Packaging and Merchandising Design - Exercises 1
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TANG LILIN (0376668)
Item 1: Box
1.Overview
Packaging Type: Secondary Packaging
This product uses a cardboard box as its secondary packaging. The gummy candies inside are individually wrapped, while the outer box mainly functions to protect the product, display the candies, and create a festive New Year appearance.
The front packaging has a transparent window, allowing customers to see the actual gummies before purchasing. This is useful because the product depends strongly on its cute and playful visual appeal.
The product is sold under KKV and is likely targeted at children, teenagers, young adults, and casual shoppers who are looking for affordable festive snacks or small gifts. The red colour, cartoon characters, cloud patterns, and “Lucky” scroll create a New Year mood. The repeated product name on the side panels can also help reinforce product recognition when displayed on shelves.
2. Product Analysis
Overall, the packaging has a festive and playful concept, but the design execution is not very refined. The bright red colour and transparent window help create shelf appeal, and the visible gummies make the product look fun and attractive.
However, the front design feels slightly inconsistent. The cartoon graphics placed diagonally across the box do not feel fully unified in style and composition. The “Lucky” scroll, cartoon characters, cloud decorations, and window shape all compete for attention, so the packaging lacks a clear visual focus.
The biggest issue is the back panel. Although it includes complete product information such as ingredients, nutrition facts, origin, storage conditions, barcode, and expiry information, the layout is not well organized. The typography looks too plain and does not match the playful New Year style of the front design. The text is also dense, and the hierarchy between headings and body text is not strong enough, making the information difficult to scan quickly.
In terms of functionality, the box protects the gummies and makes the product easy to display. The transparent window is also a good feature because it shows the product clearly. However, the information communication is weak because the back panel feels crowded and unpolished.
For sustainability, the outer cardboard box is generally recyclable, but the plastic window and individually wrapped gummies create extra material waste. This makes the packaging less environmentally friendly, especially for a small candy product.
3. Design Weaknesses
- The back panel has weak information hierarchy.
- The typography is too plain and does not match the festive front design.
- The text looks dense and difficult to read quickly.
- The bold and regular font weights are not clearly differentiated.
- The front design has too many decorative elements competing for attention.
- The diagonal cartoon graphics feel slightly inconsistent in style and placement.
- The KKV logo is visible but not strong enough as a brand anchor.
- The importer sticker and barcode make the back layout look less refined.
- The cardboard box, plastic window, and individual plastic wrappers create extra packaging waste.
4. Market Research
The target consumers are likely children, teenagers, young adults, and customers looking for cute seasonal snacks or affordable New Year gifts. Since the product is sold in KKV, it also appeals to young shoppers who enjoy trendy, playful, and visually attractive products.
Yupi Gummy Box can be considered a suitable competitor for New Year Gummy Fest Box because both products are boxed gummy candy products with a similar net weight and target market. Both are aimed at children, teenagers, young adults, and casual snack buyers who are attracted to colourful, fun, and playful candy packaging.
Compared with the KKV New Year Gummy Fest Box, Yupi’s packaging usually has stronger brand recognition because Yupi is already a familiar gummy brand. Its packaging often uses bright colours, playful illustrations, and clearer product naming to communicate the fun nature of gummy candy. This makes it easier for consumers to immediately understand the product category and feel confident about the brand.
For the KKV New Year Gummy Fest Box, the festive concept is attractive, but the visual system is less consistent. The front design has cute elements, but the back panel looks less refined due to weak typography and unclear information hierarchy. In comparison, a competitor like Yupi shows that gummy packaging should be colourful and playful, but still needs clear branding, readable information, and a more organized layout.
