wendy seto (0348805): Packaging and Merchandising Project 1: Promotional Packaging

MER60104 Packaging and Merchandising Design 2.5.22 - 27.5.22 (Week 6 - Week 9)

Wendy Seto / 0348805
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Project 1: Promotional Packaging

INSTRUCTIONS

PRACTICAL

Project 1: Promotional Packaging

For this individual project, we have to apply our knowledge from the exercises to design a new McDonald's Happy Meal packaging. McDonald's is one of my favourite go-to fast food restaurant since I was a kid and I have a lot of good memories with it so giving the opportunity to design something that I can relate to sounds like a lot of fun and I am lowkey excited. We are assigned to come up with a design that contains information that can educate the target audience which are obviously kids.

When thinking of something educational, I quickly thought of recycling. I grew up in a Chinese family where I have been taught to reuse everything. My parents never throw away things that are still useworthy and I feel like this lifestyle has grown inside me. Kids tend to follow the action of people around them, just like me when I was a child. I remember vividly how I was not allowed to buy a microwave toy back then when I really want one. Instead, my mom gave me an empty medicine box along with markers and sticker labels so I can make my own microwave. She told me that my microwave is a limited edition where no one else can have the exact same one and I liked that idea. This microwave turns out to be one of the most valuable asset that I own and I still keep it in my room until this day. When I say I adore my mom so much, I really mean it. She does a lot of things that never fail to inspire me. My mom turns a damage car tire into a plant pot, scrap paper into lanterns, and even made a pillow from torn undergarments. My dad is pretty much the same, he uses medical plaster packaging as a card holder which is very creative and lame and the same time. Not to mention my 6 year-old little sister who asked me to help wash her ice cream spoon and bring it home so she can use it again. The people around you and what you see they are doing really do influence how you live your life, which is exactly why I want to introduce recycling to kids early on. Below is some research that I did to support my concept and idea proposal.

fig 1.1 concept & idea proposal 8/5/22

I got this idea of making a toy house out of the Happy Meal box because the box is basically forming a cube and based on what I learnt from my dissertation, the yellow arches in the McDonald's logo and the Happy Meal boxes were actually the roof of the first McDonald's restaurant. This makes me see the Happy Meal box as a building. I was wondering if someone actually did make a toy house using the Happy Meal box and look at what I found!

fig 1.2 toy house made out of the Happy Meal box

I was really happy when I saw this, someone actually thought of it and it turns out pretty decent. This also means that this Happy Meal idea can really happen in the future. I also did some further research on the previous Happy Meal boxes and found out some of them also use the 3D DIY concept (I am not sure how to call this lol).

fig 1.3 existing/previously made happy meal boxes with similar concept

I quickly started sketching my idea out and show it to Mr. Shamsul in week 7.

fig 1.4 sketches 8/5/22

Mr. Shamsul liked my idea. Other than it introduces kids to recycling, it also offer an activity that can facilitate their creativity.

Moving on, at first, I wanted to go with the Japanese art direction like the Studio Ghibli houses as I really like the illustration style and colour scheme.

fig 1.5 ghibli houses for reference

However, Mr. Shamsul said the bottom left sketch (shown in fig 1.4) kinda remind him of the gingerbread house from Hansel & Gretel so maybe I can make something like that to make it more interesting.

fig 1.6 hansel & gretel gingerbread houses for reference

I did a rough sketch based on Mr. Shamsul suggestion, using the Christmas' colours which are red and green.

fig 1.7 gingerbread house rough sketch 26/5/22

Before I started finalizing the illustration, I went to the nearest McDonald's to get the Happy Meal box so I can study the packaging physically. Also because I cannot seem to find any information about the actual sizing of the box through the internet so I need to measure it on my own.

fig 1.8 happy meal box study 26/5/22

Based on the measurement that I did, the box is assymetrical in some parts. I started off by making the die line with the approximate sizing.

fig 1.9 happy meal box die line process 26/5/22

We also have to design for the fries but I didn't get the one with cardboard from McDonald's so I use reference from internet.

fig 1.10 french fries packaging die line reference

fig 1.11 french fries box die line process 26/5/22

In the middle of illustrating, I realized that the candy cane also represent Ronald McDonald's sleeves so I decided to stick with McDonald's iconic red and yellow as the primary colours for the illustrations.

fig 1.12 Ronald McDonald (the mascot of McDonald's)

fig 1.13 happy meal illustrating process #1 26/5/22

However, I think the colours aren't enough for a gingerbread house that usually comes really colourful. I'm adding green and brown, therefore red and yellow will still dominate the entire design. I also made a sample for each design when being cut out.

fig 1.14 happy meal illustrating process #2 26/5/22

[top row: illustrations with dashed(cut) lines; bottom row: samples when the dashed(cut) lines are cut out]

I think it is too crowded to have two windows along with one door together because the Happy Meal box is actually a bit smaller than expected, it would be difficult to cut out if I reduce the sizes as well. Also, having trees on all sides kinda look rigid so I just place it for the front illustration. For the back illustration, I put the message I want to deliver to the target audience and some icons as instructions (reduce, reuse, recycle & cut the dashed-lines).

fig 1.15 happy meal final illustration: roof.jpg 26/5/22

fig 1.16 happy meal final illustration: left.jpg 26/5/22

fig 1.17 happy meal final illustration: front.jpg 26/5/22

fig 1.18 happy meal final illustration: right.jpg 26/5/22

fig 1.19 happy meal final illustration: back.jpg 26/5/22

fig 1.20 happy meal box die line with design.png 26/5/22

fig 1.21 final happy meal box mock up (front & side) 27/5/22

fig 1.22 final happy meal box mock up (back & side) 27/5/22

I had no idea what to do with the fries box design but I tried to think of something that can be relevant to the happy meal box and this is what I came up with: