Special Packaging for Easter

Nur zwei Prozent der Ostereiverpackungen mit Osteraufdruck

Easter eggs for adults

Germans treat themselves to over one kilogram of chocolate at Easter. For years more Easter bunnies have been sold over German counters than Santa Clauses. According to the Association of the German Confectionary Industry, this is also due to the wider choice of products available such as gingerbread, cinnamon stars and the like to sweeten the pre-Christmas season alongside those popular chocolate Santas. The market for Easter confectionary is growing constantly: Germans consume an average of over 1 kilogram of chocolate during the Easter holidays; Great Britain reports its relevant market turnover to total some £ 340 million annually. And these delicacies not only delight children: the market for special editions for adults is also constantly on the rise. Luxury chocolate manufacturers such as Elisabeth Shaw are playing their part in this trend: for the current year this company has come up with three new premium packs for Easter eggs including a lantern-shaped design with practical handles as well as a golden box with an in-built viewing window.

New development by Crown's: LED lights in the packaging are guaranteed to attract attention on pastry and confectionary shelves. © Crown Holdings, Inc.

Luxury and elegance: Hotel Chocolat chose a diamond shape for its Supermilk Facet Egg 'Your Eggsellency'. © Hotel Chocolat

Specialising in innovative packaging, US company Crown’s has launched limited-edition packs with built-in LEDs. Thanks to the latest technology it is also possible to send individual video messages to smartphones through an embedded QR code. And “Hotel Chocolat” is launching the Supermilk Facet Egg “Your Eggsellency” – a chocolate diamond placed in an egg shell. In contrast with most competitors’ products the emphasis here is placed on rugged and strong packaging rather than especially thin units. But a recent study confirms that the word Easter only features on some 2% of all chocolate egg packaging.

Partnerships between food and non-food sectors

Lipstick plus sweets in an Easter egg © Markwins and the Mars Retail Group

Lipstick plus sweets in an Easter egg: the slogan “'Kiss the rainbow, taste the rainbow” is as colourful as the contents of the Skittles® and Starburst® Brand Lip Smacker Trios. © Markwins and the Mars Retail Group

Cooperations increasingly characterise the look and feel of limited-edition packaging. For this year’s Easter season US-based cosmetics company Markwins has joined forces with the Mars Retail Group and developed a special packaging unit for its sweetish “Lip Smacker” and the popular soft candy “Skittles Candy”. The XL plastic Easter eggs already reveal their colourful contents at the PoS, targeting especially the younger female generation round the globe. The campaign is entitled “Kiss the Rainbow, Taste the Rainbow”.

Fairtrade, Recycling & Co.

However, the environment is also taken into consideration at Easter time: at all stores of the British supermarket chain Sainsbury's the Easter chocolate packaging units purchased there can be returned. Also hailing from the United Kingdom is “The Real Easter Egg” made by the Meaningful Chocolate Company. Presenting the only Fairtrade charity chocolate Easter egg, the box contains not only sweets but also a bound notebook telling the real story of Easter for children.