1. Overview
Text Shown on the Packaging
- 参半 — Chinese brand name
- 18小时清新口气 — “18-hour fresh breath”
- 重组三型胶原蛋白 — “Recombinant Type III collagen”
- 燕窝提取精华 — “Bird’s nest extract essence”
- 高纯度透明质酸钠 — “High-purity sodium hyaluronate”
- 爆珠微囊技术 — “Bursting bead microcapsule technology”
- 爆珠清新舌苔啫喱 — “Bursting bead fresh tongue-coating gel”
- 净含量：50g — “Net weight: 50g”
- Canban — English brand name
Packaging Purpose & Functionality
The packaging should protect the toothpaste, allow easy squeezing, keep the product hygienic, and clearly communicate product information such as ingredients, usage, benefits, and safety details.
However, the tube mainly focuses on marketing claims such as “18-hour fresh breath” and “microcapsule technology,” but it does not clearly show important information such as ingredients, usage instructions, or caution details. For a toothpaste product, this is a serious issue because consumers need to know what they are putting into their mouth.
Branding & Target Audience
This product appears to target young adults and consumers who are interested in beauty, freshness, and trendy oral care products. The purple-blue gradient, pearl-like graphic, and technology-related claims create a clean, fresh, and slightly premium feeling.
However, the branding feels confusing. The Chinese brand name 参半 is placed at the top, while the English name Canban is placed at the bottom. The two names do not visually connect strongly, making the brand identity feel less clear and less memorable.
Overall, the packaging tries to look modern, clean, and technology-driven, but the design execution has several problems. The blue-purple colour palette gives a fresh and oral-care-related impression, and the pearl graphic helps communicate the idea of “freshness” and “microcapsule technology.”
However, the information hierarchy is weak. The most visible information is the brand name and “18-hour fresh breath,” but the product type is not clearly emphasized. For first-time consumers, it may not be immediately clear what type of toothpaste this is, what its main function is, or who it is suitable for.
A major weakness is that the front and back designs are the same. Since a toothpaste tube has limited space, repeating the same design wastes valuable packaging area. Important information such as ingredients, usage directions, safety warnings, manufacturer details, and product benefits should be placed on the back. Without these details, the packaging feels incomplete and less trustworthy.
The lack of ingredient information is especially problematic. Toothpaste is an oral care product, so consumers may want to check whether it contains fluoride, whitening agents, alcohol, allergens, or other active ingredients. If the outer box is thrown away, the user can no longer refer to this information from the tube itself.
In terms of functionality, the tube is easy to hold and squeeze, and the standing cap allows the product to be stored upright. This is convenient for bathroom use. However, if the toothpaste easily leaks or leaves residue inside the cap, it can create a messy and unhygienic user experience. This weakens the clean and fresh image that the packaging is trying to communicate.
For sustainability, the tube is likely made from plastic or laminated material, which is difficult to recycle. The flip cap and tube body may also use different plastic components, making recycling more complicated. If the product also comes with an outer box, this may create extra packaging waste.
- The tube does not clearly show the ingredient list.
- The front and back designs are repeated, wasting important information space.
- The product type is not immediately clear at first glance.
- The placement of the Chinese brand name "参半" and the English brand name "Canban" appears inconsistent.
- The hierarchy focuses too much on marketing claims instead of essential product information.
- Important details such as usage instructions, caution information, and active ingredients are missing from the tube.
- The design looks clean, but the actual tube structure may cause toothpaste residue inside the cap.
- The packaging gives a fresh and premium impression, but the lack of information reduces consumer trust.
- The plastic tube and cap may be difficult to recycle.
The target consumers are likely young adults, beauty-conscious users, and people who are interested in fresh breath, whitening, and trendy oral care products. This type of consumer usually expects toothpaste packaging to look clean, professional, hygienic, and trustworthy.
For toothpaste packaging, consumers usually look for clear information such as product function, ingredients, fluoride content, benefits, usage instructions, and safety warnings. Since toothpaste is used inside the mouth, transparency and trust are very important.
The current packaging partially matches the target market because the blue-purple colour, pearl graphic, and technology-related claims make the product look modern and refreshing. It may attract consumers who like stylish and aesthetic personal care products.
