Raven Thomas, the owner of one of many small companies that make chocolate-and-pretzel gourmet snacks and treats, realized the need for a package redesign that would make the products stand out at the 2009 All Candy Expo—one of the largest trade events for the confectionery/snack industry. Working with two different packaging vendors, one supplying paper caps and the other plastic cylinders, Lakewood, New Jersey-based Miller Creative designed a striking cost-effective solution. Both the caps and cylinders were unprinted so the core of the look came from labels letterpressed by Studio on Fire, the Minneapolis-based letterpress printer behind the popular letterpress blog Beast Pieces. Although more costly than standard flexographic labels, the premium price points and the importance of a high-end look allowed for the cost in the launch budget. The Painted Pretzel did extraordinarily well at the trade show: Every buyer or browser at their booth had something to say about the packaging design and several orders came through, making it an extremely worthwhile investment.
[photo credit: Reuben Miller/Studio on Fire]
[photo credit: Reuben Miller/Studio on Fire]