My big Easter egg hunt

This will predominantly focus on printed cartons, such is the way chocolate eggs are retailed, but there will no doubt be one or two examples of applications in flexible packaging that have caught my eye.

As with my previous investigation of packaging at the point of sale in UK supermarkets, this is a completely ‘non-technical’ study that intends to provide a more holistic view of packaging from a consumer perspective, and see which shapes, designs and printing have worked at the ‘moment of truth’. I'll also try my best to snap 'all new packaging' for this opinion piece, but you might find one or two that I've seen and photographed previously. 

February 6

My first foray into the seasonal aisles showed me a number of great examples of interesting carton shapes and packaging designs, such as the Lindt Giant Carrot carton, which itself is displayed in shelf-ready packaging allowing consumers to 'pick them', as if in a chocolate-filled vegetable patch. The Ferrero Rocher gift pack also stood out as a high-end product, with styling to appeal to a more mature audience, while well-known ice cream brands Magnum and Cornetto have continued their move from the freezer aisle to the confectionery counter with Easter egg cartons to match their new 100 percent chocolate alter egos.  

February 14

I only popped into one outlet over the weekend, Marks and Spencer, to pick up some basic provisions so there are extensive additions to this article today. However, I did see one or two examples of Easter egg packaging that caught my eye.

I've talked about the role of packaging in SKU diversification in relation to Percy Pig before, so am glad to see this trend continuing with his own chocolate Easter eggs, complete with a new recipe for 2014.

Another M&S brand I know well is Colin the Caterpillar. As a cake, he is a staple of birthday celebrations in my family, so we're happy to see him take the form of an Easter egg, along with graphics befitting of the hungry herbivore - munching through the box and stealing some chocolate on the way.

The shape of the carton allows his smiling white chocolate face to be clearly visible too, adding to the charm of the character.

Have you seen anything interesting?

I’ll be adding to this article as I shop in the weeks and months running up to the Easter festivities, and with a busy work diary as well I hope to be able to add one or two examples from overseas destinations that I visit.

I also welcome any contributions from the readers of Packprint World, so if you see any interesting Easter egg packaging and have the means to snap a quick photo, feel free to share it with me via dpittman@tarsus.co.uk or on Twitter, mentioning @D_Pittman84.