ASSIGNMENT
In fall 2012, I took a Package Design Two class with instructor, Ania Borysiewicz. In this class we were given the challenge to rebrand and design packaging for the convenience store, 7-Eleven.
RESEARCH
7-Eleven is now officially the world’s largest convenience store chain with 47,600 stores in 16 different countries. 9,375 stores are located here in North America. It is estimated that 7-Eleven adds another store to its worldwide operations every 2 hours.
7-Eleven is the first convenience store to operate 24 hours a day, sell fresh-brewed coffee in to-go cups, have a self-serve soda fountain, air a convenience store advertisement, add functional herbal enhancements to its coffee and sell pre-paid phone cards. For these reasons and many others, 7-Eleven is a strong and popular company.
During my research process, I visited several 7-Eleven locations and even spent a whole day using nothing but 7-Eleven products for food and hygene. I also conducted interviews with consumers I found that the general consensus is that 7-Eleven’s identity and retail environment was dated and a bit drab. It was my challenge to try to find a good way freshen up 7-Eleven’s identity without making it inaccessible to the huge market that it already reaches. I also wanted to find innovative ways to design packaging that was both fun and convenient for the quick, on-the-go persona that this company possesses.
BRANDING
KEY WORDS
urban, vibrant, provoking, edgy, entertaining, clean
CONCEPT STATEMENT
The new 7 Eleven is what they’ve always been, a place to get quick, convenient snacks and more. The new twist is they do it with a feisty attitude. The new, vibrant, model of 7-Eleven embraces being a bit radical, provocative, urban and unique. It’s a place anyone can enjoy going to, anytime of the day or night.
TARGET MARKET
For this new feel of 7-Eleven, I didn’t want to exclude any market. 7-Eleven has the strengths of being inexpensive and easy to get. The focus was on sprucing up the brand but not making it inaccessible to the target market that it already reaches. By giving it a nicer image it will not change target market but rather expand it. This upgrade will make more people feel comfortable in the store, especially those who might not have been before.
The new 7-Eleven has more personality than the current drab, sketchy feel that leaves people feeling uncomfortable and uneasy. I used imagery, packaging and colors that make people feel like 7-Eleven is a fun place to go. 7-Eleven now has a hint of maturity, vibrance and edginess. It’s a place people will visit because they want to, not just because it’s the convenient place to go.
LOGO PROCESS
I first sketched out 100 logos using several different type-faces, sizes and numeral/word combinations.
I then chose my favorite options and began digitizing them. At first I chose a wide variety of choices. Once I settled on using the option influenced by futura bold, I did several small tweaks, changing the angle of the 7, spacing, the width of the numbers and the length of the 7 vs the 11.
FINAL LOGOTYPE
This is the final logotype, influenced by futura bold. After much tweaking of the spacing of the 11 and the angle of the 7, I came up with this as my final logotype. I believe it speaks to the quick, unique, sleek and provocative personality that I wanted 711 to have.
FORM DEVELOPMENT
FINAL DIELINES
FINAL PACKAGING PROTOTYPES
Using vibrant colors for the energy drink helps convey the vigor that this drink brings. I used pink for the berry flavor and yellow for the citrus flavor. The stripes and tilt of the type on the back mimic the same angle in the leg of the 7 in the logo. This slant also adds a little bit of extra movement to the can, adding to the energy vibe even more.
The triangle-like shape of the tray was inspired by the arrow in the logo. Originally it was made to be a hot-dog tray but I made two more to show that lots of food, in this case pizza and salad, would fit conveniently into this shape. I modeled the prototypes by vacuum forming styrene and acrylic over a custom made wooden mold.
The condom packaging was inspired by a gum package. I wanted to design something that could discretely travel in someone’s pocket. The design is simple and has a medicinal feel to instill the trust and cleanliness that this product needs. The box folds open like a wallet and the tab slides in and out of the rounded-triangle shaped slot for secure closing. Once opened, one can push their fingers through the rounded-triangle to easily slide the condoms out.
GUM PACKAGING
This gum package’s shape and opening ceremony was actually inspired by both cigarette packaging and a lighter. I wanted to continue with the unique packaging idea I used with condoms where the package resembles something unlike the product but is still functional. The box is flipped open by pressing on the opposite corner from the opening. In this design I decided to use fun imagery of the gum flavors, in this case lemon and mint, to make them more appetizing.
For the potato chip bag I wanted to make it a little bit nicer than what we normally see. I believe the stand-up pouch is a good solution because the way it stands up makes for more convenience when the bag is open, so the chips don’t fall out. The design is clean and white but still appetizing due to the photography and use of color pulled from the potato chips. Like the energy drink, I used the stripes that mimic the slant of the 7 in the logo.
Energy Drink
Using vibrant colors for the energy drink helps convey the vigor that this drink brings. I used pink for the berry flavor and yellow for the citrus flavor. The stripes and tilt of the type on the back mimic the same angle in the leg of the 7 in the logo. This slant also adds a little bit of extra movement to the can, adding to the energy even more
