Truffles from Godiva Chocolatier Inc., New York City, are nothing to trifle with. Launched in fall 2004, Truffles entice selective chocolate connoisseurs through packaging that promises a richly rewarding epicurean adventure.
“The package design evokes the sensory experience of the new Truffles line,” explains Massoud Mansouri, Godiva’s senior art director. “The material selection successfully conveys elegance and sophistication, enhancing product presentation, gift-giving and of course, consumption.”
Tied up in a brown bow, the box’s rich chocolate color provides a tasteful background for the gold foil embossing of the Godiva emblem. The lid’s distinctive arched edge reflects the circular shape of each individual Truffle.
The rigid two-piece boxes used for Truffles are supplied by McLean Packaging. “Working with Godiva is always a challenge, they push the limits,” says McLean’s Joe Greenberg, manager, Godiva account team.
Essential to the lid’s impact-and the impact of the packaging—is an outside layer of Iridescents by Corvon®, a 7-mil latex saturated material with a suede-like feel supplied by Fibermark. Corvon combines color and depth to create a surface that shimmers as the viewing angle changes. Embossed with FiberMark’s proprietary Bengaline pattern, the material has a depth that subtly tempts shoppers to touch it. When they do, the overall visual and tactile experience is luxurious, and the brand communication is complete, according to Godiva.
Limited Edition debuts
A month after the debut of the Truffles collection, Godiva issued Limited Edition Truffles. The box takes the design concept a step further with an unexpected splash of color on the lid. The unique flavors include Horachata, Thai Coconut, Pabana, and Karibu. The box is also covered in a layer of Iridescents by Corvon that’s embossed with circular truffle shapes and printed with several high-impact shades of red. Mansouri says the added design elements evoke the concepts of aroma and ocean in a tropical imagery style reminiscent of a Paul Gauguin painting. The general design scheme was inspired by the exotic source of the various chocolates’ ingredients, from Thailand to Madagascar to Mexico, according to Mansouri.
LE converting at McLean
For the Limited Edition box, McLean receives the Corvon in rollstock, sheets it, and screen-prints it in two colors plus a coating that facilitates gold stamping, Greenberg says. After gold stamping, the Corvon material is embossed and die cut, ready to be wrapped around the box lid. The lid and base are made of 58-pt and 40-pt chipboard respectively from Bennington Paperboard. McLean prints the base offset in two colors and stains the lid interior to match the wrap.
The lid wrapping at McLean is done using automatic equipment from Italy-based Emmeci, which operates in the United States as Emmeci U.S.A. LLC. Greenberg says it’s difficult to get a tight wrap because of the stiffness of the Corvon imparted by the screen printing, but the precise registration coupled with the Emmeci’s fast speeds are ideal for specialty boxes like Godiva’s. The result is delectable packaging.
Godiva Truffles are sold online at Godiva.com and more than 200 Godiva specialty boutiques in major U.S. cities, as well as more than 1ꯠ additional outlets in fine department and specialty stores like Lord and Taylor and Bloomingdale’s around the globe. Truffles are available in 36-, 18-, 8-, 4-, and 2-piece assortments in similar box structures. The 16.5-oz, 24-piece Limited Edition Truffles retails for $45.
