Household care product packaging can do much more than just hold the product. Not only can it attract attention at the shelf and provide important functional information, it also can also, arguably, do more to define a user’s experience with the product than the product itself. Packaging can be the platform for a brand’s efforts to help users get household tasks done more efficiently and effectively, save money, and live sustainably. An indication of the importance of packaging in the category, new packaging was the reason behind one quarter (25%) of US household care new product launches in 2013. Innovation in packaging can be an effective way to rekindle interest in an existing product. Below are eight examples of innovative packaging from the household category.
Procter & Gamble in Brazil has released a novel 3L bottle of Ariel Automatic Liquid Detergent. As well as providing moldings for better grip, the neck features a convenient integral handle. For bottles of this size it is more common for handles to be added features formed as part of the closure or attached to the neck of the bottle.
Provipax in Greece has released a great ergonomic bottle for its Flerina All Natural Liquid Detergent. The shape of the bottle along with the integral handle make for a good, comfortable hold.
Unlike most household cleaning detergents that offer refillable options in pouches, this Lavender Scented Environmentally Friendly Floor Detergent offers consumers a refillable bottle and one water-soluble refill that comes in a packet. Once the product is finished, consumers simply dissolve the packet content with water in the same bottle and have more product to use.
Lenor Eau de Luxe Innocent Fragrance Premium Fabric Softener is a new limited edition product. It features fabric fragrance used in Parisian hotel Le Pavillon de la Reine. It is made with a rich and premium fragrance blend to offer delicate, deep and long-lasting aroma, and claims to leave clothing soft and smooth after use. The Innocent fragrance blend features top notes of green, lemon, melon, neroli, middle notes of rose, lily of valley, osmanthus and lily, and base notes of amber, woody and musk. The scent combinations and luxury packaging bring to mind a high-end perfume rather than a fabric softener.
Live for Tomorrow is an eco-friendly brand that makes a line of household cleaners. All of the products feature unusual design that stands out with catchy phrases and bright colors in a category usually dominated by white colors. This Dirt Happens Lavender Scented Laundry Detergent is 8x concentrated, therefore requiring less packaging and is good for 50 loads.
This male-targeted air freshener in Japan functions both as an air and clothes freshener. The Kao Resesh Jokin EX Deodorant Power Spray removes bad odors in the air and from clothes. Packaging is masculine and imitates deodorant packaging design. The product retails in a refillable bottle with trigger spray that allows for mist-like dispensing.
Kleenex has released another limited edition tissue box that has a gentleman-inspired design. This FSC certified product retails in a FSC certified pack containing 56 x 3-ply tissues.
Method limited edition Sunset Breeze Fabric Softener retails in a package that features a carton on the back of the pack with more detailed information about product use and benefits. This is an interesting approach as most brands squeeze all the product information on the pack itself, thus making it less likely to be displayed at home. Method packaging can definitely fit consumers’ home decor while still fulfilling a desire to know what their products contain.
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Viktorija Gnatoka is a global packaging analyst at Mintel where she is responsible for delivering packaging insights and actionable recommendations across multiple categories.
