BARRIER

Design: Getbrand
Location: Russia
Project Type: Produced
Client: Barrier
Product Launch Location: Global
Packaging Contents: Filter jugs and interchangeable cartridges
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Cardboard

The BARRIER company decided to reposition the brand and commissioned us to make a packaging design.

A task
The BWT BARRIER company is the No. 1 brand in Russia in the field of water purification with a market share of more than 40%.

More than 25 years of successful work, dozens of patents for unique technological developments, a modern logistics complex and its own research center: all this allows the company to provide consumers with clean and healthy water not only from Kaliningrad to Sakhalin, but also around the world.

Nevertheless, from the studies conducted by the company, some accumulated problems with the current designs of filter jugs and replaceable cassettes were revealed. A large percentage of people violate the terms of replacing the cartridges in the filter jugs, as they simply cannot remember the brand of the jug among the same offers, or do not know the resource of the replacement cartridge. This leads to the refusal of the purchase, or to the purchase of a new jug with a cassette in the kit.

Based on these observations, the BARRIER company decided to reposition the brand and change communication in the direction of maximum usability. Getbrand began a global update of the BARRIER brand by redesigning filter jugs and interchangeable cartridges.

Decision
In any hardware store, a shelf with filter jugs is a place of archaic and similar design, where 4 major players competed among themselves for the most beautiful mountain landscape and cup of tea. The BARRIER needed an uncompromising but elegant solution in order to stand out, and such a solution was found.

Two fundamental changes were introduced:
First, we abandoned the use of color photo images of the cartridge and filters. On the one hand, this emphasizes the status of the brand, its quality, and on the other, the assortment matrix of the company has more than twenty models of filter jugs alone, where each model has at least one and at most five different color designs. Repeating shades on different models would be even more confusing. The introduction of individual transparent stickers indicating the configuration and color of the filter jug made it possible to optimize costs in the production of packaging, as well as improve logistics, without depriving the consumer of the opportunity to choose their favorite color.

Secondly, we have introduced a new color identification that combines all BARRIER premium products into a single understandable system. The new design consists of two lines. Products with additional functionality, extended life or having an electronic indicator of resource control for filter jugs are highlighted in a line with a black background. A line with a white background – standard water purification solutions and classic jug models.

The key link of the entire system is a bright colored circle, the only colored element of the new packaging (except for a transparent sticker indicating the color of the filter jug), fixing each product with its own color. This allowed us to create a clear brand block of products on the shelf and solve the problem with the choice. Now the entire BARRIER product category is subordinated to the general visual uniformity, which made it possible to close the problem of the “second purchase”.

One of the separate tasks was the development of the conversion component of new packaging. Here it was necessary to solve three important problems at once:

• as simple and clear as possible to talk about the resource of removable cartridges, and the need for timely replacement;
• clearly explain what characteristics are specific to a particular product compared to competitors;
• to convey to customers the importance of a responsible attitude to the environment through the purchase of BARRIER products.

On the front side of each cassette we placed a large icon that repeats its silhouette indicating the resource of a particular model, and on the back of the package there is an infographic detailing the details of the remaining resource depending on the duration of use. Thus, the consumer can calculate in advance the maximum service life of the removable cartridge and to purchase a new cartridge in time.

Having extensive experience in the field of water purification, the BARRIER company is constantly working to improve its products and improve the quality of life. Even in the category of filter jugs, where, it would seem, everything was invented a long time ago, the company’s specialists managed to add a lot of new advantages to improve and simplify the use. Among the key ones:

• an electronic indicator of the resource of the OPTI-LIGHT cartridge, reminiscent of the need to replace the cartridge;
• improved cover design, allowing you to start using purified water without waiting for the end of filtration;
• “EASY-FILL” valve, due to which there is no need to constantly hold the cover when collecting water;
• reliable threaded connection, preventing the ingress of untreated water into the filtered;
• own mobile assistant application, which is designed to automatically remind you to replace the cartridge.

These key benefits have been combined under the slogan “BARRIER. CONVENIENTLY”. Each package of the filter jug inside the color circle now has the main advantage of a particular model, which instantly attracts the eye. On the flip side, a whole block appeared telling about the additional advantages of the brand. The information is presented as briefly as possible, but understandably, and the text is always accompanied by appropriate icons for better perception.

By structuring and highlighting only key things, it has become much easier for the consumer to choose the right model based on their needs.

In addition, BWT BARRIER is responsible for protecting the environment from pollution with plastic waste. It is no coincidence that this year the management began to use the motto “FOR YOU AND PLANET BLUE” for all projects in the field of environmental protection. On the packaging, we devoted an entire side to responsible environmental management, where with the help of infographics we showed how beneficial it is for nature and the user’s wallet to filter water, rather than buying it in plastic bottles. One replaceable cartridge can replace 350-liter bottles, which will amount to more than 150 kg of plastic per year. To minimize its own “plastic footprint”, the company launches a program for processing cartridges and cartridges. We are deeply grateful to BARRIER for such environmental initiatives aimed at preserving the fragile ecosystem of our planet.

A corporate identity guide has been developed for the new visual identification system.