BIG STEPS 5: Danone Oikos, should Danone take the step?

Next in our series on brands courageously taking risks is Danone's Greek yogurt, Oikos. Compare this student redesign, to the old design. Should Danone take the leap?

Here is one of the versions it looked like before. Which looks more appetizing and healthy?

This design by Diego Frayle and Maria Andrea Galindo, was a student project for their Master’s Degree in Packaging Design, in Barcelona. The project was to redesign the packaging range of Greek yogurt Danone to enter the market with a new line of design, applying its new naming: "Danone Oikos"

Their proposal keeps the most representative parts of the old pack, but the "O" becomes a bowl and the blue color keeps the color code category, but is more classy and elegant. The white color evokes the marble of traditional Greek architecture, and the circular geometric design in different colors allows for easy flavor differentiation. The purity of the white really stands out on a shelf and lets all the attention go to the brand name, flavor, and company logo. (See our post with examples of how often flavor differentiation is ignored in the Czech Republic, here)

Notice the effect the clean, white, uncluttered design has on you. How does it make your eyes feel?

What is even more interesting is that this redesign was a student design for a Master's Degree in Packaging Design. To those who have only childhood memories of the end of the 20th Century, this feels like the future. It is clean, it is new. It contains traditional elements, but is not tied to tradition or to the old rules of packaging design. This design shows a willingness to experiment and take risks. (See point 5 of our post on Michael Hendrix's presentation at the Dieline summit in Paris on The Designers of the Future.)

The Point: Young people are the markets of the future. Would it not be wise for Danone to listen to them (see Customer-Centricity), and put the 20th Century behind them, and redefine the look and feel of the 21st Century? If companies are too big and old and stuck in the 20th Century, how are younger consumers (who are building their life-long brand relationships) going to respond these old companies?

So, should Danone go for this redesign? Leave a comment below and join the discussion.

Our Challenge: What elements of your brand are stuck in the clutter of 20th Century design? The future belongs to the courageous. It belongs to those who are willing to give up the old rules and change with the times. What BIG STEPS can you take to update your brand, to make it more agile and viable? What BIG STEPS can you take to make sure your brand is not a dead end on the evolutionary tree?

See the original post on Packaging of the World here.