We are the packaging appreciation society

Capturing the magic of great design and production

Some designs you take your hat off to, some require the removal of more clothing to pay full respect to their beauty and craft. Perhaps inspired by a great brand name, the Moonstruck choc bars are a rare combination of visionary design working in tandem with first rate manufacturing. The designs evoke Dr. Seuss and make me want to sit down by the fire with the Cat in the Hat (back on my head now I've put the rest of my clothes back on), a black coffee and a bar of the dark chocolate...
These bars have already travelled some miles in the ether with lots of blogs picking them up and you can see why. PLEASE someone design something like this for us to produce!!

Credit: http://www.designspongeonline.com

Designs are by Kate Forrester (http://www.kateforrester.co.uk/) who specialises in hand drawn typography - and that much is in plain view with the flowing designs.Kate's work with high quality clients is extensive so getting her to the UK may be difficult - but worth the airmiles is you can...

Credit: http://www.moonstruckchocolate.com/

The finishes include: Matte Soft-Touch (color areas). Glossy Soya-kote varnish with emboss (white areas). Thick UV varnish (chocolate logo). Matte silver foil.

Credit: http://www.designspongeonline.com

Next up in our packaging to lust after collection is the Dylans Candy Bar wrap designs. These bars really hit you with the neon colour of the images which look to draw influence from the time-lapse city-scape scenes we've admired time and again. This is what the word candy was invented for - an indulgent take on the garish but alluring colours of the fairground. Might not work with Doncaster Metropolitan Borough on the front instead of NYC but great designs draw on all the strengths of the product and company they represent... Designs by Miller Creative (http://www.yaelmiller.com/)- again US based (come on Europe I'm looking...!)

Finally these bar designs for Askinosie Chocolate. a small batch bean-to-bar chocolate maker based in Springfield, Missouri (thanks Wikipedia!). This company is innovative to its core and the packaging -  styled on war-time ration packs -  takes the back-to-basics approach that is well-suited to a company which cuts out the middle-man in terms of bringing chocolate to consumers; but with a wit and polish that belies a marketing-led approach.

To do it right (aka believably) with this approach requires subtlety and finesse and they've pulled it off.

Credit: http://www.askinosie.com/

So if any of you spot something worth telling us about please get in touch and we'll feature it. We'd also love to undertake a project to try to produce something just as innovative, exciting, and ultimately rewarding as those packs featured in this blog.