How to create and deliver an impactful mailer: a premium packaging showcase
There’s no doubt that in these days of online shopping and social media, packaging needs to work harder than ever before.
There’s no doubt that in these days of online shopping and social media, packaging needs to work harder than ever before.
Background
Packaging not only has to offer protection, but it needs to look good too, creating visual and experiential impact at every level.
What it is made of, how it is made, and whether it can be recycled or composted also matter. And it’s not just the customer experience that has to be considered; the cost and practicalities of producing, storing, assembling, fulfilling and distributing packaging for the retailer and warehouse are also key factors. For those responsible for their brand’s packaging, it can feel overwhelming.
That’s why here at Antalis we’ve launched a new Premium Packaging service that offers a complete turnkey solution. We provide advice on material selection, structure, branding and graphic design, and we cover sourcing, prototyping and production, stock control, delivery and UK fulfilment.
As we launched this new service at Easter, we thought what better way to showcase what we can do than to send customers an Easter egg, presented in bespoke packaging that we designed and produced in-house. And, of course, it also serves as a great case study to showcase our team’s knowledge and skills.
Case study: Easter egg mailer
The brief
Chocolate Easter eggs can be somewhat fragile, so we knew it would be a good way to demonstrate how packaging can be protective while still looking good. We wanted to showcase how even the smallest packaging can create a big impact and grab the attention of the recipients. Key to success would be understanding and executing the following:
- Target market: We selected 50 Antalis customers to send the mailer to who we felt would benefit most from our Premium Packaging service.
- Functionality: Delivering a fragile item like a chocolate egg in the post requires highly protective packaging, however, the packaging also had to work hard to convey important information and create a memorable unboxing experience.
- Design and materiality: Tactile and visually impactful carton design using materials from Antalis’ portfolio. It was essential that the design would pique the interest of the recipient while aligning with Antalis’ branding.
- Experiential: Every aspect of the customer experience had to be considered, from the ease of opening the e-commerce packaging to the visual impact of the inner carton and how easy it is for the recipient to recycle the packaging once they had finished with it.
- Sustainability: The packaging should have minimal environmental impact through minimising use of materials, using materials that are sustainably produced and recyclable or compostable, and be as small and lightweight as possible to limit the distribution carbon footprint.
- Printing and finishing: Demonstrate how, with clever design and cutting techniques, it is possible to create easy-to assemble packaging without the use of glue or tape. Showcase the impact that can be achieved using single-colour print.
Here’s how we did it…
The finished piece comprised three components:
- Pulp board egg box
- Presentation packaging
- Ecommerce carton
1. Pulp board egg box – protecting a fragile, chocolate egg
A standard egg box wouldn’t offer the necessary impact absorption to protect an egg – even a chocolate one – going through the postal system. Pulp packaging, on the other hand, is much thicker with excellent shock-absorption properties.
Design: We created a single egg box that could be secured using a lock-closure built into the pulp structure. Pulp can be dyed almost any colour. We opted for dark grey as we already had samples in this colour in stock, this shade would also provide a strong contrast with the presentation packaging that we had planned.
Material: Pulp board is an incredibly versatile material that can be moulded into virtually any shape and size.
Sustainability: Pulp board is a highly sustainable, environmentally responsible packaging material that is recyclable and biodegradable.
2. Presentation packaging – creating impact, delivering key messages
The intention of the design was twofold: to create impact with use of bold colour and design, and to show how it’s possible to create box packaging from a single piece of board without the use of glue or tape.
Carton and graphic design: rather than opting for a typical straight-edge design, we wanted to show how cutting techniques can be used to create wavy edges for an eye-catching design that invites intrigue; and how folding techniques can be used to eliminate the need for glue or other fixings, ensuring that the carton is fully recyclable.
Presentation packaging dimensions: 85 x 65 x 60mm
The multiple folds and cuts also help the piece to stand out from the norm. On the top face of the box, three different layers can be seen: a plain pink base layer, a middle layer printed with white stripes, and the top layer printed with text that invites the recipient to open the box.
The use of white ink on a bold-coloured base material demonstrates how it’s possible to create impact while keeping design simple. Graphics extended to all faces of the box, inside and out, making the most of the advertising real estate available and maintaining interest.
Material: the presentation packaging is made from Keaykolour Lipstick 300gsm. A vibrant pink shade that matches the pink of Antalis’ corporate colour palette. Keaykolour is a range of rigid, uncoated papers and boards with a natural touch and sophisticated palette of 45 colours. Bespoke colours can be made on request, subject to a three-tonne minimum order quantity.
Printing and cutting: the board was printed digitally using an HP Indigo 1200 Digital Press. The cutting was carried out using a Kongsberg X24 Digital Cutter.
Sustainability: Keaykolour is FSC® certified and 100% recyclable, it has an Antalis Green Star rating of 3.
3. E-commerce packaging – ensuring the contents arrive presentation-ready
Because the pulp egg box was protecting the egg, the e-commerce carton didn’t need to provide impact absorption. The e-commerce carton was all about creating the first step in a memorable customer experience.
Design: the small size and neat presentation of the e-commerce box, complete with tear-strip, made sure the mailer stood out as something interesting. The box was a bespoke design created to fit neatly around the inner box, eliminating the need for void fill, which would have detracted from the impact of the reveal. It features a peel and seal closure for quick and easy packing and a tear strip for easy opening.
E-commerce box dimensions: 100 x 75 x 70mm
Material: the box is made from an E-flute board.
Sustainability: the E-flute board is manufactured using fibre from sustainable sources and is 100% recyclable.
“We were really pleased with how this little premium packaging mailer turned out, and the feedback we received from customers was great. In some ways, producing this mailer for ourselves felt more challenging than when we are working on a customer’s packaging project; we really do understand the pressures of getting it right and meeting every criteria on a checklist!
“As packaging plays an increasingly significant role for many brands, there is more pressure than ever to get it right. Brand alignment, customer experience, efficiency, sustainability, and so on – there’s a lot to think about. It was after speaking to existing Antalis customers that we recognised that there was a real need to be able to offer a complete turnkey solution for premium packaging that enables us to take that pressure off them. We’ve got all the skills, know-how, materials and resources available under one roof to address everything from branding and customer experience to sustainability and compliance, and cost and efficiency.”
Verity Mottram, Creative Design Lead, Antalis UK
Antalis Premium Packaging service
Learn more about our Premium Packaging Service or contact us to discuss your next Packaging project by clicking the link below
