Tuesday 28 October 2008

evolution of cereal boxes - sugar puffs

Here I will be researching and evaluating versions of Sugar Puffs packaging.



This old Sugar Puffs box is still similar to the most modern box, it features the face of the HoneyMonster, with the same facial expression. The font used on the packaging is very bold and curvy. It fits the name of the brand Sugar Puffs as the text looks ‘puffy’.
On this box the HoneyMonster is holding a spoonful of Sugar Puffs, com
pared to the other two examples where he is pictured with a bowl full. Only having a spoonful of the product doesn’t allow the potential customer an extensive look at what the product actually looks like.

The colours used on the packaging are fairly plain, and no gradients are seen. The lack of contrasting colour can work against the product as the cereal wont stand out in a shelve full of other brands.

At the top of the box it says 'Honey Monster' and around the word there are several rips, where you would assume the HoneyMonster has ripped the paper covering its name. This indicates that they are introducing the HoneyMonster, who first appeared in the mid 1970's



This newer Sugar Puffs packaging is very similar to the one above in that the layout and general content are virtually identical. There are a few changes in the graphics, the logo shape for the Sugar Puffs is now filled with a honeycomb texture, and the picture of a bee next to it puts extra emphasis that this cereal contains honey.

The background on the box now features clouds, I can’t think of any reason to do this apart from making the packaging busier and perhaps having white in there might attract more attention to it. This box also has an image of the cereal inside a bowl, this lets the audience have a look at what this cereal looks like, and it also tells the audience that this cereal tastes best with milk, if they didn’t already know that. This box also includes a free gift, which will be appealing to a young audience as it offers as an extra incentive to buy this product so they can play with this toy.
One inclusion on this packaging, that isn’t on the previous one, is the description of the cereal. They use words such as ‘nutritious wheat puffs’ and ‘fortified with vitamins & irons’ to appeal to an older audience, as they would be more inclined in a product that is good for you. The words ‘coated in honey & brown sugar’ would be more appealing for kids as it makes them seem delicious, and kids wont be too bothered by the nutritional information.

The main difference between the two boxes is the colour. The first box is very dull and plain, whereas this box is a lot bolder with a lot of strong, eye-catching colours which will make it stand out more in a shelf of other cereals.


This box, the current packaging, still has some of the same content as the previous two boxes. The text has changed, the words ‘Sugar Puffs’ now have a thick white outline and white shade inside. This gives the words more of a 3D look which makes them ‘jump out’ at you, as well as appearing ‘puffy’. The shape behind the logo still has the honeycomb texture but is now brighter and has a sunburst coming out behind it, this makes the name of the brand really stand out.
There is an image of the Honey Monster pouring milk into the cereal, this tells any potential consumer that this cereal should be eaten with milk. The background colour on this box is plain, and a lot brighter than the previous boxes, this shade of blue further helps the box to stand out. They have more information about the product on this packaging, they have a sticker saying ‘no artificial anything’ and they also have the GDA charts at the top right-hand side of the box. This information is important for the parents of kids who eat the cereal.


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