Ironing Out The Kinks

Consumers were at the heart of the packaging redesign for the Feosol brand of iron supplements. But the assignment went far beyond creating consumer demand. A large focus of the effort was to create an easy to understand portfolio and help women quickly and correctly identify the iron form and benefit right for them.

The challenge: “Feosol had become watered down and confusing to shop over the years,” says Katie Gangell, brand manager, Meda Consumer Healthcare. “When we acquired the brand last year, our first priority was to take a big step forward with the packaging and help make Feosol relevant and consumer-friendly again.”

The solution: Little Big Brands worked with Meda Consumer Healthcare to refresh Feosol’s look.

“Feosol is the only brand with a range of products to address women’s varied iron needs, however, the previous packaging was outdated,” says John Nunziato, creative director, Little Big Brands. “The redesign focused on distilling down the communication and establishing a strong hierarchy, as well as creating an overall look and feel that spoke to modern women and helped the brand standout in a sea of supplements.”

“The new Feosol look is breakthrough in the category. It’s feminine without being cliché, and straightforward in a category that is notoriously hard to shop,” he continues.

The brand was stripped down to the bare essentials. A proud yet delicate new Feosol logo is prominently embossed on pack, along with the product name and function. All other communication was either eliminated or moved to a side or back panel.

“The greatest challenge was really finding the balance of femininity and efficacy,” states Nunziato. “The simplicity of the pack, along with the use of white space helps solidify the clinical nature of the product, as well as showing the product form, which wasn’t mandatory but is an important takeaway for the consumer. The feminine colors and watercolor effect help establish that the brand is focused on the female consumer.”

Color-coding is a nod to previous packaging, but it’s secondary to the white canvas that lends a freshness and modernity to the line.

“The inspiration really came from outside the category,” says Nunziato. “The work took more of a beauty or cosmetic approach, rather than OTC cues. And by doing that, we were able to create a brand that is first and foremost about making it easy for the consumer.”

Each SKU has the pill form embossed and anchoring the design at the bottom of the pack, and the Feosol logo and product type sit on the box’s top panel.

“We created a billboard on top of pack with a pop of color and highlighting the key communication takeaways,” says Nunziato.

The identification feature helps address bottom shelf realities, in case the consumer’s preferred product is housed on a lower shelf.

“This is a category and product where it’s vitally important for the consumer to understand what they are buying and why. We were able to increase shopability as well as help this brand stand out in a crowded category that is often shouting.”

Besides keeping consumers from getting headaches, a quiet design has other benefits.

“By simplifying the design, we were able to keep printing costs down and utilize some high impact production techniques,” says Nunziato. “Specifically, we were able to emboss the logo and product form, as well as use a mix of spot and gloss varnishes to add depth, dimension and interest on shelf.”

The new packaging is rolling out nationwide this summer and is offered in all major drugstore and supermarket chains, as well as local and regional retailers.

Feosol is available in three forms: Original Ferrous Sulfate iron for high potency; Natural Release Carbonyl iron for gradual and gentle iron absorption; and Complete Bifera hip and pic iron, which is a dual iron formula with minimal side effects.

“You really have to applaud the Feosol brand team,” says Nunziato. “They were fearless in their approach to this redesign. They put a stake in the ground and didn’t waver. It’s easy to say you want a brand revolution, and another thing to walk away from almost everything on your current pack. I think this is a great example of a fearless client doing the right thing for their brand.”

Source: Feosol