Pack it up right

In many ways, packaging is both the most fundamental, and most basic part of an advertising campaign, as it is the one piece that you can be assured the consumer will interact with. Like anything else, good packaging is not an excuse for a sub par product, but in some cases, i.e. bottled water, they can in many ways become the product. To a large extent, in conjunction with their scents, I think that packaging is my primary concern when picking out body wash. Frankly, body wash is pretty simple, as a result, a cool package is enough to make me pay the extra thirty cents for the "Red Zone" line over just "High Endurance."

I really hate to do it, but in many ways, I think the Second Generation I-Pod had Iconic packaging, it was bigger than it had to be, but in many ways, that was the point. At the time of the release of the second gen ipod, the ipod was a big thing, it was larger than life, it was somewhat sleek, but most of all, it had swagger, and the dancing silhouettes on the box gave the packaging swagger. Also, the box was designed such that opening it up was something of an event, there was no little tab that pulled out of the cardboard and then stuck out at an odd angle, just two halves that were held together with a cardboard band around the outside.

Usability is an odd topic for packaging, as some packaging is distinct simply because of it' usability (or lack thereof), and yet the Campbell's soup cans are iconic completely separately from their usability. I think that the basic Chap-Stik packaging is completely awesome from a usability perspective. The Chap-Stik packaging is, in many ways a vital part of the product. The idea to package lip balm in a twist up tube makes Chap-Stik seperate from it's initial competition, and the slightly rounded off top means that it fits in your pocket without potentially poking your thigh through your pocket.