Chocolate Packaging

t is Valentines Day. And your special someone has just presented you with this cute, colorful ballotin of chocolates. A neat red ribbon goes around the box culminating into a beautiful rose affixed on top. The back of the box has a special message engraved for you. Your face just lights up. And you haven't even tasted the chocolates yet!

Packaging of chocolates is as important as the chocolates themselves. A beautifully wrapped box of chocolates sends out a sublime yet effective pick-me-up signal that can be impossible to resist. Smart chocolatiers use this human emotional response to their advantage by packing their chocolates in creative ways to set them apart.

Our chocolate packing course consists of a series of workshops covering various gifting themes from personal occasions to group festivities were chocolate giving is apt. Concepts are chosen to acquaint students with the use of different kinds of packing materials and techniques. Some commonly used items are mirror, glass, cardboard, aluminium foil, and fabric. These are accessorized with stones, ribbons, motifs, flowers, buttons, etc. Questions pertaining to the functionality of each design element are also taken into consideration:

• Does our packaging offer the chocolate enough protection from the environment?
• What does our package inform the customer about its contents?
• How does this package communicate with or relate to our customers?
• Is the packing an integral part of our product branding?
• Does the packing act as a final sales pitch, enticing the customer?