We’re very pleased to announce that our recent redesign
for artisan cider producer Orchard Pig has won its first design award, at Off License News’ Cider Challenge 2012

A wonderful start to this local hero’s migration from the West Country into national distribution. 

Click here to see our designs in full.

This is our 5th time attending FUSE. Last year, our CEO Andrew Eyles participated as a keynote speaker. What strikes us every year about this event is the triumphant return to human contact. The environment, rich with the passion about what we do and the excitement about the infinite possibilities of what lies before us, encourages honest and open conversation that brings us back to our purpose –  good people, passionate about design, working together to develop creative solutions that make the world better place.

This year’s theme, New Dimensions of Magical, reflected this important goal and focused on the increased importance of collaboration among business, strategy and design disciplines. More and more, it is the way we work with one another, support one another and learn from one another, which determines the success of our endeavors.

The first keynote speaker was the best-selling author Jonah Lehrer, who’s been enjoying a bout of celebrity among creative thinkers and design minds upon the publication of his latest book Imagine. Demystifying the mystics behind brainstorming and innate talent, Lehrer suggests that it is true grit and determination that makes things happen; that visionary leadership keeping the course will transform our most ambitious ideas into realities.

But no one can accomplish something extraordinary alone. The other essential element is interaction – more specifically, interaction between different sorts of people, with diverse disciplines. It is human friction that creates the creative spark. A great image to bring back to our team.

Also of note was a presentation from Vince Voron, Head of Design, Coca-Cola North America, titled “A Move From Multi-to Inter-Disciplinary Design.” Mr. Voron emphasized the importance of pushing through an idea through seamless product development and addressed the evolution of our ever-shifting roles as we face new challenges in the market. Again, it all comes collaboration – Creative solutions are the result of a collective effort.

Blue Marlin has designed a new beacon-brand look for Weight Watchers® Foods.

The beautiful new look, featuring a gloriously eye-catching shade of blue, will help to
position the brand to be a beacon within the Low Calorie category, helping consumers
navigate the shelves with clear category and product signposting. The colour palette has
been carefully configured to underpin Weight Watchers’ authority and expertise as the
leading weight loss organisation, as well as conveying the vitality and energy inherent in a
brand that helps people achieve their weight loss goals.

This was a mammoth of a project with the vibrant new design applied to the Weight Watchers UK Foods portfolio (excluding WWFH products): 250 packs across 40 categories. It’s set set to be one of the largest relaunches of the year.  A £2m advertising and marketing campaign to support the relaunch also kicks off this month.

Not only the UK’s leading weight loss organisation and the market leader in the Low Calorie food and drink category, Weight Watchers is also the UK’s 8th biggest grocery brand.

Phil Langford, Blue Marlin Managing Director London, presented on the difference great design can make in brand creation and management, talking through some of our favourite past projects: Isklar, Tango and our recent redesign for Cadbury Bournvita in India.

I was fascinated by Rahul Narang’s insights into Indian FMCG retail. Narang, MD and CEO of the Narang Group, which owns India’s number one premium natural mineral water brand Qua, explained that there are only 34 million Indian consumers who can afford packaged products similar to those sold in mature markets. In contrast, there are 1 billion who shop through ‘unorganised retailing’: small, traditional owner-manned stalls. In the Indian FMCG retail industry, there are 5.6 million packaged goods outlets, a staggering number in a global context but not considering of the country’s 1.2 billion population.

The beauty drink brand Ocoo also stood out for me at the congress. The use of the Rexan Fusion aluminium half bottle gives the brand a really premium feel in a market that is dominated by standard cans or PET. It’s interesting to see that, by copying the traditional glass bottle shape, brands have been able to premiumise a commodity that has traditionally been chosen for its low cost. Reverse innovation in action!

Looking forward to going back next year and learning more.

David expounded his passion for lean manufacturing and the many benefits it brings both commercially and in terms of caring for the planet.

It was great to see faces in the audience from Dyson, Extreme Drinks, Havi and Xerox, to name a few. It was also an opportunity to catch up and discuss the innovations with our supply partners at Chesapeake, Smurfit and Rexam.

Highlights from the exhibit included a presentation by Industrial Plastics Fabrications LTD, whose 3D printing and molding processes combine multiple resins with different textures to create interesting new materials.

Also of note were the one2dose caps by Menshen, designed to enable exact dosing with only one hand and SwissPrimePack’s range of structurally innovative polypropylene containers, which are filled and foil-sealed at the pack’s base to allow for more design freedom at the top.

And lastly, there was a stunning luxury glass and plastic container presentation, given by Pochet, a French company who have been specialising in glass perfume bottles and containers since 1623.

Click here for more information from Blue Marlin or here to visit the DBA website.

Click here for more heart warming design

David McGowan, Packaging Innovation Director at Blue Marlin, took to the podium today to discuss achieving success through sustainable packaging. He appeared as one of the keynote speakers at the Packaging and Converting Executive  (PACE) Forum 2012, which has been taking place in London this week.

How do companies and suppliers navigate through the pressures and within the restrictions of the current economic downturn to find a success that is both profitable and environmentally responsible?

“Under these conditions, there is a consistent route to success: Packaging innovation and product design.” In his presentation, David illustrated how the objectives of both companies and supply chains find alignment through investing in great design.

He further explained how investing in packaging innovation and design becomes self-financing project as the money saved on reducing materials can be reinvested in building the brand. With this virtuous cycle at play, sustainability is merely a happy accident.

David’s role at Blue Marlin is to offer unique technical expertise to our clients, helping them to make smarter business choices that consider profit and planet. He will be also be speaking at the PACE forum in Miami this May.

This forum brings together the world’s leading FMCG manufacturers in the name of communication, collaboration and innovation. The three-day event will include keynote presentations from several prominent industry thought leaders as well as master classes and one-on-one private business development meetings. The aim of the forum is to encourage dialogue and establish connections between brand owners and suppliers in efforts to develop innovative solutions that are both commercially effective and sustainable.

In tune with PACE’s values of communication and collaboration, our team participated in “The Box” project. Together with Korsnas, HP, AB Graphics and Esko, we developed and produced unique innovative packaging for the PACE forum information pack.

The “Box” was revealed in a presentation on February 8th, the opening day of PACE. Phillip Stevenson, Client Consulting Director of BM London, spoke about how this project demonstrated the best practices of top industry suppliers worked together to drive innovation and produce inspiring and compelling results.

Later this week, our Packaging Innovations Director, David McGowan will be leading a master class on the new definition of sustainability.