A recent NPR story profiled an intriguing artist and entrepreneur named Justin Gignac. In that story, titled “Treasure or Trash? Artist Says It’s in the Packaging,” Gignac puts forth a persuasive argument.
While an intern at MTV, Gignac relates that he engaged in a discussion with his fellow workers. One of them expressed the opinion that “. . .they thought package design wasn’t important,” according to Gignac.
That made Gignac rise to the challenge. “So I figured the only way to prove them wrong would be to try to package something that absolutely nobody in their right mind would ever want to buy.” Garbage.
That was a few years ago. Since he began, Gignac has sold over 1000 trash cubes of selective New York City garbage around the globe. Here’s his web site. Making the cubes “compositionally appealing,” Gignac sold his cubes initially as “gag gifts” for $10 each. Now, the cubes sell for as much as $100. Each sealed box comes signed, numbered and tagged as “Garbage of New York City.” A small affixed sticker records the date the trash was selected for the cube.
The gist, according to Gignac? “People’s perceptions have completely changed.” Translation: while some people see nothing but trash, other people see art, especially since the cubes cost more now.
Besides his original venture, Gignac and girlfriend Christine Santora create paintings of items on their wish list–everything from pizza slices to financial security and price them according to the value of the real thing. . .I’m not sure how “financial security” is depicted, but it’s an interesting concept.
Gignac observed that sometimes people have a distorted view of what art is really worth. Or what really constitutes garbage? Or the value of garbage? One of his ideas, for example, is to create a 6 by 8 foot painting of a taco and sell it for $1.99, because “that’s what a taco costs.”
The paintings are available at a no-frills, fairly low tech web site: www.wantsforsale.com.
In December, a similar site www.needsforsale.com was launched to raise money to help charities get the equipment they need.
All rather unorthodox, interesting ideas. Some of these ideas might lead to new marketing perspectives, as well.
Questions:
* What do you think of the idea that packaging can make mundane, even odd items attractive?
* Which products do you personally buy because you really like the packaging?
* Would you purchase art if you really liked it, even if it was cheap? Or do you honestly think your personal perception of its value would increase if the price was higher?
* What do you think marketers can take away from Gignac’s ideas and methods?
I’d love to hear from you.
Ted, what an intriguing post. What we throw away (much less choose to keep) can tell us a lot about our lives – what we were doing, what we consumed and what we value. Looking at the link, garbage from opening day Shea, or Yankee Stadium can also serve as a timecapsule of sorts.
While 99% of people probably throw away packaging after they’re done consuming/using a product, there are those who choose to keep used packaging for sentimental, aesthetic, utility or other reasons. An interesting study would ask, why do some people keep what others would consider garbage? Could provide some insights into future packaging designs…
visit this website, http://www.thedieline.com, and then tell me if you think packaging is irrelevant. Some gorgeous stuff on there.
LOL
Patricia, guess where I was just before stopping in here?
I totally agree with you. Even though my day job is in marketing for a services based company I find packaging design to be an inspiration. Creative use of color, space, and typography all play in to how people perceive an item – whether on a shelf, in a brochure or on TV.
As you know, Paul, my consultancy’s work centers around brand identity and package design, so I’m quite familiar with the many issues surrounding packaging. As a society, we’ve been recycling packaging more and more. We’ve also begun to see it as a value in and of itself. The core of the NPR story for me centered on how packaging can even persuade people to purchase waste or garbage due to its aesthetic appeal.
As you cited, by making packaging too appealing to throw away and by developing package materials that can be used in an endless loop, we will have done everyone a great service: manufacturers, consumers and our environment. Thanks for weighing in, Paul. I appreciate it.
Thanks, Patricia, for citing The DieLine blog. Andrew Gibbs and his contributors do an excellent job there and the site is well worth a mention. I urge Daily Fix readers to check it out, because as you pointed out, there are some terrific packaging ideas represented there.
Packaging does indeed sell products. . .in a big way. Thanks again, Patricia.
