Even in tough times, you can’t keep the American entrepreneur down. Take the example of Sean O’Connor who has already tasted success from pancake batter in a can and is now cooking up a retro TV ad campaign to expand his reach, and profits. I’m going to have to track down these ready to cook all organic pancakes and try them. After all, who isn’t a sucker for alphabet or animal shaped pancakes during the holidays? (more…)  UPDATE: On our second can of Batter Blaster.  Can’t decide how I feel about this product but I will say it was a huge hit Saturday morning after a rowdy tween girl sleepover.

Coca-Cola Co announced it has developed a new plastic bottle that is partly made from sugar cane and molasses, raising the bar in the battle for the most environmentally friendly packaging. Coke will test the new bottle in North America with Dasani bottled water and certain carbonated brands later this year. The test will expand to the vitaminwater brand in 2010. Up to 30 percent of the new “plantbottle” will be made from a material derived from sugar cane and molasses, which is a by-product of sugar production, Coke said. Admirable and cool from an innovation standpoint but at the end of the day what difference will it make? Existing Coca-Cola packaging can be recycled. Will this package be? For those who don’t recycle, the new package is still made with a large percent of materials that will not degrade. I suppose you can argue it is a step in the right direction but it feels like a tiny baby step. It’s not easy being green.  (more…)

Size does matter these days — particularly in the freezer aisle, where Ben & Jerry’s is mounting a pint-sized assault on rival Haagen-Dazs. The popular Dreyer’s brand has decreased the size of its “pints” from 16 ounces to 14 ounces, and rival Ben & Jerry’s is trying to use that to its advantage. While downsizing contents is a long held practice to hold price steady while improving margin, it is starting to border on the absurd when the definition of a pint can be altered.  (more…)

If food can be comforting, how about packaging? With consumers embracing old-world classics such as casserole, some marketers are trying to get on the bandwagon by trotting out some old-school style. General Mills has given Target a month-long exclusive on retro box designs for some of its best-selling cereals, Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs and Trix. The package-food company is giving away and selling T-shirts with the old designs as part of the deal. ”Our brands have a history that spans many young adults’ childhoods,” Kerry DeLaney, associate marketing manager-Big G Cereals, said in a statement. “The retro-box concept is a fun and unique way to create a package design that appeals to Target’s guests.”  (more…)

The PepsiCo Americas Beverages division of PepsiCo is bowing to public demand and scrapping the changes made to a flagship product, Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice. Redesigned packaging that was introduced in early January is being discontinued, executives plan to announce on Monday, and the previous version will be brought back in the next month. (more…)

In the single worse labeling redesign I have ever seen, Tropicana has taken an easily identifiable and branded carton and turned it into something that looks generic and past its’ best buy date. It’s all part of a plan to turn around sales in the OJ category. “Tropicana is looking forward to helping people re-discover the functional and emotional ‘squeeze’ they get from drinking an 8-ounce glass of Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice every morning,” said Neil Campbell, president of Tropicana, in a statement. “Our consumers trust the Tropicana brand to bring them a healthy all-natural, great-tasting product and we’re confident the new marketing campaign and new packaging will really get their juices going.” Well that is all fine and good but now you can’t find Tropicana on the shelf. Good luck with that. (more…)