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Now Black is the New White!

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It is so important to take trips to the store, not to shop, but to observe packaging trends---because they constantly change. Many years ago I wrote an article called "White is the New Black". What inspired me to write this  was my observation in a grocery store of how many CPG companies had chosen white as the color for their packaging. This design decision really made their product stand out on busy product shelves.

http://jdainc.blogspot.com/2007/10/white-is-new-black.html

I noted several categories, one being mouthwash and toothpaste and also the feminine hygiene category which was mainly blue and pink:



Today I was reading an article called "The Hue for You" in Packaging Design magazine, May 2014. Overall the article talked about how a brand can own a color. But it also pointed out several products that make black the main packaging color which give the product a lot of presence in their product categories. One was Danone Yogurt which is marketed to men.




The other is U by Kotex which sparked my memory of the article I wrote. I doubt when I wrote my original article that black would ever be chosen for this product category. The package redesign is meant to appeal to a younger demographic. The black with accents of neon brights give the product a distinctive edge at retail.



It can r be a risk changing a product's package that has always been identified by a specific color---especially if you don't have the advertising dollars to promote the change. There are so many product offerings, consumers rely on identifying their brand by the color and or shape of the package. So don't just make a change for change sake. However, if you are marketing a new product, check out the product category and competition on shelf. What will make you stand apart from the competition but still reflect your brand?

So the one brand that can make a change using black is the recent addition of Coke Zero to their diet soft drink line. They kept some of the iconic red, but the black can sure makes a statement.



Patty Jensen, VP Account Services
pjensen@jdainc.com

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