iconic

Packaging is important to the extent that it attracts attention from those who see it, and that it fulfills the behavioral needs that it was originally built for. A cereal box that does not allow for pouring of the cereal would be a pointless design, because it would be so inconvenient to try and eat the cereal; it would cause somebody to not even purchase the product. However as long as the products function is not sacrificed, design is the most important part of marketing a product. It is the “face” that consumers see. The consumers do not see the product. They see the product’s package, and view that, in a sense, as the product itself. Packaging has influenced me to buy many things, but one of the best examples would have to be the propel water bottle. The design of the bottle is appealing because it’s one of the few water bottles that is not clear. The bottle is blue and transparent with a somewhat distinct shape. It still holds true to your basic water bottle only it has two distinct ridges just above the label. I have found these to be both visually appealing, and also conveniently useful when gripping the bottle. It is a true blend of form and function. Also, on the propel bottle, the drinking hole is about twice the size as one you would find on your typical water bottle, but is the same size as the one found on a Gatorade bottle. A true spin on typical water, propel’s flavored fitness water has a very unique package that really catches the consumer’s eye, and has an excellent product that users love to drink.

Some other products that have iconic packaging are Propel Fitness water, Powerade sports beverages, Patron tequila, Coach Purses, and Louis vuitton anything. All of these are products that have either a single distinct package, or an emblem or logo that is on all their products that is unique to them. Out of all of these the best example I believe is Patron tequila. Its hand blown glass fifth is the only one shaped like that in its market. It represents one of the best kinds of tequila on the market, and its unique design tells everyone that I am drinking Patron. It reminds me of Coca-Cola’s product, only for a more upscale and older demographic.

A product that has “the coolest design ever,” but cannot be used is probably worthless. Not many people buy a product just because it is going to look sweet on a shelf. Most buy a product to use it, and that is a necessary element of consideration when designing something. As I stated earlier, a cereal box that does not pour cereal is next to useless, just because nobody is going to buy cereal to put on a shelf and look at. One of the best examples of bad packaging is in my mind the tiny milk cartons that were made of paper and required folding and pushing to open, and at times would open weird so that the milk would not pour out right. That package was neither appealing nor useful in my mind.