It is the whole package....

Posted on July 17, 2007 | Permalink

By Lane Casteix

We firmly believe the graphic identity of a packaged goods product is not isolated to the brand's logo alone. The customer does not generally walk around the store looking for a logo when they seek a brand. What they look for and what they recognize is what trademark attorneys call "trade dress." This term captures the distinct appearance of the package as a whole, and even though the individual elements of the design of two packages are quite different, if the overall appearance of the two packages is similar enough to cause confusion (even if only in the mind of an attorney), you have a potential trade dress issue and a potential law suit.

Yanko Design gets it! They understand the whole package is the design, not just the logo or even a combination of elements making up the decoration on the package. This is what we have been preaching for years ourselves.

The Non-Object designed package for Vertikal Vodka is a perfect example of this concept. (It is also a package we wish we had designed!) The logo on the Vertikal package is almost insignificant to the design, but the package as a whole, especially its tubular shaped bottle without a neck, will have a very strong shelf presence and be easily recognized by consumers.

Take a look and see what I mean.