Short-run printed packaging; a supermarket odyssey – part 9

The London 2012 Olympics are now only a few days away and excitement is building across the UK’s capital, the south-east and the country as a whole.

 

The Olympic Torch has been passing through London for the last few days, and will continue to do so until it arrives at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, East London on Friday (July 27).

 

I was part of the crowd that cheered it through the Royal Borough of Greenwich on Saturday morning, witnessing torchbearer Laura on her leg in Eltham, SE9. The torch itself was preceded by a flotilla of trucks and street performers, as well as policemen on motorcycles, many of whom were high-fiving the crowd as they passed.

 

Due to the torch visiting close by (pictured, left), and spending my Sunday trying out indoor board sports on the FlowRider (pictured, right), another weekend has passed without a “Big Shop” in the Pittman household.

 

I will definitely be taking a closer look at my local supermarket shelves in the next few days, but to keep my wife and I in tea and toast, I’ve been popping in and out of local convenience stores, where I’ve spotted a few examples of the Olympics impacting flexible and folding carton packaging seen on the shelf.

 

Procter & Gamble has been putting a gold medal-style logo on many of its cleaning products, including Ariel Actilift washing powder boxes, which have been adorned with a Union Flag decoration.

 

Sweet firm Swizzels Matlow, renowned for its Drumstick, Love Hearts, Double Lollies and Rainbow Drops products, has given its packaging a makeover ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

 

The "Champions" design extends to a number of its products, and coincides with a competition featuring Olympic-themed questions.

 

In Union Flag flexible packaging, the wrappers and labels on the products themselves also feature a British theme ahead of the London Olympics opening ceremony on July 27.

 

Check on www.twitter.com/D_Pittman_PPW to keep up with my “study” into packaging seen on store shelves this summer.

 

You can help me compile this unscientific “study” of short-run printed packaging as seen by consumers on store shelves this summer. Just snap a picture on your phone's camera and share it using your own Twitter account, mentioning @D_Pittman_PPW and using #packageprinting.

 

If you're not on Twitter, please email pictures to [email protected] so I can see what you see on the shelf this summer when it comes to themed short-run printed packaging.