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Available at www.productscan.com, the service is a comprehensive online database of new products. It has detailed information on more than 500,000 new product SKUs from 1980 to the present. It offers an in-depth look at new products with its Innovation Ratings. The service is updated six times a month with new information.

Packaging that helps consumers ease food preparation and kitchen cleanup continues to gain momentum. Dixie Ware Microwave Vent Containers With Lids comes from Georgia-Pacific Corp. to capture attention in the refrigerator. Components that enhance this product’s value reside on the lids that accompany the reusable plastic containers. The lids are vented—a tab sits on one corner and lifts to expose a small air hole. The hole acts as a steam vent while the tab helps to keep splatters inside the container. A second handy feature is the seven “buttons” that form a semi-circular pattern on the lid. Each button corresponds to a day of the week, and consumers push the appropriate button to let the family know the age of leftovers stored inside the container. Containers are available in 24-ounce, 32-ounce and 64-ounce sizes that sell in three-, four- or five-packs inside a die-cut paperboard sleeve. The age-indicator buttons can be reset. They eliminate the step of using sticky notes or tape in identifying the age of the contents.

Roberto Cavalli joins the parade of cosmetic products trading on the emotional value of a brand in order to attract attention on shelves.
Man Eau de Toilette Spray, made in Italy, appeals to the sensual side of men’s personal grooming.
Promotional copy states, “His clothes exalt the body, his perfume exalts the soul. For men, a hymn to sensuality unfettered.”
Both primary and secondary packages capture that essence. The glass spray bottles feature an embossed image of a snake slithering from the back panel, around one side and up the front panel.
The snake draws attention to the square shoulder and cap on the bottle, shapes that signal this brand is for men.
The snake theme continues onto the carton. Graphics and a “soft- touch” finish give the appearance and tactile sensation of a snake’s skin.
Suggested retail prices are $53 for a 1.7-ounce bottle of fragrance and $79 for a 3.4-ounce bottle.

With a glut of beverage products battling for market share, the edge may go to brands that do the best job of marketing their enjoyment aspects rather than functional benefits.

Dream Foods International follows this approach with Volcano Lemon Burst Sicilian Organic Lemon Juice with Lemon Oil. The product carries multiple healthful benefits—it’s organic and contains no chemicals or preservatives. But packaging for this product, which can be used as a recipe component, focuses on the enjoyment in drinking the juice.

The juice comes in a squeezable plastic container. The yellow bottle, textured surface and green cap give the appearance of a lemon. The container holds 6.7 ounces of juice.

The inside of the cap contains lemon oil that flows out when the juice is squeezed through for a "burst of flavor."

The enjoyment factor carries over to the lemon-shaped label, which contains the "romance copy" for the brand. Text states, "Taste the flavor of Sicily in all your recipes! Enjoy the perfume of Lemon Volcano Burst."

Food and beverage marketers could adapt this "burst of flavor" packaging concept to suit a number of products.

A bit of bleach can go a long way, and Clorox Co. innovates in the household cleaning supplies aisle through packaging that provides just enough bleach in just the right spot to get the job done.

Cloro’xs Bleach Pen is a gel-based writing instrument that’s suitable for both laundry and household uses. The manufacturer says the pen is effective on stains such as grass, red wine and tea on most white fabrics. Around the house, consumers can apply it on grout and caulking, and areas around sinks and tubs.

Each pen holds 2 ounces of gel. The product works by unscrewing the cap on the selected end of the dual tip. On fabrics, consumers squeeze the bottle to apply the bleach, gently rub it into the stain by using the tip and then wash the fabric immediately.

In household uses, consumers let the bleach sit on the desired area for one to three minutes, rub and then wipe or rinse the area clean.

This product should be a welcome addition in a category where consumers are demanding more controlled and directed product flow.

A bit of bleach can go a long way, and Clorox Co. innovates in the household cleaning supplies aisle through packaging that provides just enough bleach in just the right spot to get the job done.

Cloro’xs Bleach Pen is a gel-based writing instrument that’s suitable for both laundry and household uses. The manufacturer says the pen is effective on stains such as grass, red wine and tea on most white fabrics. Around the house, consumers can apply it on grout and caulking, and areas around sinks and tubs.

Each pen holds 2 ounces of gel. The product works by unscrewing the cap on the selected end of the dual tip. On fabrics, consumers squeeze the bottle to apply the bleach, gently rub it into the stain by using the tip and then wash the fabric immediately.
In household uses, consumers let the bleach sit on the desired area for one to three minutes, rub and then wipe or rinse the area clean.
This product should be a welcome addition in a category where consumers are demanding more controlled and directed product flow.

Graphics drive home the benefits of the Simple Solutions Pee Post, a yard stake that’s treated with non-toxic pheromones that attract dogs. The product comes from Brampton Co. Pee Post answers consumers’ desire to train their dog to eliminate in a specific area of their yard. This helps to maintain the lawn, makes clean-up easier and aids in housebreaking a dog, the manufacturer says.

A large graphic of a fire hydrant on the blister card helps make the product’s use intuitive. The card, at 53/4 inches by 14 inches, provides an expansive billboard that envelopes the product and is packaged in a blister pack. The manufacturer says that each stake is weatherproof