AI Takeover…
AI Takeover or storm in a teacup?
This month, with all the talk about ChatGPT and AI taking over, you might imagine we’ve been squirming in our swivel-seats waiting for a faceless US Tech firm to win the next design pitch from under our noses.
There’s a Class-Action Suit underway in the US. The Lawyer representing three artists claims each image a digital generative tool produces ‘is an infringing derivative work’. Artists are at the bleeding edge of the challenge - with easy access to billions of images - AI can easily scoop up, merge and adapt images to ‘create’ something new.
Are artist’s image fair game, or should they be protected? Is the design industry next inline for a dose of AI competition? If dozens of potential designs can be served up at the press of a button, why wouldn't you?
In our network we know some of our compatriots are already using AI to get the obvious stuff done at speed - allowing more time for trained designers to take ideas further and craft-in real world commercial prowess.
No one really knows how this will all play out. However, we remain hopeful that brand owners will continue to demand expert understanding of how packaging design drives sales at Point-of-Purchase; appreciate expert input and collaboration when developing a brief; and appreciate the human designer’s skill in crafting design to be best-in-class and highly effective.
We’ll keep a keen eye on what the US courts say and report back…
Have a great end to Q1 and hope you enjoy this issue of SPARK!
A snapshot of exciting launches, up and coming brands, redesigns and all things new!
Ed Sheeran collaborates with Heinz in new range of hot sauces branded Tingly Ted’s.
Misfits grabs The Grocer’s number 2 slot in the Top 50 Fastest Growing Food Brands.
Mother Nutter launch their no crap, just as Mother Nature intended peanut butter.
The Rise and Rise of Zero
With corporate brewers finally catching up with the Challengers, going alcohol free has never been easier.
Alcohol-free beer brand Freestar sales soar 400%
Alcohol-free beer brand Freestar has reported a 427% uplift in sales during the first week of 2023.
“With increased demand for non-alcoholic beer during Dry January, we hope this sales boost enables us to recruit new drinkers to the category and produce lifetime value to generate repeat purchases in the future.”
Lucky if you’re near a Saint
Whether you’re a dry-Jan subscriber or Teetotal, going alcohol-free while out-of-home has, to-date, proved challenging due to the lack of or 0% offerings in the on-trade. In turn, this left the zero-percenters feeling excluded from the pub scene.
However, this is about to change.
Leading purveyors of 0% beer, Lucky Saint, are opening a pub in Marylebone that will sell their highly regarded non-alcohol beer alongside alcoholic beverages.
What About Wine?
It’s been a blockbuster few years for 0% distillers and brewers and not to be left behind, alcohol free wine is gaining traction too. The experts say getting a realistic wine taste without alcohol has finally been cracked especially wines that are sweeter or bubbly.
Kylie Minogue is cashing in on her cachet with the launch of 0% Sparkling Rose ‘Kylie’ which shifted an astonishing 147,000 bottles in its launch quarter. There’s surely lots of growth to come in this category!
Stiffening the Spirit
Over in alcohol-free spirits we note Gordons, Seedlip and Clean Co broadening their ranges.
Will the growing popularity of this category lead to a groundswell in teetotalism… we’ll keep an eye on the numbers and report back.
Got a favourite 0% tipple? Drop us a line with your recommendation. Cheers!
PlanetMindful
At every project briefing session, we bring our PlanetMindful mindset to the table.
No matter how small the incremental improvement, we're determined to help you create a more sustainable brand and a healthier planet.
A potato-based bottle that you can eat, compost or dissolve
Tomorrow Machine has developed a bottle that can be peeled like a fruit, is water resistant and dissolvable, and has a similar lifespan to its contents.
The studio thought it unreasonable that packaging lasts “years or even decades when the content inside goes bad after a few days or weeks”, says F&B Happy design director Maria Glansén. The core concept of GoneShells is that the lifespan of the packaging matches the lifespan of the contents inside, and so bypasses the conventional recycling system.
How does it work?
Taking its cues from nature, GoneShells was inspired by the way a fruit is protected by its peel. Once finished with, the bottle can be wound down in the same way thanks to its spiral-like structure. Then, it can be eaten, home composted or dissolved in a kitchen sink.
Since it can be broken down in water, Tomorrow Machine designed the bottle to have “a biodegradable barrier” which protects the interior and exterior of the packaging, she adds.
Maria Glansén explains that the decomposition process can only begin once the bottle is peeled and the water-resistant barrier is broken. This means that when it comes in contact with water “a reaction starts immediately”, breaking it down in around 20 minutes, she says.
Source: Design Week
Author: Abbey Bamford
In other news…
An array of new ice-cream flavours from Magnum for 2023
New to the ice-cream brand’s ‘Double’ range includes Magnum Double Starchaser, featuring a swirled popcorn and caramel flavour ice-cream, encased in a caramel sauce and coated in milk chocolate with crunchy caramelised corn pieces.
The second addition to the Double range this year is Magnum Double Sunlover, a coconut ice-cream paired with a tangy mango and passionfruit ice-cream swirl, covered in crunchy white chocolate and coconut pieces.
The popular ice-cream brand has also refreshed its minis packaging for 2023, which includes a new front-of-pack calorie call out.
Jennifer Dyne, head of ice-cream UK & Ireland, Unilever, said: “Insight led innovation is vitally important to the ice-cream category, creating a sense of excitement for shoppers and ensuring it remains relevant to evolving consumer trends and flavour profiles.
Source: Talking Retail
Author: Riana Rae Brown
New Year, New Typography:
The Packaging Typefaces We'll See In 2023
Sans-Serif
Serif
Script
Source: The Dieline
Author: Chloe Gordon
Who Is Generation Alpha and What Kind Of Consumer Will They Be In The Future?
With most Millennials in their 30s and Gen Z consumers getting the royal treatment from marketers, some have already moved on to the next best thing - Generation Alpha, the upcoming group of kids born circa 2010, making the oldest Alphas about ten years old. These kids are quickly approaching their teens and their discretionary income spending years are just on the horizon.
Millennials and Gen Z might be “woke,” but given the current state of the planet and the enormity of climate and plastic pollution challenges, Alpha will be the generation that won’t be able to sleep on these mounting existential crises. Kids generally look to the preceding generation for fashion and music, but Gen Z also brings a strong sustainability sensibility, teaching Alphas the importance of going plastic-free, for example.
Brands looking to get a headstart on marketing to Generation Alpha would be wise to focus on the social and ecological principles already being instilled into kids by Zoomers and Millennials. Getting comfortable with virtual spaces and learning to leverage them to market to Alphas will also be critical. Some brands like Nike are already experimenting on platforms like Roblox. Just like Millennials and Gen Z expect brands to have a presence on social media, Alpha will expect to find and interact with brands in metaverse spaces.
Source: The Dieline
Author: Rudy Sanchez
PepsiCo Unveils New Visual Identity For 7UP
At the core of the new identity by PepsiCo Design + Innovation is the brand’s aim to offer slight relief from the more mundane parts of life, something the brand calls “UPliftment.”
“UPliftment is a concept that resonates with people globally. Our new visual identity for 7UP was inspired first and foremost by the brand’s creation of moments of UPliftment throughout its history,” said Mauro Porcini, senior vice president and chief design officer of PepsiCo, in a press release. “The PepsiCo Design & Innovation Team created a bright and confident visual identity system that will echo across cultures, regions, and languages."
Source: The Dieline
Author: Rudy Sanchez
Stay tuned…
Keep an eye out for next month’s edition in March…
To discuss your next project, drop Jon an email: Jon@threesixtydesign.co.uk
