Anthem’s Amsterdam and Brussels team have released an innovative packaging design concept for cat snacks. Charmingly named ‘Snibbles’, the integrated 2D & 3D sustainable packaging design is inspired by a desire to promote more natural pet behaviours in the home.
There’s a driving market shift towards the humanisation of pet food, pet products and more specifically a migration towards healthy pet food solutions. This is now filtering out into other ways to improve the health of your pets – not only what we feed our pets, but how we feed them.
Many veterinarians believe that the happiness and health of your cat requires owners to encourage more natural behaviours. Hunting, catching and playing are all incredibly important especially when it comes to their food. Studies have shown subsequent notable improvements in behaviours with cats getting less bored, sleeping better and in preventing them from eating too quickly (the consequences of which are of course bouts of vomiting). When natural feeding habits are encouraged, cats also become more relaxed and friendly.
However, the vast majority of pet food brands in the market do not provide such feeding solutions.
Snibbles is an innovative pet food concept designed to promote the natural behaviors of your cat whilst also providing a healthy and tasty snack. Packaging communication is clear, endorsing and encouraging owners to allow pets to play with their food.
There are two product variants which are listed on the front of the outer pack, ‘Fish Bites’ and ‘Shrimp Bites’, the word ‘Bite’ indicating that the product is a snack. The back of the outer pack communication further supports the brands purpose and values with illustrations to tell the story of the products role and intended use.
Cat owners can hide the product in their home or give it directly to their cat. The structures of the shrimp and fish themselves are folded in such a way that they can bend and flex – mimicking the movements of a real shrimp or fish. As the cat plays with the packaging, the snack bites will begin to fall out. The more the cat plays with the packaging, the greater number of tasty snacks it will get – encouraging natural cat behaviours to improve the health of your cat.
The physical packaging is made from recycled paper and the design uses soy based non-toxic ink to protect against possible ingestion. Though why eat the paper when the bites are so tasty! The graphic design and illustration style are friendly and fun to further support the playful credentials of both brand and product use.
Designer Patrícia Pereira comments;“This project shows the importance of designing based on insights – focusing on gaps in the market not currently met and using design in brave ways to provide new solutions. Design is a really powerful tool in responding to changing consumer desires, it’s also a fantastic way of creating new opportunities for brands.”
