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Compass Design Taps the History of Root Beer to Create a Package Design for Kemps/Marigold Frosty Root Beer Float Ice Cream

Minneapolis ( August 1, 2000) - I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream - Frosty Root Beer Float ice cream, that is.

At least that's the hope of Kemps/Marigold Foods when it asked Minneapolis-based Compass Design to design packaging for their limited edition ice cream, Frosty Root Beer Float.

"Our charge was to create a design that would immediately connect consumers to the cold, frosty taste of root beer floats," said Mitch Lindgren, Compass partner/designer. "And because many adults may not have enjoyed a root beer float since they were kids, we needed an image that would instantly take them back to those childhood memories."

To familiarize himself with the history of root beer packaging, Lindgren researched root beer packaging, advertising and other related items. "There's a whole world of root beer paraphernalia out there," said Lindgren. "Since its introduction, more than 1,000 different brands of root beer have been sold in bottles and cans of all shapes, sizes and materials, as well as dispensed in wooden barrels and porcelain containers. Add to that, root beer mugs, signs, emblems and other promotional items, and you have thousands of visual references to learn from."

While Lindgren was "drinking in" root beer history, other members of the Compass Design team were busy creating pencil sketches of possible packaging concepts.

"We ended up presenting three different concepts to the client," said Julia Hemphill, partner/sales at Compass Design. "But the one they really liked was one borrowed from a strong visual from root beer's past - the sketch which depicted the ice cream container as a wooden barrel, complete with metal binding strips." The type used in the flavor's name was hand-illustrated to reflect the simple block styles often used in advertising in the early 1900s.

The design's barrel-like appearance also was complemented by the container's new, oval shape. "Because the container has a wider top and a narrower bottom, it's shaped very much like a traditional barrel," said Lindgren. "Also, with the difference in circumference between top and bottom, the length of the metal binding strips varies, just like it would on a barrel used to dispense root beer syrup in 1900."

Compass Design is a dynamic, Minneapolis-based design office specializing in comprehensive identity and consumer packaging programs for established and growing companies. With its exceptionally experienced and knowledgeable staff, Compass Design strives for integrity and accuracy in its cost-effective, award-winning strategic design solutions. For more information on Compass Design, please contact Julia Hemphill at (612) 339-1595.