Different but the same

Sometimes it’s not a whole package, but just a logo I find and it really sums up the product anyway.   The Burger King logo on the left is a little grainy but that’s what I had to work with from this 1983 ad for their exciting new  salad bar (and I really hope I’m not the only one who remembers the salad bar).  It was pretty exciting at the time.  I remember going to our local Burger King in Milford, MA and my dad would be “healthy” and get the salad bar only to glob blue cheese dressing all over his vegetarian masterpiece.

The old logo is a simple graphic of a burger bun sandwiching the words “Burger King”.  The text is kind of  pillowy and cartoonish but playful and friendly.  The simplicity of the logo makes it easily recognizable and lets you hardly have to think when you see it to get an idea of what they’re all about.

The new logo is similar but more sleek.  The text is now at a sporty slant and the bun is rounded and shiny so that it looks almost like two halves of a yellow ball instead of a burger bun.  There is also the addition of a blue line that almost encompasses the logo.  I’m not sure what that’s for but it kind of adds to the sporty look of the slanted text and shiny bun-ball.

I like the simpicity of the old logo and the more realistic shape of the bun.  The text of the new logo is good  but I don’t really like the bun and the blue line is one-too-many primary colors making it look like a pre-school/day care sign to me.

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Bounce, I’ve noticed has gone through a few changes through the years.  I don’t know why I’ve even noticed, I don’t even buy it but it’s always been one of the most familiar fabric softening products on the shelves.

The box on the top is from a 1977 add I think it does a great job at being attention-grabbing with vibrant colors surrounding thick white letters.  I love the font too, it’s round like something that should bounce and the multi-colored outlines of the word give it a little bouncy effect too.  I feel like it should even just take over the whole box and out the “A remarkable fabric softener that works in the dryer!” somewhere maybe under the “e”.  But I guess in 1977 this was really exciting news and it needed it’s own portion of the label.

The new box is also attention-grabbing with the bright orange package.  There’s a kind of spyglass view of some laundry hanging on a line in a field and some sort of dotted pattern that may be a 3D visual of a ball…maybe?
The title text is okay but it bothers me how the “u” and the “n” are merged and look more like a sideways “s”.  In general this is a recognizable package but I think the old one is cuter.

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Does it get any cuter than stylized faceless babies? No, of course not!  Even as a kid I remember really liking the Luvs logo.  It’s just so simple, like a pedestrian crossing sign or a bathroom gender indicator.  Minimal design with easily recognizable message.    I do find it a little curious that just the “L” in the title is in cursive but it doesn’t look bad. I think the this package is missing information like size and number of diapers but I guess it’s to be formatted into the ad, but I don’t think much more was added to it anyway.

The new Luvs is more colorful, instead of a designed graphic of a baby, there is an actual baby.  It looks like he’s having a good time but I don’t think he’s as pleasant to look at.   The font as changed to an outlined and bubbled text.  There are all sorts of stripes going on with 4 or 5 different colors and a couple of squares at the botom with a diagram, size indicator and diaper count.

I think the new box is too loud and busy.  I know it’s mean, but I like the graphic better than the photo of a real baby.
The colors and bubble font make it look cheap and like a lesser quality diaper.

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As I’ve mentioned before, Oreos were not allowed in our house  growing up and we just had Hydrox but when I was at friends’ houses they would always have Oreos so I got to experience them there.  In general I didn’t notice a huge difference in taste.  I’m not much of a black-cookie fan but I like them for a great Jell-O recipe my Auntie  Harriet used to make. 

The old Oreo package is from 1981, I really like the visual of the rows of horizontally lined up cookies with the diagonal design in the lower  right-hand corner.  The Oreo title font is in caps but doesn’t look like it’s shouting and the letters are playfully alternating alignment.  The Nabisco logo works very nicely in it’s trademark upper-left hand corner and adds some nice color to the blue, black  (I consider the see-through window to he black cookies as part of the design)and white packaging.   It’s simple and minimal.  To me, looks like art.

The new package conceals the contents inside with a more functional resealable flap.  The design colors are basically the same: blue, black and white with the red logo in the corner.  Instead of seeing the lined up cookies, we are shown a large detailed graphic of one cookie splashing into milk.  The background blue uses a kind of gradient that looks kind of like a glow around the Oreo.  The title font letters are lined up, outlined and shaded.  It looks like a superhero version of the Oreo title.

