Louise Marsland’s (@Louise_Marsland) pick of new product, packaging and design launches.
New look bank branch for ABSA; a well-known graffiti artist creates street wear designs; flexible new ways to sample; competitive fast-food interiors; and a new brand CI for an IP firm.
New look bank branch for ABSA
ABSA is touting the revamped design of its Hyde Park branch as the future of banking. It says it has prioritised the customer by enhancing the whole customer experience by eliminating “long queues” and providing more convenience to support the 24-hour banking experience made possible by technological advances.
At the Hyde Park branch, customers are welcomed into a crisp, modern branch with digital marketing elements and LED lighting, where most financial transactions are paperless. Quick Service Kiosks allow customers to perform complex banking activities without queuing, while the bank’s Qmatic system uses a ticketing system to match a customer’s transactional requirements with the best skilled consultant who can provide the service in the shortest possible time. The customer is then directed to multi-skilled staff who are able to handle varied queries and transactional needs quickly and efficiently – all at the same counter.
The glass barriers which previously existed between customer and banker have also been removed. Absa Group CE Maria Ramos describes the new design as “the new face of traditional banking”.
“We are proud to complement our digital offering with the Hyde Park branch that simplifies customers’ relationship with the bank and makes banking an easier and more enjoyable experience.”
The implementation of the new design follows Absa’s research and development approach at numerous branches countrywide, where various concepts were tested and fine-tuned in a live transactional environment. A roll out plan for other branches across the country will follow soon.
Branded graffiti
Cape Town graffiti artist Falko has teamed up with the popular local street wear clothing brand, Butan, to create Limited Edition gear for this year’s Sprite Uncontainable campaign – the nationwide talent search for the best emcees, dancers and graffiti artists in the country. Falko was the 2012 winner.
Falko has designed the graffiti for the gear which includes backpacks and caps. The Limited Edition gear is part of the big winner’s prize for the campaign. The clothing with the designs will be ready in a couple of weeks.
Falko was a member of the crew selected to represent South Africa in the international graffiti competition ‘Write For Gold’ 2006, has represented South Africa at United Nations’ projects and created murals for the build-up to the 2004 Olympics in Greece. He believes graffiti is a dynamic social tool.
Flexible sampling
ElastiTab is a new product offering from the Bedford ElastiTag range, which are elasticised hang tags that can be used for labelling, branding and marketing a wide variety of products, from produce to cosmetics. There are also options to include sachets, packets and other lightweight items as ElastiTab secures them to the product. The tab has a pressure sensitive adhesive and a stretchy elastomer loop, producing an easy-to-apply device for on-pack promotions.
Launched by Pyrotec PackMedia in South Africa, Johnson & Johnson has become one of the first brands to use it to offer value added incentives to their customers. The brand wanted a cost-effective device that allowed for easy application of samples attached to the products. Traditional value-added packs (VAP’s) can be costly and time-consuming to produce.
Pyrotec PackMedia GM,Timothy Beattie says brands have the opportunity to not only give a customer a value-added incentive to purchase, but also to cross-promote two product lines.
More than a logo
Engage Brandcraft has redesigned the corporate identity for Von Seidels, an intellectual property law firm. In 10 years, the firm had grown significantly and needed to make a bolder and more meaningful first impression, starting with their corporate identity, web presence and brand collateral.
Engage Brandcraft said it also had to be mindful of the brand’s existing equity, as well as its pre-existing and strongly entrenched culture, drawing on the core values that moulded the firm.
It also needed to encapsulate the importance of the creativity and ingenuity that is encompassed within the IP domain in general.
“We decided on a positioning that took the ambition and results-driven culture of the firm and combined it with a more human and personable aspect.The icon of a golden African Swift was settled upon as a suitable vehicle to convey this aspirant, African firm with its unique vantage, exceptional speed, reliance on teamwork and ingenuity and intelligence, as well as their commitment to quality,” Engage Brandcraft stated.
KFC internal signage tender awarded
Clarion Printed Products has secured major retail branding business from fast food giant, KFC. It was awarded the branding tender for the internal signage. Clarion has branded over 30 KFC restaurants to date, with branding work including wallpaper, vinyls and window decals.
– Shelf Life by Louise Marsland is a weekly column on MarkLives. Tweet new product, packaging and design launches to @louise_marsland or email her at louise.marsland at gmail.com.
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Louise Marsland has written about the FMCG, media, marketing and advertising industry for 18 years of her 25 year media career as a former Editor of magazines AdVantage, Marketing Mix and Progressive Retailing; as well as websites Bizcommunity.com and FMCGFiles. She currently edits the weekly Wednesday Media & Marketing Page for The New Age newspaper; and is the co-founder and Publishing Editor of SA’s newly launched industry trendwatching portal, TREND. at www.trendlives.info, in partnership with MarkLives.com.
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