The Art of Chocolate Packaging

Chocolate is probably the most popular sweet snack in the world. It is part of our daily life in its innumerable forms: chocolate bar, chocolate mousse, cup of hot chocolate …

Increasing sensitivity to the health issues of food has also affected chocolate production, taking less the form of an industrialized mass product, and more of something refined. To meet this changing demand, many chocolate manufacturers have invested again in their products, paying close attention to all its details. We talk not only about the composition of chocolate and its taste, but also and often in the design of its packaging.

Minimalist cardboard boxes, embossing, and printing techniques are features that transform each chocolate package into an exclusive product. Unique color combinations with abstract shapes and patterns, drawings, photographs and unusual letters are more reminiscent of paintings, works of art rather than ordinary packaging.

Chocolate Packaging

If you own a brand of chocolates or you plan to get started in this industry, you will learn through this article:

• How packaging influences the perception of taste of its contents
• The essential elements of a personalized chocolate packaging
• Some examples of successful chocolate packaging
• How to make yours a success by choosing from the best options available to you
• The psychological effect of packaging on taste
• The vast majority of research on sensory perception in humans has focused on understanding the isolated functioning of each sense. With the act of making love, eating is one of our most multisensory activities .

Scientists have long claimed and demonstrated that our taste buds play a less important role in the perception of flavors compared to olfactory receptors.

Charles Spence, one of the pioneers of multisensory research, has published a plethora of articles on this subject . To name a few, he discovered that a strawberry mousse tasted ten times sweeter when served in a white container rather than a black container. He also discovered that the coffee has a taste almost twice as intense but only two-thirds sweeter if it is drunk from a white cup rather than a clear glass. He also published a study showing that a biscuit looks crispier when served on a paper surface with a rough finish.

It is obvious that this type of discovery on the human brain could be used in the design of commercial packaging and, little by little, this is actually happening.

In 2006, Spence conducted a study funded by Unilever to determine whether changing the volume and frequency of the sound emitted by a deodorant could affect the perceived strength of the deodorant.

On the basis of the scientist’s findings, Unilever has invested in a redesign of the deodorant Ax packaging, with a new nozzle technology. The spray for armpits, for young men, emits a sound today much stronger than that of the brand Dove, supposed to be softer and more feminine.

In 2011, Coca-Cola introduced a limited-edition white can to raise funds for endangered polar bears.

White Can of the Coca Cola Polar Bear Campaign

Despite the fact that only the container was changed, consumers complained that Coca-Cola had changed its secret formula. Coca-Cola then removed this range from the market. This example is irrefutable proof that the color of a package has the power to change the taste of its contents.

You can use these findings in the design of your chocolate packaging. Do you want to lower the amount of sugar in your chocolate without sacrificing taste? Try a red color package.

We are used to looking at foods and their packaging as two separate things, but for a brain in search of flavor, both are taken into consideration in the development of taste.

Good Packaging and Shipping Practices for chocolate

The chocolate must be packed in such a way as to protect it against:

• oxidation
• humidity
• Insect infestation
• The light
• Excessive temperatures

In addition to being attractive, the packaging that adorns a chocolate bar must also be functional. Chocolate is a sensitive product that must be protected from frost, heat, damage and other damage. Traditional chocolate packaging includes a protective inner layer to preserve the flavor, for example aluminum foil or coated paper, and an outer layer generally made of cardboard or paper.

To go even further, there are more advanced solutions for protection against heat, for example metal-lined board having an effect similar to that of insulated bags for frozen food.

Many discerning chocolate consumers are unaware of how difficult it is to ship chocolate, ensuring it arrives in ideal conditions. The softening point of chocolate is around 29 ° C, and its melting point is 34 ° C. These are not the best figures to support a journey of a thousand kilometers, especially to hot destinations.

Whatever the expectations of the consumers, the chocolatiers must privilege the integrity of the contents with the broken prices and the speed of shipping. It is important that the chocolate arrives intact and without alteration of flavor rather than on time but broken or melted.

Based on this premise, successful chocolate brands adopt specific practices and policies to ensure a smooth shipping process.

Choose the Best Days

Your chocolate will probably not last more than 3 days in transit. The time between order processing and delivery must be as short as possible. Ship on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and avoid holidays.

Orders placed after Wednesday should be postponed until the following week to prevent your package from spending several nights in a warehouse, especially when it is hot.

Customize Your Shipping Arrangements During the Summer and to Hot Destinations

Many chocolate brands charge extra between the months of May and September, or when the package has to reach a warm place. This surplus covers the costs of additional insulating materials to prevent heat from reaching the chocolate inside the package.

Another practice is to avoid charging extra for shipping and to increase the price of the chocolate itself. During the hot months, some brands suspend the shipment of specific products that do not support the trip.

Inform Your Customers

Customers of your online store should be aware of the difficulties of shipping chocolate. It must be clearly explained why shipments are expensive and why they can not receive their chocolate when they wish. It is important to share as much information as possible in your Shipping Policy page. With good explanations, your customers will be more patient and more understanding.

It is wise to remind your customers of two things:

• Make sure that the package will be received by someone at the time of delivery (to prevent the chocolate melts in front of the door)
• Consider the weather when choosing shipping options

Offer Special Delivery Options

Due to the perishable nature of chocolate, the two most popular delivery methods are overnight shipments or 24 hours. Give your customers the option to add a surcharge for faster delivery that will ensure the reception of their chocolate.

Chocolate Research Facility

The Chocolate Research Facility brand sells 100 different varieties of chocolates! Low hat at Singaporean agency Asylum, which has created a collection of 100 chocolate bar packaging designs that are perfectly cohesive in their eccentricity.

Carpe Koko

Inspired by the Art Deco style, Carpe Koko, an Australian chocolatier, has embodied luxury, glamor and the pleasure of offering gifts in her personalized chocolate packaging. The idea is to make the experience of receiving and unboxing chocolates more enjoyable.

Break the Mold

Original chocolate packaging of the brand Break the Mold/ Break The Mold combines a smart name with an elegant design to create a decadent treat. The handmade chocolates are wrapped in a signed Jessica Glebe design .

The first step of this product towards distinction is its unusual square shape, as opposed to the more universally recognized rectangular chocolate bar. The high-contrast color palette is accentuated by a copper wax ring on the side, which immediately brings an air of exclusivity from yesteryear.

French Chocolate

To honor the made in France , the Chocolate of the French is a jovial brand that has given itself the mission to ” break the codes of artisanal chocolate by bringing a good dose of creativity and humor .”

Cardboard Tube for Hazelnuts of the brand Le Chocolat des Français

Pack chocolate in tubes? Why not! The hazelnuts of the French brand are packaged in a cardboard tube with crazy design and fun. Unconventional packaging for a brand that has distinguished itself from the competition.

Cardboard Box for Chocolates of the Brand 

Among the wide selection of products they offer, this cardboard box, perfect for a delicious gift, is also a fine example of the endless possibilities you have in the design of your chocolate packaging.

Moonstruck Chocolate

Multi-sensory design of the Moonstruck Chocolate packaging

A true multi-sensory experience thanks to a special touch-sensitive embossing finish, the Moonstruck Chocolate chocolate packaging captures the imagination and evokes a touch of emotion in the minds of chocolate lovers.

Lamination, embossing, hot stamping … With PCB, you too can create a bold custom packaging for your brand of chocolates.

A Custom Chocolate Package with PCB

If our customizable cardboard boxes are not enough to satisfy your ambitions as a great chocolatier, you can opt for the bespoke PCB service.

With PCB , we put at your disposal an R & D department that will realize your most daring packaging ideas. We can perfectly realize all the chocolate packaging inspirations presented above.

From unusual box shapes, specialty materials, to refined printing finishes such as gilding and hot stamping, choosing PCB will give your brand a real competitive advantage by allowing your packaging to rise to the top of current trends.