The trend of blank cigarette boxes is becoming common across the tobacco industry as more and more countries across the globe outlaw black packaging laws to lessen how enjoyable it is to smoke.
Cigarettes are being sold in unbranded, standardized packaging in accordance with these regulations, which form part of a global movement aimed at discouraging tobacco use esp, especially among young people.
Among a bigger push to divest the tobacco industry of branding and marketing power, the drive for blank cigarette boxes is designed to promote public health rather than consumer persuasion.
Plain Packaging Around the World
There is nothing new about the idea of blank cigarette boxes; it’s just that it’s been gaining traction this year. Tobacco products must now be sold in plain, unattractive packaging without logos, images, or brand names in countries such as Australia, the USA, France, and many others.
But this has fuelled a big debate worldwide as supporters of plain packaging argue that it helps reduce rates of smoking, especially among the young, while opponents say it violates branding rights.
The thesis of branding and packaging is a central argument that tobacco companies have been using branding and packaging to attract new smokers and keep the old ones. Often, earlier packs, with brilliant colors, striking logos, and appealing images, sound designed to make young people think smoking looks trendy or glamorous.
By wiping out these things, plain packaging laws are meant to make smoking less appealing and to shrink its prevalence — particularly among the young.
Impact on the Tobacco Industry
To make up for its loss of cigarette boxes, many tobacco companies have had to change their ways of marketing.
Because of this, companies cannot use logos or unique branding on the packaging and have had to resort to more subtle strategies, like using colors and shapes that set them apart. But those efforts don’t work nearly as well as traditional branding has for affecting consumer behavior.
While the traditional tobacco industry has opposed plain packaging from a legal standpoint, the argument is that this infringes on the tobacco industry’s intellectual property rights and the right to communicate with the consumer.
Yet, many international court rulings have allowed such policies to be upheld by governments because the greater public health interest takes precedence over corporate interests.
Blank Cigarette Boxes materials used.
These blank cigarette boxes are made from different product-protecting materials so as to suit plain packaging standards and protect the product.
Some common materials used in the production of these boxes include:
Chipboard: Chipboard is a durable material that is often budget and hardwearing, so it’s the most straightforward packaging answer that can be straightforwardly printed with easy designs or well-being warnings.
Corrugated Board: Corrugated board is not most commonly used for individual cigarette packs. However, it is commonly used to package cigarette cartons. Further, it adds extra durability and protection during shipping.
Paperboard: It is one of the most used materials for cigarette boxes due to the complementary bound of affordability, strength, and flexibility in printing simple designs.
Kraft Paper: Kraft paper has been used as an eco-friendly packaging for tobacco due to its natural look, and it is gradually becoming popular owing to the growing preference for the use of natural and sustainable products.
Different materials have unique benefits to provide packaging manufacturers a number of choices based on the size of the budget, the need for durability and environmental concerns.
Finishes for Blank Cigarette Boxes
Even the finish of a cigarette box can come into play. Though branding comes a long way, packaging must still be functional and stylish. Some common finishes for blank cigarette boxes include:
Matte Finish: It provides a sophisticated and subtle look that might make the visual appeal of the product lessened with a clean, high-quality feel.
Gloss Finish: This is a gleaming and smooth finish, which adds a bit of elegance to the packaging. It’s unbranded but adds a better box look.
Soft-Touch Finish: This finish is often used to give a smooth, velvety feeling to the surface and makes packaging with it very easy to touch.
But these finishes do much more than simply provide a functional effect; they give vibrancy to the perception of quality. Even when minimal branding is removed, the right finish can increase the box’s tactile appeal.
Blank Cigarette Box sizes in the USA
Standard sizes for cigarette boxes exist in the United States, although manufacturers tend to follow appropriate sizes. Here are some common dimensions:
King-Size Boxes: Typically 84mm x 55mm x 23mm
100s Boxes: Around 100mm x 55mm x 23mm
Slim Cigarette Boxes: Generally 92mm x 52mm x 22mm
These sizes are big enough to fit a variety of cigarette sizes such as king sizes to slender varieties.
Although plain packaging laws do not mandate a particular size, they do standardize all packs by the same regulation, and the size of the box is a significant consideration in the manufacturing process.
Benefits of Blank Cigarette Boxes
At first glance, blank cigarette boxes would seem like a loss for tobacco companies, but it actually makes them good for policymaking when it comes to public health. Some of these benefits include:
Reduced Appeal to Young Smokers: Campaigners hope to take away some of the cigarette’s glamour: blanket cigarette boxes, with logos removed and bright colors and pretty images rubbed out, are less appealing to young people, so they don’t take up smoking.
Standardization: The advantage of plain packaging is it makes sure all cigarette brands appear exactly the same, so one cannot be more eye-catching than the other purely for visuals.
Increased Health Warnings: Taking away branding leaves more space for health warnings pictures that show the severity of smoking.
Eco-Friendly Options: Blank cigarette boxes are produced using eco-friendly materials like kraft paper or recycled paperboard by many manufacturers thus promoting the newly weaving trend of sustainability in the packaging.
Packaging with Custom Popcorn Boxes.
Although seemingly unrelated, the custom popcorn boxes‘ design and use have applications for understanding a broader set of packaging trends. Much like blank cigarette boxes, there has also been increased demand for simple, functional, and eco-friendly designs in the food
industry. Similar materials and finishes are used for popcorn that could be the same kinds used for cigarette packaging, such as Kraft paper or paperboard.
The intersection of these two industries’ focus on minimal branding and environmental concerns reveals a shift towards a globally more sustainable, less visually lactating packaging.