Packaging that Hits it Out of the Park

June 15, 2011 at 9:25 am by Ted Mininni

There are times when a creative promotional packaging idea hits on all cylinders. Pabst Old Style bottled beer just hit one out of the park with a great promotional packaging idea. Proudly proclaiming that Old Style has been “Chicago’s Beer since 1902” with the famous Chicago Cubs logo on the neck of bottles wrapped in “faux wood” full-body, heat-shrink labels to look like baseball bats: sheer genius.

Pabst communicates its brand in the most engaging manner it could:

Chicago favorite: hometown cues or what?
Fan favorite: which team is more beloved in Chicago than the Cubs?
Heritage brand commemorating its history with consumers and sports fans.
Speaking of heritage cues: how American is a wooden baseball bat?

This goes to show you how regional promotions can resonate in a big way: with a little help from packaging. All of the local TV and in-stadium advertising wouldn’t have carried the Pabst message as well as this. This cold one in fans’ hands won’t soon be forgotten. Talk about consumer engagement!

The promo’s on through July. Any bets what they’ll all be drinking at Wrigley Field?

Can you think of any examples of cleverly executed commemorative or co-branded promotional packaging?
Have any brands in your region packaged products in conjunction with your favorite sports team?
Would you like to see more of this kind of concept?

Let us know your thoughts. We'd love to hear from you.

Categories:

Licensing, Branding, Package Design, Structure Design, Consumer Products

Comments :

JacquelineJuly 5, 2011 9:19 AM

I stumbled upon what I consider pure marketing brilliance during this past Christmas season. I was picking up a few last minute holiday gifts at the liquor store when I discovered "Wines that Rock". At first I noticed a bottle of Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon Carbernet and my heart was pounding! Then, I saw Rolling Stones Forty Lick Merlot and The Police's Sycronicty Red blend then a Wood Stock Chardonay! What great gift ideas. I bought two and three bottles of each variety to give to friend

TedJuly 5, 2011 12:10 PM

Thanks for chiming in, Jacqueline. I just took a look at the Wines That Rock web site at http://www.winesthatrock.com. Love this idea! It's interesting to learn how they paired specific varieties with specific bands in an effort to capture the essence of each album. The wine labels are beautifully designed and will appeal to wine collectors and classic rock fans alike.