Sonoco Gives Pepperidge Farm’s Chips Bag A New Reclosure

Case in point, Norwalk, CT-based Pepperidge Farm is the first to commercialize a new-to-market reclosure on its Baked Naturals Cracker Chips, while also first to utilize Sonoco’s SealTab technology. The Baked Naturals Cracker Chips line was introduced in 2010 in a quad-seal stand-up bag.

01 Nov 2012 --- Pepperidge Farm points to its proud heritage in the baking and snack categories. But the company is also focused on the future, as evidenced by its recent appointment of Irene Chang Britt as president—the first woman to lead the company since founder Margaret Rudkin. This forward thinking also extends to the role of packaging within the Campbell Soup Co. business.

Case in point, Norwalk, CT-based Pepperidge Farm is the first to commercialize a new-to-market reclosure on its Baked Naturals Cracker Chips, while also first to utilize Sonoco’s SealTab technology. The Baked Naturals Cracker Chips line was introduced in 2010 in a quad-seal stand-up bag. Pepperidge Farm listened to consumers who indicated a desire for reclosure on the flexible bag, and responded with a flexible package that brings a new level of convenience to reclosable packaging. The new packages hit store shelves in August and are sold nationwide in four product varieties, in either 5.8- or 6-oz quantities, at a suggested retail price of $2.99. Additionally, the reclosable package is available in four product varieties in the Canadian market, which launched in July.

With the new SealTab reclose feature, consumers open the bag from the top and access chips as usual. Once snacking is complete, the consumer can pull a tab near the top of the face panel which initiates the 4x5-in. scored flap backed by a resealable adhesive. The consumer then folds the top section of the bag forward and adheres the flap, which effectively closes the opening and prevents chips from coming out. Moreover, the scored flap is also the outside print web and contains the Principle Display Panel (PDP). Each time chips are consumed, the top of the bag is folded down and the flap is adhered against the top of the folded bag, retaining freshness and maintaining the Baked Naturals brand on the bag’s front panel. Baked Naturals  brand manager Elizabeth Amend says, “Pepperidge Farm Baked Naturals  delivers value to its consumers through high quality, premium ingredients,great-tasting products, and now innovative packaging with a reclose feature, setting it apart from all mainstream players in the aisle.”

Senior packaging program manager Matt Felice explains, “Maintaining the panel is a big plus. We have printed instructions to show the consumer how to use the new technology, which is also integrated into the front-panel graphics. Based on consumer insights, we created streamlined instructions featuring verbal and pictorial elements so that consumers can quickly and readily use the reclosure. Once the final insights were gained for instructions, we partnered with our graphic design group to integrate into the PDP.”

Beyond integrating reclosure instructions, graphics were redesigned and the print process was moved to rotogravure. Pepperidge Farm’s graphics team worked with Deutsch Design Works so that the main copy and brand identity remains intact when consumers reclose the bag.