How far should brands go with functional packaging?

The slick, ergonomic style of Apple’s product packaging is an obvious go-to reference for packaging doubling as an experience. But other companies have begun to approach the concept of experiential packaging from a slightly different perspective. Shoe e-tailer Zappos, for instance, recently ran a promotion that encourages customers to make use of the cardboard their shoes are shipped in. In June, Zappos ran a campaign called #ImNotaBox, which involved shipping boxes printed with a variety of templates for cutting and folding the empty packaging into a number of new functional items, according to Adweek. By following the instructions, recipients could give a Zappos box a second life as a smartphone holder, geometric planters and a decorative 3-D llama, among other things. Zappos' campaign speaks both to the importance of retailers finding new ways to provide experiential enjoyment beyond just the product being purchased, and to the serious look that retail is taking at promoting waste reduction and reusability. Zappos isn’t the only retailer trying to make what would otherwise be throwaway packaging less disposable, though there has been less experimentation domestically than there has been abroad. Last year, Pizza Hut in Hong Kong released a specially-designed pizza box that converted into a projector for displaying smartphone movies. Last month, KFC in India released a tech-enhanced meal box that allows people to charge their USB smartphones. Amazon, while it hasn’t done much with functional packaging, has taken some steps into making its packaging part of the shopping experience. Last year, in conjunction with the release of the Minions movie, Amazon began shipping some items in yellow boxes designed with images of characters from the film. A Progressive Grocer article indicated that, for 63 percent of customers, reusable packaging is a factor when customers are determining whether or not to buy an item.

• Zappos' Cool New Shoebox Can Be Cut Up and Repurposed in a Bunch of Unique Ways – Ad Week
• Pizza Hut has a new box that turns into a movie projector for your smartphone – Business Insider
• KFC’s New ‘Watt A Box’ Will Charge Your Phone Battery While You Eat – The Huffington Post
• Amazon brings Minions ads to delivery boxes, marking its first advertising deal on packaging – GeekWire
• Product Packaging Trends for 2016 & Beyond Transparency, flexibility rank high among consumer needs – Progressive Grocer