By Shannon Klaupp

Clever crossover packaging lifts lockdown fatigue / Shannon Kaupp

The President’s Choice store brand of leading Canadian grocer Loblaws Inc. is making notable strides to decrease the amount of plastic packaging it uses—in part thanks to its highly beneficial partnership and collaboration with Brampton, Ont.based Club Coffee. Made from renewable and recyclable proprietary Boardio packaging developed in Sweden by AR

Packaging, the upright 340-gram square-bottomed package clearly stands out on the grocery shelf as the only mainstream brand that does not come in a plastic pouch or a metal tin. Made from plant-based recyclable paper sourced from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified forestlands, the compact canister projects a serene earthy looks with its muted light-brown colors and lettering, while its captivating Lion King-like illustration of the majestic king of the jungle, resting alongside a cuddling cub, does its best to draw the shoppers’ attention and, even, affection. Featuring an air-tight seal to keep the coffee fresh, along with highly functional and snug-fitting reclosable paperboard lid, the canister’s front panel depicts the authoritative Rainforest Alliance certification logo to validate the product’s sustainable origins and sourcing practices. All in all, this innovative paper canister is a great example of what sustainable packaging can look like with a little imagination and creative application.

With the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic continuing to stretch people’s patience and nerves, there is really no surprise to see that pre-mixed RTD (ready-to-drink) cocktails have surged in popularity. If you can’t go to bar to enjoy your favorite libation, well, how about bringing the bar home? That’s exactly what the On the Rocks range of Premium Cocktails from Beam Suntory aims to do with classy glass packaging for its bottled Margaritas, Cosmopolitans and Mai Tai cocktails, all topped off with twist-off cork stoppers. Also available in 100-ml airline single-serve glass bottles with metal twistoff bottle caps, the high-end crafted cocktails are made exclusively with branded base spirits in strict accordance with classic authentic recipes to help consumers replicate that rarefied bar lounge experience in their home surroundings, while toasting the better days ahead.

Produced by Spunky Pup in Orono, Minn., the Pup Tarts line of dog treats is an inspired example of clever crossover packaging, whereby the whimsical product packaging is intentionally designed to evoke the look of boxed sweet childhood treats many of us remember from our early school days. Made without wheat, corn, soy or sugar, these healthy semimoist, bit-sized tidbits are bagged in clear film to display a small part of the contents through the cutout windows—arranged in the shape of a dog’s paw print—die-cut into 142-gram decorative folding cartons lit up with bright colors. According to the company, the healthy soft treats are great for training your best friend, or just as a reward for being a good boy or girl. Available in five enticing flavors, the Pup Tarts

treats also promise impressive 24-month shelf-life, a virtual eternity in dog years.

Montreal-based gifts and novelties distributor Main and Local takes crossover packaging to a whole new level with its Rock-it Milk Boxers and the companion Rock-it Bacon Socks packs—crated to replicate the signature gable-top milk cartons and the lay-flat bacon packs, respectively, down to the last detail. Putting boxer shorts inside an authentic-looking milk carton—complete with a cartoon cow logo on the front panel and a “Missing” underwear poster on the side— and a pair of designer socks into a sliced bacon pack-shaped pouch with a faux resealable closure is a delightfully display of “out of the box” approach to packaging design that is sure to leave the recipients of these thoughtful gifts gratefully amused.

Imported by Smuckers Foods Canada, the 375-gram pouch of Jif Squeeze Peanut Butter is nothing less than a revolution in the way consumers go about enjoying their peanut butter. No more messy knives; no more smearing all over your hands: just flip the cap and squeeze as much or as little as you want onto your crackers, toast, fruit veggies, etc. The flat plastic cap snaps open and closes without much effort, but is still snug enough to prevent accidental spills in your purse of gym bag. Moreover, the flat surface of the flip cap facilitates upside down placement of the package on the cupboard shelf—allowing the leftover contents make their way to the bottom of the pouch for easy product dispensing the next time around, with minimal product waste.

(Clockwise) Squeezable peanut butters in a spouted flexible pouch; On the Rock brand craft cocktails; Rock-it Milk Boxers in a gable-top faux milk carton; a box of Pup Tarts dog treats; Rock-it Bacon Socks crossover packaging at its best; the paperboard canister of President’s Choice brand roast coffee.

SHANNON KAUPP is a licensed naturopathic medicine practitioner living in Halifax. PHOTOS BY SHANNON KAUPP

AD INDEX

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