However, the packaging does not fully meet consumer expectations because it lacks essential product information. The missing ingredient list is a major weakness, especially for careful buyers who want to understand the formula before using the product. The repeated front-and-back layout also makes the packaging feel less professional because it does not use the available space effectively.
Overall, the product has a modern visual direction, but it needs clearer information hierarchy, stronger brand consistency, and complete product details to make the packaging feel more reliable and suitable for an oral care product.
5. Competitor Analysis: DARLIE Double Action Fresh Protect 2 in 1
DARLIE Double Action Fresh Protect 2 in 1 can be considered a suitable competitor for Canban toothpaste because both products focus on fresh breath and oral care. Canban highlights “18-hour fresh breath” and “microcapsule technology,” while DARLIE promotes long-lasting fresh breath, natural mint essence, and 12-hour bacterial protection. Therefore, both products target consumers who want a toothpaste that provides freshness and confidence throughout the day.
Compared with Canban, DARLIE’s packaging is more informative and trustworthy. The product name, function, and benefit are more clearly communicated, making it easier for consumers to understand what the product does. DARLIE also has stronger brand recognition in the toothpaste market, which helps build consumer confidence. In contrast, Canban’s packaging looks modern and clean, but the repeated front-and-back design wastes important space, and the lack of ingredient information on the tube reduces trust.
For toothpaste packaging, consumers usually expect clear information about ingredients, fluoride content, usage instructions, and product benefits. DARLIE’s packaging better follows this category expectation by presenting the product function more clearly, while Canban focuses more on visual style and marketing claims. This shows that Canban’s packaging should improve its information hierarchy and include essential product details to appear more professional and reliable.
The main function of this packaging is to preserve the canned fish, protect it from contamination, extend shelf life, and make it easy to store, stack, and transport. Since it is a food product, the packaging should also clearly communicate the product name, ingredients, nutrition facts, halal certification, weight, origin, and brand information.
The can does include important information such as ingredients, nutrition facts, halal logo, barcode, and product weight. However, the overall visual presentation is not clear enough, especially because the label is visually crowded and the small black text is difficult to read against the red patterned background.
The product is branded as King Cup Brand and is likely targeted at household consumers, families, and budget-conscious shoppers who buy canned fish for daily meals. The large 425g size suggests that it may be intended for family use or shared cooking.
The product also targets Malaysian consumers because the label uses Malay and English, includes a halal certification, and highlights familiar benefits such as Omega 3 and Calcium.
Overall, the packaging feels outdated, crowded, and visually unrefined. The red and yellow colour combination makes the can very eye-catching on the shelf, but the design does not look modern or premium. The label contains many competing visual elements, including large typography, fish image, tomato image, health claims, background patterns, nutrition facts, barcode, halal logo, and brand symbol.
The front design has weak visual hierarchy. The “KING CUP” brand name is very large and clear, but it dominates the layout too much. The product name “MACKEREL” is also large, but the overall design feels heavy because of the strong outlines, shadows, and decorative font. The fish and tomato images are useful because they show the product flavour, but the image treatment looks old-fashioned and not very appetizing.
The background pattern also reduces readability. The red tomato pattern is too busy, especially when small black text is placed on top of it. This is most obvious in the ingredients section, where the text is too small and blends into the background. For a food product, ingredients and allergen information should be easy to read because consumers need this information before buying or eating.
However, the packaging does have some functional strengths. The nutrition facts panel is clearer because it uses a yellow background with strong contrast. This makes the information easier to identify compared to the rest of the label. The product also clearly shows important claims such as Omega 3, Calcium, No Preservatives, and halal certification, which can help build consumer confidence.
In terms of sustainability, metal cans are durable and recyclable. They also protect food well and allow long shelf life without refrigeration. However, the printed label and metal can still require proper recycling, and the packaging does not visually communicate any sustainability message to consumers.
- The overall design looks outdated and visually crowded.
- The red patterned background makes the label look busy.
- The ingredients section is too small and difficult to read.
- Black text on the red background has poor contrast.
- The typography uses too many outlines, shadows, and decorative styles.
