Packaging Research and Laws

The current energy drink packaging and materials used are extremely constant throughout all brands. However, in this generation it is clear that we need to move to sustainable products to allow for a healthier relationship when creating products. It is essential that our brand follows suit and conforms the highest sustainable packaging solutions possible.

Figure 1 – The ‘Ghost’ energy drink exploring every angle of the can and the information permitted to be included. This gives me insight as to how much information has to be included on the label in my final design. (Sergeev, n.d.).

“Aluminum makes the only beverage container that is infinitely recyclable. Easy to stack and lightweight, aluminum cans are also super efficient to ship and store.” (aluminum.org, 2021). Comparing this to the plastic bottle option, aluminum cans contain up to “20 times the recycled content of plastic bottles.” (aluminum.org, 2021). It is clear that this is the right material to be used when developing what our energy drink will be packaged in. There are also new smart technologies for labels to be printed and not hurt the positive recycling efforts.

Moreover, the design is very different compared to when we look at cans produced in the 1960’s. The original material of cans to store nutritional products in was tin-plated which proved to be crude and overall not the most efficient design for cans. (cancentral.com, n.d.). As a whole, we have heavily benefited from the new lightweight, completely recyclable containers. It wasn’t until 1875 that the shape of the cans got altered and changed the design and way they can be held. The year that can’s finally became recyclable – 1965 to 1975 – is heavily important as that is when the target audience were growing up and most likely interacting with these products.

Figure 2 – An image consisting of the old cans produced that initially stored products for long-life usage. This concludes multiple design flaws that need to be avoided when thinking about the final packaging of our new brand. (White, 2017).

The main reason I have chosen this material is down to the recyclable benefits and the consideration that all current energy drinks follow the materialistic conventions of these. The packaging will be familiar to the audience so it is clear of its intentions, and the brand identity will sell itself to the right demographic. This material is also crucial due to it’s lightweight feel and the fact that the target audience may struggle to carry a heavy glass bottle for a prolonged period. The durability of the can is the superior choice when regarding other materials that could be used. Overall, it is clear that the target demographic will benefit the most from the chosen packaging.

Adobe Illustrator Design Development

As shown, we converted the 3D aluminum can to a 2D version in Adobe Illustrator to initially design the labelling for the can and how information will be portrayed. It is needed to bear in mind that large amount of information that is provided to be on the cans due to UK laws, so this allows for us to figure out an appropriate design before converting it to the final prototype.

Figure 3 – The can template produced in Adobe Illustrator to allow for a 2-Dimensional packaging design to be created.

There are multiple design choices that were made throughout the entire production of this rough template. The colour palette was the initial plan and where certain colours would be placed in order to compliment each other relating to colour theories. I decided on the specific information that lawfully has to be placed on the can and arranged it in a pleasing way. This concluded the basic set up of my can labels and meant I could move on to rearranging and finalising the design processes.

Figure 4 – A rough display with my packaging design displayed on a 2-Dimensional template in Adobe Illustrator. This allows for improvements for the final design.

Final Packaging Design

The final energy drink packaging design conforms to the target audience by using cool toned colours and simple information that will not be too intimidating and crowded. The relevant information is ordered with sizing as priority and allows the reader to scan the labelling for the desired facts. The brand identity is clearly emphasised through the conceptual logos on both sides and reinforces the slow energy boost given when consumed. Overall, the design is very conscious of the target demographic and clearly constantly links back to them.

Figure 5 – The final 2-Dimensional image produced in Adobe Illustrator. It is clear to now move on and produce the prototype version of the packaging design in Adobe Dimensions.

Adobe Package Final Designs

Below is the final design exported into Adobe Dimensions to allow for a complete prototype to be configured and to ensure everything is placed in the correct way. This final 3-Dimensional look will also conclude how the cans will look on shelves and my final stop motion animation.

Figure 6 – My final energy drink can created in Adobe Substance Stager to allow for a real 3-Dimensional look at the end product packaging.

Figure 7 – The reverse side of my can created in Adobe Substance to allow for a feel to see if the information is displayed correctly and to give a view to what the audience will see.

References

aluminum.org, 2021. Aluminum Cans. [Online]
Available at: https://www.aluminum.org/product-markets/aluminum-cans#:~:text=Aluminum%20makes%20the%20only%20beverage%20container%20that%20is,most%20importantly%20%E2%80%93%20protect%20flavor%20and%20freshness.%20
[Accessed 25 March 2023].

cancentral.com, n.d. History of the Can: An Interactive Timeline. [Online]
Available at: https://www.cancentral.com/can-stats/history-of-the-can
[Accessed 25 March 2023].

Sergeev, D., n.d. Ghost Energy Drink Packaging Design. [Online]
Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/258182991119423435/
[Accessed 29 March 2023].

White, A., 2017. Frontier America in a Collection of Tin Cans. [Online]
Available at: https://daily.jstor.org/frontier-america-in-a-collection-of-tin-cans/
[Accessed 29 March 2023].