Branding agency Derek and Eric has partnered with illustrator Joe Whale (also known as Doodle Boy) to re-design Little Dish’s latest pack in an interactive format, encouraging children to colour in and draw on the packaging.
Little Dish produces fresh and frozen meals for children with its Little Dish, BIG Dish and Superstars ranges, with its fresh meals served in wood fibre trays. For the new pack, the sleeve features black and white illustrations and an empty panel for children to fill with their favourite doodle.
Little Dish is also running a competition where children can submit their creations for the chance to win a range of doodle inspired prizes. Derek and Eric states that the re-imagined design is “a small shift that reframes packaging as a creative platform rather than just a container”.
In similar news, last year McDonald’s and BBC Children in Need debuted blank Happy Meal boxes, aiming to encourage children to express their emotions through art and start mental health conversations. Research commissioned by McDonald’s found that 42% of UK children between the ages of five and ten find it difficult to talk about their feelings with adults, but 73% feel more comfortable discussing their emotions while drawing.
We examine the history of McDonald’s packaging in a recent edition of our Iconic Packs series, from the launch of the Happy Meal in 1979 to its changes of material from paper to plastic and back again – and its recent incorporation of reusable packaging and recycled materials. We also look at how the company’s designs have evolved over the years and what design and material changes have been made to improve sustainability.
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