- The visual hierarchy is weak because many elements compete for attention.
- The fish image and tomato image look old-fashioned and not very appetizing.
- The brand name is clear, but the overall branding does not feel modern or premium.
- The nutrition facts panel is readable, but it feels visually separated from the rest of the design.
- The packaging does not communicate sustainability, even though metal cans are recyclable.
The target consumers are likely families, household shoppers, working adults, and budget-conscious consumers who buy canned fish for convenient daily cooking. These consumers usually expect canned food packaging to look trustworthy, clean, easy to read, and appetizing.
For canned mackerel, consumers usually look for clear information such as fish type, sauce flavour, ingredients, nutrition facts, halal certification, weight, and health benefits. They also expect the product image to look fresh and appetizing because canned fish relies strongly on trust and food safety.
The current packaging partly meets these expectations because it clearly shows the product category, fish image, tomato sauce flavour, halal logo, Omega 3, and calcium claims. The bright red and yellow colours also make the product noticeable on the shelf.
However, the packaging does not fully meet modern consumer expectations because the visual design looks outdated and messy. The small ingredients text may reduce trust because consumers cannot easily check what the product contains. The crowded layout also makes the product feel less professional compared with cleaner canned food brands.
Overall, the packaging is functional but visually weak. It needs clearer hierarchy, better typography, improved contrast, and a more appetizing image style to make the product look more reliable and competitive.
Ayam Brand Mackerel in Tomato Sauce is a suitable competitor because it is in the same product category, also sold in a can, and available in a similar 425g family-size format. It also highlights similar selling points such as selected mackerel, tomato sauce, Omega 3, calcium, no preservatives, and no added MSG.
Compared with King Cup, Ayam Brand has stronger brand recognition and a more trustworthy market image in the canned food category. Its packaging usually presents the brand more consistently and communicates product benefits more clearly. The product information is also supported by clear category claims, such as “large pieces of selected mackerel,” “rich tomato sauce,” “natural source of Omega 3 and Calcium,” “No Preservatives,” and “No added MSG.”
King Cup’s packaging is bright and noticeable, but it looks visually heavier and less refined. The large decorative fonts, busy red background, and small black ingredients text make the label harder to read. In comparison, Ayam Brand shows that canned fish packaging should balance shelf impact with trust, clarity, and food appeal.
Item 4: Bottle
This product uses a glass bottle as its primary packaging. The bottle directly contains the sesame oil and protects it from leakage, contamination, and external damage.
The packaging is designed to contain and preserve sesame oil, while also communicating product information such as product type, brand name, ingredients, nutrition information, expiry date, halal certification, net weight, and manufacturer details.
The front label includes several key texts:
- Minyak Makan — Cooking oil
- Minyak Bijan / Sesame Oil — Sesame oil
- 100% Pure / 100% Tulen — 100% pure
- Golden Cock Brand — Brand name
- Cholesterol Free — Health-related claim
The back label also provides nutrition facts, expiry date, net weight, barcode, QR code, halal logo, and certification marks.
The product is branded as Golden Cock Brand and appears to target household consumers, especially families and older consumers who use sesame oil for cooking, seasoning, and marinating. The packaging uses Chinese, Malay, English, French, and Japanese, suggesting that the product may target both local and wider multicultural markets.
However, the brand identity feels outdated because the label uses too many decorative elements, fonts, languages, and information blocks. This makes the packaging look traditional but not very modern or premium.
Overall, the packaging looks very traditional and visually crowded. The glass bottle itself is functional because it protects the sesame oil and gives the product a more durable and reliable feeling. The dark bottle also helps reduce light exposure, which is useful for oil storage.
However, the label design is the weakest part. The front label contains too many visual elements, including the rooster illustration, decorative borders, Chinese characters, Malay and English product names, red patterns, gold typography, and health claims. These elements compete with each other, so the packaging does not have a clear visual hierarchy.