I have to go with the old one for is oh-so-pleasant appearance and simple design.  The new one just looks too “pumped up”.

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I used to love sprite then somehow we’ve lost touch through the years.  I try it once in a while but it’s just not as enjoyable as remember.  Maybe it’s the whole corn syrup thing.  But I do remember what it tasted like so many years ago.  I usually got it at the skating rink in a wax-coated  paper cup with crushed ice and I’ll just remember it that way.

The 1986 bottle is mostly cylinder shaped with a reinforced thick plastic base.  The label is dark green with thick white letters spelling “Sprite” and the “i” is dotted with a lime and a lemon.  Under the title is the exclamation of “Great Lymon Taste” in a sporty yellow cursive font.    In the same shade of yellow, the words “Caffeine Free” top the label and that’s pretty much all there is and all there is you need to know.

The new bottle is reminicent of the old design with the dimpled texture.  The label has shrunk to basically a band that runs across the middle of the bottle.  The logo has changed to a more sporty title font and the “i” is getting slammed with a “lymon” that creates a splash effect.  The background is green at the base and transforms to a dark blue towards the top.

I like the older Sprite’s bottle shape and the simple label and the lemon/ lime graphic.  I think the larger letters work better for shelf visabilty too- And, I like the darket green color better too.

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I can honestly say that I’ve never had Hamburger Helper. I almost feel like it’s too late to start trying it now because it seems like something that should be experienced as a kid but I guess that’s just because that’s when I first became aware of it.  I was very familiar with their commercials though and everyone knows the helper hand (does he have a name? I always think he’s just called “Hand”).  I always wondered why he’s missing a digit – maybe he was helping out too  much and lost it in some sort of kitchen accident?

The old box has a flat white background and simple, flat, black text.  They want to emphsise that this is a one skillet meal by displaynig the product in a skillet and include the text “One Skillet method”.  The Betty Crocker spoon is involved in the action of the layout and almost looks like it’s mixing the meal in the skillet.
“Hand” is behind the pan and looks happy but there’s something about his eyebrows that makes him look slightly unsure.   Kind of like he’s saying “Here you go, I hope you like it.  Looks good, right?”

The new box has a silhouette of what looks like a house with one of those Amityville attic windows at the top.  In this area is the title text which has been changed to white and s beveled and shaded.  Cheeseburger Macaroni has been changed to Double Cheeseburger Macaroni, which might explain why you used to be directed to “add to 1lb. hamburger”  and now you just “add hamburger” so I guess you can add as much as you want?  I’m sure the directions on the back must say how much but maybe 1lb doesn’t seem like a lot these days and they don’t want you to think it won’t be enough for your family(?).
Hand looks like he got a modern day digital makeover and lost the claymation look.  He does look more happy though.
The product has moved from the skillet onto a plate and there is no mention of how this is a one skillet meal.  The overall design looks lighter and more fresh than the old. I’d say the only thing I’m really not crazy about is the house shape and the window.

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Finally I had lucked out.  My Dad, who kept what I call “pretend kosher”, would only let my sisters and I eat Hydrox and never Oreos.   (We also couldn’t eat Ritz crackers but could have Hi-Hos).  So when the awesomeness knows as Hydrox Doubles came out we felt like we were eating what normal kids ate.   And these were good : )

I think this packaging is effective because it maintains the band of yellow at the top to display the Sunshine name and logo, but also leaves plenty of room for the product design.
The words “Hydrox” and “Doubles”  are both in a kind of bubble font that emanates fullness.  There is a nice clear graphic of the cookie with the top off so you you can see what makes this product different than a regular Hydrox.  Also I really like the strong difference in colors between the varieties.  From the store shelf, it’s easy to identify what flavor is in the package.  Personally, Chocolate Fudge was my favorite.
What do you think?

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I remember this stuff was a luxury that was rarely used in our house. Only for when company was coming over, and it depended what company.  I don’t think I’ve lived in a place that has had wall-to-wall carpeting since moving out of the house so I haven’t ad a need to use Love My Carpet but it’s good to see it’s still around and it must have a strong following to survive 25 or so years. 

I’ll say right from the start, I like the old one (from a 1985 ad) better just because it’s so “Cathy“.  I just love the font because it’s cartoony, yet typewritery looking, I don’t know what you’d call it, but I’m sure it has a name.  This package really shows the love with not one, but two rows of hearts at the bottom of the can, a heart as the “o” in “Love” and even one embossed on the cap.  Like the layout for the cans, the 4 available scents were simple: Regular, Forest Fresh, Floral Fresh and Soft Scent.  I really like the flat colors and straighforward layout.

