Applications: Gripping Design
A functional rubber grip on the cap and a slim profile makes O'Keeffe's skin cream jars functional and distinct. Designing a skin-cream jar that works for its customer.
By Jennifer Kwok, Managing Editor
Tara O'Keeffe, founder of skin-cream brand O'Keeffe's Co., doesn't just target the typical personal care customer. She imagines her customers specifically as those whose jobs can take a toll on their skin. "Our products are designed to be more functional and targeted to professionals like plumbers, electricians, gardeners, farmers, doctors, and nurses," she says. The packaging for O'Keeffe's Working Hands and Working Feet semisolid skin creams were recently redesigned specifically for these customers.
Previously, OKeeffe's used standard, white, screen-printed jars. The new low-profile jars were custom designed by O'Keeffe with several functional features. The jars were sourced through distributor and mold maker Container and Packaging Supply Inc. (Eagle, ID) and made by a supplier in China. The logo is by Bill Chiaravalle of Brand Navigation (Sisters, OR).
One feature that stands out is a rubber grip that rims the jar lid. "Our products are all about being functional," says O'Keeffe. "The people who use it want a package that is easy for them to handle on the job."
The jar's low profile is also designed to be ergonomic for anyone to grip. "I wanted the jar to look more sporty—like a hockey puck or a container for car wax," adds O'Keeffe.
Adding to the jar's convenience, the lid is designed to screw on to the jar with a mere quarter turn. "For ease of opening, the lid screws off with a quarter turn, as opposed to the lid to our original jar that required a little more than a full revolution turn to screw off," says O'Keeffe. "In fact, the lid can even snap on to the jar, and then be twisted into place. I specifically sought plastic that would be flexible enough to do this."
The jars' bright colors—green for Working Hands and blue for Working Feet—are designed to stand out in any retail environment, since the products are sold in hardware stores as well as drugstores. "In the hardware industry, high-visibility packaging is very important," says O'Keeffe. "For instance, tape measures are now being made in fluorescent colors like green and orange. We wanted to stand out in all sectors." For added visual impact, when customers look at the jar from the top and shift the package, a foil insert in the lid gives off a holographic sheen.
Selling the product in different retail outlets also meant that the jars would be displayed differently. "We have to custom tailor the actual merchandising units because all of those stores use such different display fixtures," says O'Keeffe.
As a result, sometimes the jars are displayed hanging on clip strips, in counter trays, or in self-facing shelf displays that put the product at a 45-degree angle. When displayed, the jars are also sometimes attached to a hangable card that gives customers more information about the product. "The lid, not the side of the jar, is the primary marketing surface," says O'Keeffe.
With all of its functional features, the O'Keeffe's jar is a good example of how a good package can truly work in more ways than one.