In Closing: Attracting Teens
Teens are drawn to Lotta Luv’s Locker Balms.
By Marie Redding, Senior EditorLotta Luv LLC is known for using innovative packaging to entice the teen and tween market. Its new product, Locker Balms, are lip balms whose packages stick onto any metal surface, such as a school locker, thanks to a magnetic strip embedded in the packaging. This magnetic strip isn’t visible on the outside of the packaging.
The idea was inspired by Linda Fogelson, who is married to president and founder of Lotta Luv LLC Steph Fogelson. Linda owns a toy and candy shop in Chappaqua, NY. One of Linda’s best-selling items for the back-to-school season is a magnetic mirror designed to hang inside a locker. One day, she asked Steph if he could make a magnetic holder so Lotta Luv’s lip balms could be merchandised in the store as an item meant to hang alongside the mirror. Steph took that idea back to his factory, and it evolved into a magnetic package that could hang by itself, without a holder. Steph calls his new line of magnetic lip balms Locker Balms.
Locker Balms have been appealing mostly to tweens ages 8 through 12. The Locker Balm flavors include Pop Tart, Tootsie, Butterfinger, Snapple, and Bubble Yum. One reason these flavors have been so successful is their nostalgic appeal to parents who, in most cases, are purchasing the products for their preteens.
In order to convey the magnetic feature of Locker Balms to the consumer, the secondary packaging is a paperboard card with an outside flap that opens like a locker door. Lotta Luv’s in-house design staff designs all of the packaging, with the exception of the graphics used on its Snapple flavor, which are done by an outside consultant.
Bill Goodwin of Goodwin Design Group works with many brands that target the youth and teen market. He knows the importance of always offering a new twist in order for a package to sell. “I think this is a brilliant idea for a package, and a great way to make something as simple as a lip balm package really stand out,” he says.
The concept for Locker Balms is simple, but it has turned out to be a big hit. “It was such a simple concept that I was surprised it had never been done before,” adds Steph. Steph’s innovative ideas for lip products and packaging for this market have always proven to be successful in terms of sales. Lotta Luv has sold more than 30 million lip balms during the past two years. Steph’s innovative ideas are likely to continue, and we’ll probably see even more innovation in this product category in upcoming years.