than on the communication strategy therein applied. Even the name of the product is printed in so small fonts that we can only infer it is a juice because of the graphics typical of this category.

Throughout these examples, we have seen that the design is a key factor to help communicate the product advantages. This is made possible by developing a naming technique that reinforces the product’s benefits and turns it into a functional product different from the rest. We have also considered some Look&Feel features according to the target communication, from super shields, through prominent vitamins and minerals, to claims with some scientific support.

Under this new normality, the development of food products according to the new needs is here to stay, as is our new way of socializing, working, studying and washing ourselves.

Source: Mintel — https://es.mintel.com/

*The brands and photographs appearing in this editorial are the property of third parties and only serve a mere reference purpose; all credit goes to their original authors.