The new can only has one heart, but it’s still standing in place of the “o” in “Love”.  The title is a more “grown up” looking font, it’s slightly beveled and has back glow thing going on.  As with a lot of newer packaging, there is the addition of a realistic image to help identify the variety of product.  Another modern trend is making “fancy” flavors/scents usually using a noun-verb or adjective-noun like this here “Hawaiian Passion”.  Also, I noticed that they changed “Rug & Room Deodorizer” to ”Carpet & Room Deodorizer”.  It’s not major but I wonder why they chose to change “rug” to “carpet”.

Like I said, I really like the old package because of the simplicity and the whole Cathy themed design.  The new one is okay but just looks like any other household product.

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Kudos came out in 1986 and I’m not sure what the reason was that my parents never bought these but I vaguely remember my sister and I begging for them to buy some but we were denied.  Maybe they were considered too “candy” for my parents to buy, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it was because they were 12¢ more than Stop & Shop bran granola bars. I never had anything worth trading for it at lunch, but I did have these on occasion at friend’s houses and it was a real treat when that happened. 

The 1986 box has a white background and in this case green lettering and horizontal line that provides space for the one of three varieties that Kudos offered (Chocole Chip, Peanut Butter and Nutty Fudge).  The title font is an easily recognizable script type style, kind of like it was written with a paintbrush or sidewalk chalk.
The image of the actual product is appealing but a little unrealistic.  The granola is somehow spilling out of the chocolate.  I don’t get it but it it looks good and who can resist the generous chocolate covering that surrounds all 4 sides of the bar?

The new Kudos has changed it’s format in a few ways.  I was only able to find these offered as a variety pack and the only original flavor included was Chocolate Chip, new flavors included “Snickers” and “m&m’s”.  Also, instead of covering the granola bar completely in a chocolate coating,  the bar sits on a chocolate base and gets just a drizzle of chocolate on top.  I did some hard-core research (checked their website) and saw that they actually still make the Peanut Butter variety and  its in the original format of being totally blanketed of chocolate.
The package has darkened the background color to a warm brown with a slight gradient at the bottom.  The images of the product look more realistic.  There is a wave of yellow that runs across the box to let you know there are 100 calories per bar and something about how much calcium, vitamin D and whole grain ingredients are in there too. Somewhat impressive is the lack of change in the title font.  They have updated it with a little dropshadow and background color but for the most part it’s the same.  I think that might help people associate the product with its original format and taste since if I just looked at these images passing by them in the grocery store, I’d never guess they were supposed to be the old Kudos that I was deprived of.

The old box is less complicated and clear – also the product looks more appealing (just because it’s covered in chocolate).  The new box has nice colors but the bars shown are not as tempting.  Although, I can’t help but wonder if the exclamation of low calories, calcium, vitamin D and whole grains might have got my parents to by these if that information was on there 24 years ago.

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As I’ve been looking through old magazines I’ve noticed there are so many shampoo ads.  I’ll have to take note if magazines now still have so many shampoo ads.  I know there’s a lot of shampoo on the shelves in the stores but  it seems like there are just more varieties of the same brand.  Maybe not, but it seems like it.

The Silkience on the left has a kind of brown/grey background color with white printing. There’s a white line that divides the bottle vertically. To the right is the information of  what the shampoo does and to the left is the title in large cursive font that takes up most of that side of the bottle. The title is pretty much the design of the bottle and what makes it so recognizable and easy to identify in the sea of shampoo bottles that can be found on the store shelves.  Between the neutral color and classy font, it looks elegant and like something you might trust using on your hair.

The new bottle has a white background and a sticker as a label, instead of being printed on the bottle, which is a trend I’ve noticed with some new packaging.  The new label has the title on top and using a very plain text that pretty much matches the rest of the text on the bottle.  The word Moisturizing is just as large as the title and actually seems to stand out more.  They’ve also added a brown kind of fluidy/wavy graphic.  The whole layout and design seems like a hillbilly cousin of the orgiona lbut  what really cheapens the bottle is the bright exclamation of this being a 20 oz value size.  The whole thing just doesn’t seem as luxurious of a product as it once was (and probably isn’t).

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