When UK pet food brand Applaws began their expansion into North America, they came to us with their packaging conundrum.
Applaws has been creating natural cat and dog food for 10 years. As a small, independent company they have built themselves a reputation for serving the highest quality natural ingredients. Applaws aim to deliver good health and wellbeing for pets. However, with many brands making similar claims, it’s often difficult to stand out, especially when entering a new market.
We were able to solve their problem with transparency. Literally! Applaws believed one of the best ways to showcase the high-quality nature of the product was to introduce window features. Therefore, we added windows to the gussets and added creative front-facing windows in the shape of each product’s main ingredient (chicken, fish, etc).
In addition, the bags maintained a matt finish, as a result of applying a spot matt varnish. Unlike using a matt treated film which wouldn’t give 100% clarity in the window. Sometimes applying a matt varnish may not always be as effective as a matt treated film. However, printing rotogravure allows us to add more varnish to the bag and achieve a non-glossy smooth finish.
Furthermore, the new bags also feature a Pocket Zipper closure mechanism. This is one of the most consumer-friendly opening fixtures available today. Allowing the end user to easily open and reseal the packaging to preserve freshness. Pocket Zippers also benefit the manufacturing process. The bags can be fully opened at the top making it easier to fill the bags, improving production efficiency.
Coverage
The partnership hasn’t gone unnoticed! Thanks to this collaboration, we have seen coverage in US pet trade publications Pet Age, Pet Food Industry and Pet Food Processing.
We are proud to feature in these huge publications and look forward to being able to develop our reputation across the Atlantic.
