We do our fair share of packaging work here at Truly Deeply. We also work hard to make our work differentiated and valuable to our clients who are under constant pressure to produce their goods on the thinnest of margins. This is specially true with some of our smaller, entrepreneurial clients. As start-ups trying to get their product off the ground their packaging options are defined by what’s available from off the self suppliers.

When you try and create anything unique and interesting the ‘minimum quantity’ of manufacturing the pack normally kills that off. The same is unfortunately true when it comes to the environmental and sustainability options for packs. Even some of our larger clients have little choice when it comes to picking what the packs are made of. So I was delighted to see the work of Plastic Planet, Made Thought and Dutch supermarket chain Ekoplaza.

They’ve created what they’re calling the world’s first plastic free supermarket aisle. With strong propaganda like branding and smart packaging solutions they offer over 600 products plastic free. I thinks it’s a great proof of concept and for a supermarket chain it’s a stand out differentiator.

Considering what’s happening with recycling in Australia at the moment, in particular with plastics, it would be great to see one of the big supermarket chains take this up as a campaign. Just one of them doing this would change the market for what is available to food manufacturers. They have the ability to instantly create the demand that would change the face of food packaging in Australia. With the added benefit of removing the hundreds of tonnes of waste plastic we are struggling with today.

In their constant struggle to get cut through and differentiate themselves here would be something positive the big two could do for Australia rather than cutting the legs out from their suppliers in an unsustainable race to the bottom.

Derek Carroll

Derek is the Creative Partner at Truly Deeply, a brand agency with 25 years experience working with brands to position them for growth. His deep expertise is in creating beautiful, effective and unique brand identities that bring strategy to life and resonate with audiences. Derek has extensive experience developing consumer, business, community and government brands.
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