Right you are, Kate. Packaging is a very important marketing component for manufacturers of any B2B or B2C products. It’s also extremely important in the packaging of services. . .Everything is packaged. You’re a smart person to pay attention to your company’s brochures, web site, and advertising. All of these marketing tools serve to “package” your company’s brand, don’t they?
Thanks for sharing your insights, Kate. Good stuff.
This reminds me of some chocolate that my partner bought a few weeks ago. It was a special kind of chocolate, pure German organic dark chocolate, but the real reason she purchased it was the packaging.
As soon as it came in we both sampled it. Absolutely awful. She ditched the chocolate and kept the cardboard box that it came in.
The packaging made the chocolate appear deliciously attractive, but in the end only the packaging survived and it’s safe to say, she won’t be ordering any more chocolate.
This reminds me of some chocolate that my partner bought a few weeks ago. It was a special kind of chocolate, pure German organic dark chocolate, but the real reason she purchased it was the packaging.
As soon as it came in we both sampled it. Absolutely awful. She ditched the chocolate and kept the cardboard box that it came in.
The packaging made the chocolate appear deliciously attractive, but in the end only the packaging survived and it’s safe to say, she won’t be ordering any more chocolate.
Sorry for the duplicate comments. I had a bit of an iPhone error.
* What do you think of the idea that packaging can make mundane, even odd items attractive?
Absolutely, this guy proved it, though I don’t personally go in for his kind of art.
* Which products do you personally buy because you really like the packaging?
Cereal and wine. With cereal, tell me a story and back it up with some interesting facts about how outstandingly healthy your cereal is and I will read the box while eating breakfast. And, incidentally, I will buy another box as soon as I run low…
As for wine, I like intriguing bottle art. For all I know, I pay a premium for a bottle of wine that speaks to me. Who knows if it tastes better.
* Would you purchase art if you really liked it, even if it was cheap? Or do you honestly think your personal perception of its value would increase if the price was higher?
Absolutely. I love nature scenes (e.g., landscapes) and if I have found something good there, I would not think it “cheap” regardless of the price. I would think it a good value.
* What do you think marketers can take away from Gignac’s ideas and methods?
Well, his art is not for me. However, Seth Godin has framed the issue here and this artist has created a Purple Cow. For this, we must congratulate him.
We need all kinds of creative people doing all kinds of things so thanks to all who go out and do it and do it again.
Thanks for weighing in, Chris, and for making a great point. Terrific packaging plays a huge role in motivating consumers to make purchases. However, if the product contained within does not meet expectations, repeat sales will not be made. That’s why the First Moment of Truth alludes to consumer purchase made on the basis of attractive packaging. The Second Moment of Truth happens when consumers open the packaging and interact with the product. If they have an unsatisfactory experience, and the product does not live up to the brand image, it’s over.
P.S. No problem about the duplicate entry. I’ve done it, too. Love my iPhone. How about you?
Neil,
Thanks for taking the time to really think about the post and answering my questions. I’m always interested in finding out what people think about the commentaries I write.
You’ve proved the point: great packaging motivates purchases. Attractive art work on a label works. Telling a story on consumer products works. However, I’ll say this: no matter how compelling packaging is, you wouldn’t repurchase a product if it didn’t meet your expectations in some way. Packaging should communicate the brand and product promise in an honest, straight-forward manner. The world’s leading brands are leaders because they’ve done just that.
Art is very subjective. What appeals to one person, doesn’t attract another one. That’s what makes it so terrific. We identify with and appreciate art based on our own unique tastes, personalities and experiences.
Thanks for adding more substance to my post, Neil. I always appreciate your comments.
Ted, this is an excellent post, and packaging aside, it reminds me that there are so many great ideas out there that have not made it to market yet. That was the biggest inspiration that I got out of the entry.
