Nine Yards treats frozen desserts

Nine Yards has designed the packaging for two Cadbury Flakeand Caramel-branded frozen desserts, manufactured by RHM, which launch in a few weeks.

The consultancy was briefed to reflect the personalities of the chocolate brands in the packaging and break away from the “traditional hero product shot”, says Nine Yards director Andy Kirk.

The desserts are packaged in a rectangular card carton that forms a physical representation of the entire product, says Kirk. The box features shots of the cake from all angles on different sides so the overall effect is of the entire cake in 3D, he adds.

“This is a move forward from traditional dessert packaging, which typically features a product shot with a slice missing, and can disappoint consumers when the product is smaller or different than pictured. It is a radical move for this sector,” says Kirk.

A carton with a clear plastic window does not work well with frozen desserts as the product is iced over and its appearance is altered, he says. By featuring a life-size image of the dessert, both problems are alleviated.

“Flake and Caramel already have strong brand identities and we did not develop these brands further,” says Kirk. “Our job was to communicate the identities in a different form.”

Nine Yards was appointed by RHM 18 months ago to work exclusively on its Cadbury brands. It won the Flake and Caramel work after putting forward design proposals, which was understood not to be a formal pitch process.

A spokeswoman for RHM confirms it is introducing Flake and Caramel-branded products but refuses to give any further details.