The typography is also inconsistent. Different typefaces are used for the product name, brand name, health claim, company information, and multilingual descriptions. This makes the label look messy and old-fashioned. The product name “Minyak Bijan / Sesame Oil” is visible, but the overall design feels heavy because there are too many decorative fonts and outlines.
The back label is more functional, but it is still too text-heavy. The product description is written in many languages, which may be useful for different consumers, but the layout is too dense. The small black text on the orange-red background is not easy to read, especially under supermarket lighting or on the curved bottle surface.
However, the packaging also has some positive points. It provides complete information such as ingredients, nutrition facts, allergen advice, expiry date, halal certification, and net weight. The ingredient information is clear because the product states that it is made from 100% pure oil of roasted sesame seeds. The bottle also includes certification marks, which can help build consumer trust.
For sustainability, the glass bottle is a positive material because glass can be recycled and reused. However, glass is heavier to transport, and the label, cap, and bottle may require separation during recycling. The packaging does not clearly communicate any sustainability message to consumers.
- The overall label design looks outdated and visually crowded.
- Too many fonts and decorative styles are used on one label.
- The information hierarchy is weak because many elements compete for attention.
- The front label has too many languages, symbols, borders, and illustrations.
- The rooster logo and brand name are memorable, but the design feels old-fashioned.
- The small text on the back label is difficult to read on the curved bottle.
- The orange-red background reduces readability for black text.
- The multilingual descriptions are useful, but they make the layout look overloaded.
- The packaging looks traditional but not modern or premium.
- The glass bottle is recyclable, but the packaging does not communicate sustainability clearly.
The target consumers are likely household cooks, families, older consumers, and people who regularly use sesame oil in Asian cooking. Since the packaging uses Chinese, Malay, English, French, and Japanese, it may also target multicultural consumers or export markets.
For sesame oil packaging, consumers usually expect the product to look authentic, trustworthy, clean, and easy to understand. They may look for information such as purity, ingredients, origin, halal certification, expiry date, and nutrition information.
The current packaging partly meets these expectations because it clearly communicates that the product is 100% pure sesame oil, includes halal certification, and provides detailed product information. The traditional rooster logo may also create a sense of heritage and familiarity for older consumers.
However, the packaging may not appeal strongly to younger or modern consumers. Younger shoppers may prefer cleaner, simpler, and more premium-looking packaging. The current label feels too crowded and old-fashioned, which may make the product look cheaper even though the product itself may be reliable.
Overall, the packaging is informative but visually weak. It needs a cleaner layout, stronger hierarchy, fewer fonts, and better spacing to make the product look more trustworthy and competitive on modern supermarket shelves.
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Ghee Hiang Pure Sesame Oil is a suitable competitor because it is also a Malaysian sesame oil product and is sold in bottle packaging. It is also positioned as a traditional, trusted sesame oil brand. According to Ghee Hiang’s official product information, its sesame oil is halal certified, ISO 22000 and HACCP certified, cholesterol-free, and contains Omega 3, 6, and 9.
Compared with Golden Cock Brand, Ghee Hiang has a stronger heritage and premium positioning. Its official product page presents sesame oil as part of a long-standing Penang food tradition, which helps build a stronger sense of brand story and authenticity.
Golden Cock Brand also has a traditional identity, but its packaging looks more visually overloaded. The front label uses many decorative elements, languages, borders, and typefaces, which makes it harder for consumers to focus on the main information. In comparison, Ghee Hiang’s brand image appears more established and trustworthy because it focuses more clearly on product quality, certification, and tradition.
This shows that sesame oil packaging does not need to look overly modern, but it should still be clean, readable, and organized. Traditional visual elements can be kept, but they need to be controlled carefully so the label does not look messy.
Specific Feedback: N/A
For the can packaging, I initially found a sardine can example online. Mr. Shamsul said it was acceptable as a case study, but he suggested that I should purchase the product physically and observe the packaging carefully in real life. He also advised that if I do not eat sardines, I should consider choosing another canned product to avoid food waste.
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