OUGD601 - Practical - LED Light Bulb Packaging - Development of Initial Ideas

Key Ideas 

- 'Make the switch for a brighter future'

Want to encourage consumer to change to LED lights over other types of light bulb. Prompts the consumer to change to LED  and links this with the positive prospect of a better future. The use of 'switch' and 'brighter' are visually associated with the product making the text appeal to visual mindsets. Using an image of a switch visually links to the text and product as a light bulb need to be switched on to work. Only having the lightbulb and text on the box might make the consumer think the product is a light switch rather than a bulb.  Combining the switch with lightbulb imagery or a cut out would help create the link between the text, bulb and switch imagery. Using a black background could create the idea that the bulb is in a dark room, with the text in white so it looks like it is glowing. Using yellow on brighter could further emphasise this as being lit up. Overlaying the light switch and text over the image is not as effective, however perhaps the box could be see through so the product can be seen with the text physically overlaid on the packaging. 'Make the switch to a brighter, greener future' links the practical benefit of brightness with a better environment as a result. The word green is easily understood by consumers because it is visual and is seen as a positive thing generally.  

It is important to use language that communicates to all types of consumer mind, with visual words such as ‘green’ or ‘pollution’ easily understood because most people are visually minded, when compared to sustainability and CO2 which are more scientific, rational and analytical which the public do not associate with (Arnold 2009). 

Using yellow on 'brighter' visually emphasises the word by making it look alight whilst colouring 'green' in green makes the word even more visually associated with the environment. The use of the green background on some of these designs is perhaps too bland and needs to be brighter to avoid it looking like the traditional green aesthetic. 

Other possible copy: 
Flick the switch for a brighter future
Flick the switch brighten your life and green the planet 
Flick the switch for a bright and green life 
Make the switch to a bright, efficient, money saving, low cost world

- 'Save Your Energy'

Creates the idea that the product is talking to consumer about its benefits. Could use purely typography placed in speech marks to emphasis this sense of dialogue. Using a speech bubble with the words above could make it look like the text is coming from the light bulb, reinforcing the idea of it talking. Placing 'Save your energy' within radiating lines could create the impression of the text being bright like a light bulb suggesting it is a good idea. To create a minimal design and let the focus of the design be on the words it was considered that they could be printed onto plastic, as this would also allow the product to be seen within without it having to be part of the design on the box. However the use of plastic, although recyclable is considered not very environmentally friendly, however it would protect the light bulb inside. Colouring the words using the energy efficiency colours could reflect the idea of efficiency within the design through both colour and language. 'Lighten your bill' could be used to suggest how the product is energy saving and cost effective, whilst continuing the link of keyword associated with the product e.g. light and energy. Each side of the product box could highlight a different benefit to the consumer. This could also act as a way of mythbusting consumers perceptions of LED light bulbs e.g. expensive, not very bright

- Light bulb radiating green energy 

Placing the light bulb within the radiating circles creates the sense it is radiating / glowing / emitting / using greener energy, implying how the product is more efficient. Highlights how the product uses energy more efficiently and therefore sustainably.  This creates quite a bold and clean design particularly when placed on a lighter background as this makes the colours pop. 

- Light bulb in the sky 

Ottman (1998) suggests environmentalism is visual, which should be played upon with large and bright illustrations, which will ‘strengthen the upbeat emotional appeal of environmental advertising’ 
To be more playful with the link to the environment and reduced pollution it was considered the sky images could be cut to reflect the shape of illustrative clouds, creating a textural, colourful and stylised design. Using light bulb imagery on the box would mean the image could be rotated upside down and attached to a cloud to create the impression it is hanging from it as it would hang from the ceiling. Using a yellow glow behind the light could create the impression of the bulb being switched on, whilst also linking visually to the sun, which combined with the blues in the sky imagery evokes a sense of the atmosphere in a positive and bright way.  Using a white background makes the clouds pop, whilst the use of a light blue to further emphasise a sense of the sky, perhaps makes the design look a little childish.