Louise Marsland (@Louise_Marsland)’s weekly pick of recent product, packaging and design launches:
- Waste not as Native VML pops up another store
- New toy craze for SA
- Futurelife Zero packaging win, and
- A Fresh image for Cipla Nutrition.
Made for You
Love this execution: full-service agency Native VML has been popping up stores again; this latest one at Cavendish Square shopping centre in Cape Town’s southern suburbs is about recycling the shopping centre’s waste into resalable art and usable goods.
One of my soapboxes is that creative people will solve the world’s problems, not politicians, because they are natural problem solvers and idea engineers. However, localised or mainstream, we need more campaigns like this one — ‘Made by You and Cavendish’ is the name of this latest experiential campaign from Native for client, Cavendish Square.
The idea is to make shoppers part of sustainable product design by letting them know the value of the kinds of things that their rubbish can produce.
Colourful bin monsters were arrayed throughout the mall, one of the biggest in Cape Town, after Cavendish Square approached the agency to come up with a campaign to support the 2014 World Design Capital’s ideals — highlighting innovative thinking and design as a conduit for transformation.
“Against the backdrop of sustainability and energy-efficiency, we found that the waste Cavendish produces could be used to create something beautiful. It was also apparent that the ‘bin’ stood as a passageway between waste and product design so the campaign aimed to create this link,” explains Gisele Human and Alice Marrollo, the Native VML creative team on the project.
The centre’s waste was then transformed into designer products from WREN, Simple Intrigue, Sicelo, Newco and Bottlecraft, which are currently for sale until 31 October 2014 in the pop-up store.
Kendama culture
Another one just in time for the festive season… Who knows how toy crazes start? I saw marbles were back the other day, 40 years after I last played with them at school but, according to all the PR, this is an “addictive, global sensation”.
The Kendama toy doesn’t even come with batteries; it is a wooden ball called the Tama, attached to a wooden handle known as the Ken, and it dates back 200 years from Japan. Almost as long as I’ve been playing marbles — or losing them.
‘Tamas’ is apparently the latest hip new trend game and an entire sub-culture of creative and playful people worldwide addicted to this ancient game of skill.
The kids will decide.
Futurelife pack win
Functional-food brand, Futurelife, was recently awarded the packaging award for innovation in product packaging at the recent SA Food Review Symrise New Product Competition for its product, Futurelife Zero Smart food.
This product was developed for individuals who are weight conscious and looking to follow a calorie-restricted diet.
Says Futurelife MD, Shaun Harris: “Futurelife Zero is the result of two years of research into a product that was low in fat, contained no added cane sugar and still tasted great. The packaging of this product needed to convey all this information in a way that consumers could clearly understand and also have shelf impact.”
Fresh brand ambassador
DJ Fresh has been appointed as a Cipla Nutrition brand ambassador and is on a mission to get healthy. Fresh is in the midst of training with fellow Cipla Nutrition ambassador and accredited personal trainer, Adrian Colyn, to bring him down to a healthier weight.
The muso says that his decision to represent Cipla Nutrition stems from the brand’s extensive research and formidable reputation: “As a public figure, I feel it is important to set an example to fans by focusing on a healthy lifestyle and, of course, looking good does no harm, especially when you are constantly in the public eye.”
Cipla Nutrition is a sports-nutrition brand which is an extension of South African pharmaceutical company, Cipla SA.
Shelf Life is a weekly column by Louise Marsland on MarkLives. Tweet new product, packaging and design launches to @louise_marsland 
or email her at louise.marsland at gmail.com. Want to sponsor Shelf Life? Contact us here.
Louise has written about the FMCG, media, marketing and advertising industry for 20 years as a former editor of magazines AdVantage, Marketing Mix and Progressive Retailing, as well as websites Bizcommunity.com and FMCGFiles. She also edited the weekly Wednesday Media & Marketing Page for The New Age newspaper. She is currently the publishing editor of industry trendwatching portal, TRENDAFRiCA, for consumer insight, research and trends in Africa; a regular industry columnist and speaker; a consultant on content strategy; and contributing editor to Fast Company South Africa magazine, which has just launched in South Africa.
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