12 Days of Chocolate!

As a designer, I'm luckily enough to work with Chase Design Group in Los Angeles. This year for Christmas they put together a beautifully printed box of chocolates, "12 Days of Chocolate". A large box contains twelve squares of milk and dark chocolates each designed by a different designer at the studio. The packaging uses every luxury print technique you could want to use as a designer; metallic inks, foil-stamping, embossing, die-cuts all masterfully printed by Clear Image Printing in Glendale.

"12 Days of Chocolate" Holiday Packaging by Chase Design Group

Cue: Disgust

I'm back at work designing food packaging. What's that mean? Flavor Cues! Flavor cue is a term used in marketing to help the consumer immediately identify the flavor. This weekend I was with some friends in the store and was pleasantly pleased to see Tapatío Fritos corn chips! I love me some Tapatío or Cholula hot sauces. My friends called me out on it, but I wasn't embarrassed.

Then, next to the Fritos, I saw one of the biggest design atrocities ever – Ruffles. I have an idea of what kind of guys they are trying to sell to, but this packaging is so terrible, I love it - but. I'd never eat those Ruffles! Loaded Chili & Cheese or Molten Hot Wings potato chips? No thanks. The horrendous photos and over-the-top flavor cues almost made me nauseated. I think I threw up a little in my mouth. It tasted like chili.

English Muffin

I saw this cardboard box for english muffins laying on the street as a I walked in the rain. It made me want McDonald's.

Sprite goes Snow Global

This holiday season, Sprite has released a limited edition "snowglobe" bottle. It's a very cute shape and concept. However, the graphics demonstrate a complete lack of imagination.