On the packaging tip, it reminds me of the old Crown Royal bags that many people used over and over again (I still have mine from 20 years ago) to put various ’stuff’ in. Actually, Fossil did a great job with this also with the tins that their watches come in. Anyway, what I wanted to interject was the idea of sustainable, eco-friendly packaging being a sort of status symbol for people. There is no doubt that our society is paying more attention to this topic, but one area that has not gotten enough attention is packaging, and it’s probably the single biggest challenge when it comes to living sustainably. The packaging that our ’stuff’ comes in is typically WAY more resource intensive than it should be. Without going off on that tangent, I just wanted to put the idea out there that brands that embrace this concept and develop sustainable packaging could very have something that people really want to keep or at the least re-use. I’m not a packaging guy, but I am a consumer and I know that when I’m looking to purchase something now, I’m paying a lot more attention to how it’s packaged and whether or not there is a bunch of wasted material in the packaging.
Thanks for the inspiration – I needed it this morning!
You’ve raised another good point, Brandon. Sustainability issues are impacting packaging strongly now. Consumers are expressing more and more interest in purchasing products that are more environmentally friendly. Ditto for the packaging those products come in. What used to be the concern of a minority of people, has now become mainstream.
Great ideas are coming out every day. We as designers get our inspirations from myriad places and things. One good idea leads to another. . .
Glad my post has served to inspire you, Brandon. BTW: your kind words are also appreciated. Thanks for weighing in.
Great discussion, Ted. I do agree that good packaging can make any product attractive. My late father-in-law was a king in the Canadian packaging world. (Apparently, his father developed the first aluminum pie plate and sold the rights to Alcan.)
As for what I buy for the packaging, I am first attracted to price, and then to design and packaging. If two products seem identical and are priced similarly, the one with the better “look” wins my purchase.
As for art, I have several pieces produced by family artists. No cost; terrific art.
What we can take away is the fickleness of the western consumer. Some people (like early adopters) love to be at the front of something unusual or novel. Once the tipping point has been reached, they move onto the next big idea.
Thanks for sharing your insights, Elaine. Interesting family history–one you can take pride in.
The point you made about packaging is good, except that you often pick up two packages of similar products to check them out more carefully. Especially if the pricing is close, or the same. Repeated research has shown that packaging is a huge influencer and motivator in consumers’ purchase decision making.
Your observation about fickle Western customers is a valid one. Whether some people enjoy being avant garde, seek to make an environmental statement or anything else, there isn’t any doubt that ingenuity like Gignac’s is here to stay. There is always that next big idea just waiting around the corner, isn’t there?
Thanks for opining, Elaine. I appreciate it.
It’s in the packaging! The trash cubes mentioned in the article put great use of colors and type. They are well presented. Presentation is key.
“Presentation is key”–exactly, IWC. Vision impacts buying decisions 58% of the time, according to brand futurist Martin Lindstrom. That’s why great packaging is so important to consumer products. It helps sell brand and products to consumers. Whether or not consumers become loyal customers will then depend upon whether the products contained within packaging meets with their expectations.
Thanks for weighing in, IWC. Much appreciated.
I would smugly say that packaging has little effect on me but that would be a lie.
I am a so-called green consumer so you can win me over with art and a good story. If it is coffee, it was grown by happy, fairly paid farmers growing coffee in the shade to avoid harming neo-tropical migrant bird habitat. Drinking non shade grown coffee is killing a bird with every cup.
If it is dish soap, it not only cleans my dishes but actually scrubs the river clean, too.
If it is glass cleaner, I could probably pour a glass and toast to good health if I were out of organic juice.
Draw me a picture and tell me a story but don’t “green wash” or I will find out eventually and never buy your product again. But my point is that packaging does matter, even to people like me who claim that it does not matter.
Very well said, Neil. Great packaging does motivate consumer purchases. Even for package designers like me. Packaging is a very important marketing tool, and the only vehicle that makes products and brands tangible to consumers because it invites customers to pick it up, read it and hold it. No other marketing initiative delivers products into consumers’ hands. Once purchased, both product and brand have to deliver, too. Trust is the most vital part of the relationship between consumer and brand. If you, as a consumer, purchase a product and are less than convinced that the brand it represents is not living up to its promises, your sense of trust is shattered in that brand. Nor is it likely to be restored any time soon, prompting you to purchase from other sources. That’s why we can’t talk enough about transparency and truthfulness in brand building.
Thanks for illustrating all of these points with great examples, Neil.