DIY PACKAGING

If you’ve ever been to any DIY store and felt completely uninspired by what’s on offer, you are not alone. Even if you are a DIY freak and get excited by the actual goods on offer, most of the packaging is far from sexy or even inviting.

The Tutssels team working on the Duraplug project for electrical manufacturer MK Electric focused on this core point to develop packaging for a 13-product extension to the existing range.

‘Because the DIY sector is so commodity- based and price-driven, packaging is seen almost as a luxury and is rarely used to add value to the product,’ says Tutssels marketing director Liz Dunning.

‘The new Duraplug products are premium additions to the range and the packs had to reflect this. They also had to convey added-value benefits which would help revitalise the existing products,’ says Dunning.

A triangular pack has been developed to differentiate the range from its competitors and also to add value. MK Electric is currently in the process of registering the shape.

Yellow, black and red have been used to trigger ’emergency connotations, because an integral part of the offer is that the products have an automatic safety device which cuts the current,’ says Dunning. Simple icons and graphic devices have been used to underline this message and supply product information at a glance.

New range extensions will come in the triangular packs and will appear on-shelf next week. And MK Electric plans to use the new packs for the rest of the range.