Cigarette packaging color code

According to the EU Tobacco Products Directive, cigarette makers in the EU have now removed modifiers such as “full taste”, “light” and “soft” from cigarette packages. Andrew Karelias of Karelia Tobacco, Kalamata, Greece, said that the main thrust of the modifiers is: “We must not leave a brand behind another brand. A healthier impression."

Corellas said that this provision itself is contradictory. The European Commission imposed a ban on the labeling of light and ultra-light cigarettes because it believed that light cigarettes were not safer than full-flavored cigarettes; however, on the other hand, they were further reducing the content of tar and nicotine. In spite of this, Corellas believes that these provisions will not affect people's smoking choices.

Cigarette manufacturers also have their own concerns about complying with the new regulations. They must redesign their packaging in order to adapt to new and greater health warnings. They also need to find ways to rename their products and fully communicate with their customers.

Many cigarette manufacturers changed the name of their products in order to use the color of the box. Corellas "We have changed the names of some of our brands into colors - red for fullness, blue for light, and white for ultralight." He added: "For some of our other brands, We did not choose any color. For example, the mint type, we call it the 'softer' taste, and some companies use the 'fresh taste'."

Why use color

According to Claessens Product Consultancy, which specializes in providing brand recommendations and developing packaging designs, there are two ways to visually represent the difference in cigarette brand types. The first is to use smaller models than the original design parts—for example, Philip Morris can represent a lighter type of cigarette with a reduced Marlboro pack top design.

The second way is to use lighter colors. Lianne van den Berg-Weitzel, Brand Intelligence Manager at Claessens Product Consultants, said: “The color change seems to be the most obvious way to distinguish products on the shelves. Reading instructions there is difficult. While changing colors, the main shape of the brand can be preserved, and the recognition value of the brand display is preserved."

Many cigarette manufacturers have adopted a color approach that emphasizes the color of cigarette packs. "Some brands try to use color to guide consumers. For example, camel-flavored brands have been renamed camel oranges because modifiers such as soft-type and light-type are prohibited." Whitzel said. "Other brands like Marlboro are just cancelling the word 'light', but using color to differentiate. Consumers can only use tar and nicotine instructions to identify differences."

The third non-image method is to change the name.

However, colors may mean different things to different people in different cultural backgrounds. Therefore, international brand manufacturers must pay close attention to color.

The meaning of color

The reason why color selection is so important is because different colors contribute to different emotions and physiological responses. "Each color has a specific impact on people," Whitzel said. "For example, red is full of energy and energy. There is a scientific basis for this. When you put a person in a red room, his heart rate will increase, and his blood pressure and adrenaline levels will increase. It is a typical color to supplement the body with energy products such as Coke (Coca-Cola has a red outer packaging), Coffee (in the Dutch market, most coffee brands have a red outer packaging), and Full-flavored cigarettes (in western culture)."

He continued: "Blue, on the other hand, is a calm color. People react to blue in the opposite of red. Put a person in a blue room and his heartbeat. The speed will slow down, and its blood pressure and adrenaline levels will decrease."

Packaging designers must also be aware that different cultural backgrounds link different colors with different meanings. Whitzel said: “The meaning of color is influenced by culture. For example, black is a sad color in Western culture; in Asia, white is a sad color. Designers should pay attention when using colors in packaging design. These differences."

Once a color is used to identify a product, if it changes, consumers will react differently.

Consumer response

Due to various advertising and marketing restrictions, manufacturers should do their best to convey to customers information on product name changes.

Whitzel said that conversion is especially difficult for retailers. “The disappearance of product instructions has brought more problems to retailers. Unlike consumers, they need to look for more than one brand. Every consumer requires a brand with another look. Retailers must Find out more about what consumers need."

Classens product consultants believe that the trend of using color will continue. “Consumers have become accustomed to using color as a breed indicator because they are already familiar with the meaning of different colors. For new brands, it is much easier to adopt color codes that most brands already use and consumers can understand immediately.”

Large area cover

In EU countries, giant black and white health warnings currently cover nearly half of the area of ​​cigarette packaging. Since the implementation of the warning order, it has become a very popular trend to purchase cigarette cases and labels to cover health warnings.

After experiencing initial shocks, many consumers were angry or ridiculous and decided to cover their warnings.

Currently, decorative jackets can be purchased at tobacco kiosks and tobacco stores, and tags can also be downloaded from the Internet for free.

These cover materials are varied, including trendy artwork known as the “second skin of cigarettes” and black-and-white labels that appear to be EU warnings, but can bring pleasure rather than denunciation.

Some people think that cover is just a popular trend: "People cover cigarette packs is a new trend, it shows that people hate the laws and regulations. However, they will eventually get used to warnings and stop buying masking materials."