Australia says ‘g’day’ to plain packaging for cigarettes, what next?

australia-says-gday-to-plain-packaging-for-cigarettes-what-next<p>Here's a riddle for you. In the fifties they made you cool, in the eighties and nineties they made you dangerous, today they identify you as a few bricks shy of a load (not the brightest crayon in the box, a burger short of a combo meal, not the sharpest tool in the shed&#8230; you get the picture). This December a law will come into effect, mandating that all cigarettes sold in Australia be stocked in plain packaging. Read on to learn what this means for tobacco companies and consumers.</p> <p>We've said it time and time again; you have less than three seconds to capture the attention of a potential consumer, so use your time wisely. Packaging design and branding are the bread and butter behind creating a profitable product. So what's to come of the tobacco industry's flair? <b> </b></p> <p><b>The Details </b><br /> The plain packaging initiative has one goal, to lower the number of tobacco-related deaths throughout the country. Apparently the Australian government believes that this can be done by grossing people out. Or in more proper terms; they aim to use unattractive packaging to dissuade people (particularly youngsters) from turning to cigarettes as a form of personal or stylistic expression.</p> <p>Interestingly, the proposed plain packages are anything but plain. The connotation of the word plain brings to mind a sterile and clean looking package. I may be alone on this, but I don't think olive green (research revealed this to be the most repelling color) boxes and large graphic health warnings quite fit the plain bill. Uniform may be the more appropriate word, allotting only two lines of content on the front, to describe the brand and variety of cigarette packaged, displayed in a predetermined font style and size. Oh Australia, if only it were that simple.</p> <p><b>How it could work </b><br /> If someone has willingly polluted their own lungs for the last twenty years I'm not sure a packaging change-up will necessarily bring about the change Australia is after. The new look is only the first step in breaking down the product's communication with consumers. The initiative's ability to look beyond scare tactics (close-up images of diseased eyes, mouths and lungs) and focus on diminishing the quality of the tobacco products as well as the characteristics of users is where it's potential for change can be found.</p> <p>The plain packaging model isn't only meant to disgust the eyes and appeal to the heart; it's also equipped to play mind games. Such basic packaging design may lead consumers to assume that the cigarettes inside are of a lower quality, that the taste might be lackluster and worst of all that smoking this brand might be detrimental to their worldly status (considering what class of people would smoke plain packaged cigarettes), making smoking socially distasteful. <b> </b></p> <p><b>The fiery tobacco battle ensues</b><br /> Is it right for design power to be taken from these cigarette giants? They sure don't think so. The Australian tobacco companies' arguments against plain packaging are based on international trademark and intellectual property law infringements, not to mention ranting about the potential of illicit trading (plain packaging will make products easy to counterfeit). The government defends their decision based on the death toll associated with tobacco (responsible for an estimated 15,000 deaths a year). They say cigarettes are no longer considered a normal product and that special status introduces the need for government involvement. Things don't look too hot for the tobacco guys and though they maintain a strong face, chances are plain packaging is going to make them hurt in ways they've never experienced before.</p> <p>Plain packaging is making large enough waves in Australia that the aftershock could impact decisions made in Canada and the U.K. as well. Then who knows where. It may be time to prepare your goodbye to the iconic camel and find a new role model for all the boys who grew up dreaming of one day becoming a Marlboro man. Until then, don&#8217;t waste valuable shelf space with an unsightly product. CPS Design now offers <a href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/services/customprojects.asp>custom cardboard packaging design services</a>!</p> <p><b>Do you support or oppose plain packaging? Tell us why in the comments. </b></p>