Since 2012, Skratch Labs, a Boulder, CO company, has been selling sports nutrition products designed for athletes to reach peak performance and health without sacrificing on taste.
This year, the brand is taking a new design approach with limited-edition gold packaging in honor of the Tokyo Olympics.
Olympics Inspired Packaging
The company, which sells hydration and recovery mixes, as well as energy bars and chews made from real ingredients, decided to revamp its packaging in 2017 to upgrade to fully custom, high-quality stand-up pouches from ePac to deliver a better customer user experience.As part of their continued collaboration with ePac, they created the special edition gold packaging for Skratch Labs’ sport hydration mix lemon & lime. The multi-serving, resealable stand-up pouch is all gold with a soft touch finish and a metallic appearance. It is signed by Olympic Gold Medalist Gwen Jorgensen, one of the brands’ sponsored athletes.
When asked about the inspiration and motivation behind the new design, Elliot Freeman, VP, Marketing at Skratch Labs, said it was all about enthusiasm for the games. He said the brand is ready to bring some hype to sports fans everywhere after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic put a freeze on sports, especially with the postponement of the 2020 Olympics.
“This past year has been so different. We are so excited to see top athletes come back, and we wanted to share that excitement with our fans and customers,” stated Freeman. “We want to rally some excitement around some of the best athletes in the world getting back to the stage.”
The Digital Printing Difference
The execution of the limited-edition package was only a few months in the making. Skratch Labs was able to add the limited run to an existing order, which was only possible because of ePac’s innovative digital printing technology.
“We have worked with them [ePac] a ton and have a great relationship with them. Essentially, we had the idea to do a short run of this limited-edition package and because they have the capability, we added it on to an existing run. We did not need a 10,000-bag commitment. This allows us to do more fun ideas,” asserted Freeman.
With digital printing, there are never any plates, and brands of all sizes can take advantage of short runs for seasonal and promotional packaging.
“As a marketer, having the capability to do short runs of packaging allows us to bring more ideas to market with less risk. We do seasonal flavors, design changes…great packaging isn’t a hurdle with something like that. If we want to test a new flavor or experiment, it’s convenient that the packaging isn’t a hurdle,” said Freeman.
This isn’t the brand’s first time utilizing ePac’s innovative digital printing technology to create aesthetically pleasing and unique packaging. In 2019, as an official sponsor of Team EF Education First Pro Cycling, Skratch Labs created limited-edition pouches for its hydration mix that resembled the team’s pink argyle jerseys.
Each pouch featured pink and blue color-shifting patterns and designs thanks to variable data printing and mosaic print technology. The entire print run of all 10,000 pouches featured a distinctive design, exclusive to that specific pouch.
“We have done a couple of limited-edition packages in the past, and working with ePac enables us to do that because we can do short runs and not pay for plate fees,” added Freeman.
Variable data printing (VDP) is only possible using digital print technology. Brands are able to create customized and personalized designs on each package. Each of the thousands of hydration mix packages in an order can have a unique design without slowing down printing. The technology also allows for the ability to guard against counterfeiting, provide track and trace, drive digital consumer engagement, and enhance product shelf presence.
“Design is so important, especially for a brand like ours with passionate fans that love our products. Great design helps to elevate the meaning of our brand and allows us to do something different than grocery store brands,” concluded Freeman.
Looking for a better way to create customized packaging?
ePac is built around state-of-the-art digital printing technology, with a focus on fast turnaround times and short to medium runs. Since there are never any plates to set up, brands of all sizes can enjoy custom variable printing, ideal for special, limited-edition projects like this one.
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