The power of packaging

29 May 2015 - 02:28 By Kean Hartnady

There's something I need to confess: I recently visited my liquor store in search of a bottle of Strawberry Lips to take to a braai. While shamefully prowling for my pink drink I noticed the new Castle Lager heritage "dumpy". I couldn't help buying a case. Did the limited-edition bottle promise a new and improved taste, washboard abs or superhuman strength? No, but it was nonetheless irresistible.And it wasn't just me - when I arrived at the braai, everybody standing around the Weber was nursing a vintage Castle Lager. Which got me thinking. Why did Castle do it and why were these "dumpies" so popular?The unwritten rule of packaging is "Slowly, slowly catch the monkey". Any drastic mutation alienates customers and risks a brand's survival.Coca-Cola's brand essence hasn't deviated in well over 100 years, yet since its inception its packaging has changed more than a 17-year-old girl before a first date. Coke still feels very much at home in 2015 and not stuck in 1892.On the other hand, there's Weet-Bix. I remember breakfasting on it as a kid but today I push my trolley past this bland offering without a second glance. It's like a Facebook friendship request that you put off forever with a "Not now". It just hasn't grown with me.Packaging evolves successfully by gradually changing what we know - its iconic assets. Nik Naks retains its yellow and pink diamonds and a character on the front, but the ginger clown has become a dreadlocked hipster.A Porsche is no different. When you think about it, cars are just four wheels and an engine. The body is the packaging. But we all know a Porsche when we see it.So, why were the "dumpies" so popular with my friends and me?It is because Castle has become part of our lives, whether we drink it or not. Castle has earned our trust, our loyalty and our affection.Hartnady is head of design at Grey Agency..

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.