International Fare originates from worldwide packaging research at GIO Global Intelligence, Chicago. GIO conducts fieldwork in product categories in 27 countries to gain insights on how packaging appeals to local consumers.

Colgate Palmolive’s Soupline brand fabric softener is a wonderful example of European packaging that blends into the user’s environment. The box’s contoured top and unique styling make it distinct and counter friendly. Its oval shape and smallish size break from more traditional economical packaging, and the individually wrapped heart-shaped sachets are memorable and easy to use. Colored plastic containers differentiate the three varieties, and the image of a baby emphasizes the softness and purity of the product.

Dispensing laundry detergents out of bulky containers often results in spills or inaccurate measurements. Ariel Liquitabs makes doing laundry easier with its pre-measured doses of detergent. Each sachet is a self-contained 100% water-soluble one-load treatment, thus eliminating waste and reducing the chance of spills. Rather than using an opaque material that would hide the product, the individual sachets are on display inside a clear plastic PET tub. A simple color-coded packaging scheme, one for whites and one for colors, makes a day of laundry easy on even the most unskilled domestic.

In the United States, Nivea is usually associated with women’s cold cream, but in Germany, Nivea’s Deodorant Aqua Cool Stick for Men is one in a line of products especially designed for men. The easily recognizable blue and white logo says Nivea, while translucent blue and silver styling gives the package a slick and sophisticated look that is decidedly masculine. The tapered palm-sized body fits nicely into the user’s hand, and an oversized screw device makes dispensing the product fast and easy. A blue-tinted clear plastic top effectively exhibits the rounded applicator.

Japanese consumers are forever looking for new ways to improve their bathing experience. In order to meet this demand, Ishii Kayaku Corp. has developed Bath Garden brand bath salts. This well-targeted line changes its name, the color of the box and the smell of the salts with each season. In this fall offering, Ishii Kayaku presents the cosmos flower (a fall cherry blossom) on a warm red background. The cosmos flower reminds consumers that cold weather is coming while the red background beckons you into a hot bath. The package includes a convenient reattachable measuring spoon integrated in the top of the container.