In Closing: Air-Puffed Packaging
Pout’s new package is sure to inflate sales.
By Jennifer Kwok, Managing EditorTo convey the marketing message of its new Pout Plump lip plumper, Pout Cosmetics took a unique packaging approach. Instead of a standard outer carton, the brand chose an air-filled pouch as the outer packaging to house the product’s tube.
Pout’s cofounder Chantal Laren explains why the company came up with the concept. “Tests have shown that the plump formula can increase lip volume by up to 40% after continued use,” she says. “To support this, we used the [tagline] ‘Inflate your lips.’ I thought it would be charming to put this lip product in an inflatable package.”
Laren says that the air-filled pouch presented a number of production difficulties. “This was the most challenging package I have ever designed,” she says. “Only one company has a copyright on this particular airbag, and the company was relocating its equipment to Europe and had a four-month shutdown. It only had 6000 airbags that had already been precut. Each bag had to be printed individually rather than printing off a roll. We had to overcome printing problems to achieve the intricate lace pattern on the bag once the bag had been inflated. [We dealt with] inflation and deflation problems and even shipping issues because when you air-ship something, you are charged by volume and not weight.” The company worked with packaging consultant Wrapology UK to get the project done.
Laren says that customer response has been good. “The bag has had phenomenal sales. It outsells the carton version by 60%,” she says. “Within a self-serve retail environment where the customer has a choice of 10 plumping products, they are more often than not drawn to Pout Plump for the difference in packaging.” Pout will use the air-filled pouch to house new product colors launching in January.
The outer packaging also helps inflate the product’s marketing value in retail channels in which only this product or just a few Pout products are sold. “It was imperative to create a package with presence and attitude in order for the brand to be able to represent itself by one stand-alone product that didn’t have the support of the rest of the range or the Pout retail environment,” says Laren.
Laren underlines the importance of novelty packaging. “We understand customers are attracted to innovative packaging and are delighted by the element of surprise of something that’s new,” she says. “We put ribbons and feminine touches on our packaging, as their design and tactile nature invite our customers to immediately pick up the product and play with it—which is critical in a self-select retail environment.”