Morton Salt products have been gracing tables since 1848. The Chicago-based brand now produces salt for food, water conditioning, industrial, agricultural and road use.
In 1914, the company experienced major growth, due in part to an advertising campaign that introduced the Morton Salt Girl with her umbrella. Many branding authorities still consider the Morton Salt Girl and the slogan “When It Rains It Pours®” one of the greatest branding triumphs of all time. In 1968, the sixth version became what it is still today.
Morton has not undertaken a full packaging refresh since 2014.
A Design for the Ages
Morton Salt recently debuted a fresh new look on its range of packaging to bring more flavor to the entire lineup of retail products as part of a multi-year brand modernization effort to create a more modern and premium look that is easily recognizable and stands out in-store and on the digital shelf. The bold and contemporary design refreshes the iconic brand, while making its products more “shoppable” in today’s digital and in-store environment.
The company partnered with creative agency, Chase Design Group, to develop a premium visual design that showcases brand colors, geometric angles and sans-serif type to help make the packaging easier for consumers to navigate on shelf. The design is anchored by the Morton Salt Girl and a quality seal that highlights the company’s origins. The new packaging graphics also feature information about salt usage and carry the How 2 Recycle label for consumers to recognize its recyclability.
“We recently introduced the sleek new ergonomic packaging for Sea Salt, Kosher Salt and Pink Himalayan Salt in the past year to make the product easier to hold, to add new lid functionality (shake-measure-pour) and to make the packaging fully recyclable once the label is removed,” explains Denise Lauer, chief marketing officer, Morton Salt Inc.
The new, more stylish design stretches across Morton’s entire retail portfolio, spanning both culinary and home care products — from the table salts to water softener pellets, pool salt and ice melt.
Adding Augmented Reality
Morton also is releasing a new augmented reality experience that can be activated on select culinary salts with the new packaging design. Consumers will be able to engage with the Morton brand in fun and educational ways.
“As consumers continue to spend more time at home cooking and bring new digital tools and technology into the kitchen, this is the perfect time to deliver an all-new experience with the Morton brand,” Lauer says. “Consumers can simply scan the QR code on specially marked Morton culinary products then choose from various augmented reality experiences, including interactions with our new packaging, recipe content and the Morton Salt Girl.”
Morton is already rolling out its new packaging design at retailers across the country, and the updated culinary products will continue to roll out through the end of the year. Products with the QR code tags to activate the augmented reality experience are launching end of year as well.
