Food containers formed with one or more pop-out surface portions including advertising indicia and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A food container formed with one or more detachable surface portions (e.g., pop-outs) bearing advertising or promotional indicia and a method of manufacturing the same. In various embodiments of the present invention, the one or more pop-out surface portions are shaped such that they can be fitted together to form a three-dimensional object (such as a toy, model, or animal figure).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Tens of billions of dollars are spent on advertising and promotion in the United States each year. There are numerous advertising mediums (i.e., print, broadcast, outdoor, Internet, direct-mail, event sponsorship, etc.). By employing these methods, marketers strive to cut through the clutter of ads that bombard consumers in an effort to create top-of-mind awareness for their brand's features and benefits. Nonetheless, most advertising industry experts agree that large portions of advertising budgets (about 50% according to industry sage, David Ogilvy) are wasted. (It stands to reason that if you are only one of dozens of ads in a two or three hundred page magazine, your message can easily be overlooked.)

[0002] In the area of promotion spending, marketers experience similar unfavorable results. In fact, according to the latest data from CMS, Inc., a leader in the area of promotion research, only about 1% of the 333 billion coupons distributed in 2001 were redeemed (a decline of 11% versus coupon redemption levels for the previous year).

[0003] The advertising and promotion industry is clearly in need of a new and improved method to enhance desired effects on consumers. In particularly, it would be desirable to be able to reinforce a brand's image or usage, extend the life of a brand's advertisement and/or increase the level of interaction the consumer has with a brand's advertising.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] Detailed description of embodiments of the invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary food container including pop-outs for presenting advertisements to purchasers of food packaged in the food container;

[0006] FIG. 2 shows the food container of FIG. 1 with the pop-outs separated from the top surface of the food container;

[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates steps of a procedure for assembling the pop-outs of FIG. 2 into a three-dimensional object, namely, a model airplane toy;

[0008] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another exemplary food container including pop-outs for presenting advertisements to purchasers of food packaged in the food container;

[0009] FIG. 5 shows the food container of FIG. 4 with the pop-outs separated from the top surface of the food container;

[0010] FIG. 6 illustrates steps of a procedure for assembling the pop-outs of FIG. 5 into a three-dimensional object, namely, a cow figurine; and

[0011] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing major steps of an exemplary method of manufacturing food containers including pop-outs for presenting advertisements to purchasers of food packaged in the food containers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The following is a detailed description of the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention.

[0013] The articles and methods of the present invention generally involve providing advertising and/or promotional messages on unique "platforms" that do not (typically) carry advertising or promotional messages and that are on display among desired consumers for extended periods of time. Exemplary platforms include, but are not limited to, corrugated, paperboard or chipboard boxes used for packaging and/or delivering food (e.g., pizza, donuts, etc.)

[0014] According to the present invention, consumer interaction with an advertised or promoted brand and/or brand logo is increased by providing the consumer with a desirable object such as a toy or "premium" (e.g., airplane, truck, game, puzzle, robot, action figure, brand or advertising mascot, etc.) that is part and parcel of the advertisement or promotional message. By way of example, such a toy or premium bearing marketing indicia is formed as a part of, but is easily detachable from, the platform. In various embodiments of the present invention, a food container is formed with a plurality of detachable surface portions, one or more of which include marketing indicia. The surface portions (or pieces) are formed such that the consumer can easily assemble the pieces into a three-dimensional object once they are detached from the food container.

[0015] The present invention facilitates extended consumer exposure to marketing vis--vis the enhanced level of consumer interactivity that results from detaching, assembling, viewing and perhaps even keeping and repeatedly viewing the pieces of the three-dimensional objects bearing the marketer's advertising and/or promotional message (rather than simply discarding the food container, as in the usual case with used containers). The present invention also provides "value-added" to an otherwise single-use container.

[0016] Referring to FIG. 1, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a food container 100 is formed with a plurality of detachable surface sections (i.e., pop-outs) one or more of which bear advertising indicia. The food container 100 is a pizza box formed, for example, from corrugated cardboard, paperboard or chipboard. It should be appreciated, however, that the principles of the present invention are also applicable to other types of food containers (e.g., boxes designed to accommodate other types of food), and that materials other than those explicitly disclosed herein can also be used to form the food containers of the present invention.

[0017] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the pop-outs are formed within a top surface 102 of the food container 100 as shown and include a fuselage section 104, an upper wing section 106, a lower wing section 108, a tail section 110, and a propeller section 112. The fuselage section 104 is a two-sided piece formed with complementary slits 114 in its center portion and complementary slits 115 in its tail portion. After the fuselage section 104 is detached from the food container 100, the consumer can fold it in two along the fuselage bottom edge 116 such that the pairs of advertising indicia 118 and 120 can be seen on opposite sides of the fuselage section 104. The upper wing section 106 is formed with a pair of slits 122 and bears advertising indicia 124 as shown. The lower wing section 108 is formed with a pair of flaps 126, a pair of struts 128, and a pair of wheels 130. Each of the flaps 126 is defined by a pair of opposing cut lines 132 and a fold line 134 (shown with a dashed line). Each of the struts 128 is defined by a pair of opposing cut lines 136 and a fold line 138. Each of the wheels 130 is defined by a cut line 140.

[0018] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, advertising indicia are provided on the fuselage section 104 and on the upper wing section 106. It should be appreciated, however, that the advertising indicia can comprise one or more different advertisements, promotions, etc. and that the number and positioning of the advertising indicia can be adjusted or modified depending upon the particular nature of the advertising indicia as well as upon the particular design of the three-dimensional object which, in turn, determines which pop-out sections are most visible after they have been assembled (as discussed below) into the three-dimensional object.

[0019] Exemplary advertising indicia comprise a logo, design, image, symbol, text or any combination of these. The advertising indicia can, but do not necessarily, pertain to one or more of the following: a business entity other than a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food, goods or services other than those provided by a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food, and an event or other promotion unaffiliated with business operations conducted by a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food. It should also be understood that, in other embodiments of the present invention, the advertising indicia pertain to: a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food, goods or services provided by a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food, and/or an event or other promotion affiliated with business operations conducted by a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food.

[0020] A die cutter or the like is used to form, in a flat, a series of scores of various depths. Complete (through and through) cuts are made at the trim edges of the food container 100. Partial scores are made to the individual pieces 104, 106, 108, 110, and 112 of the premium in order to facilitate easy detachment (as shown in FIG. 2), either by hand or with scissors, by the consumer.

[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates steps of a procedure for assembling the pop-outs of FIG. 2 into a three-dimensional object, namely, a model airplane toy 200. Step 1. Fold the fuselage section 104 along its bottom edge 116 to form the two-sided piece as illustrated, and punch out the slits 114, 115. Step 2. Punch out the slits 122 in the upper wing section 106 (these slits used to house the struts 128 of the lower wing section 108. Step 3. Cut the flaps 126, struts 128 and wheels 130 and their respective cut lines 132, 136 and 140 (without cutting the fold lines 134 and 138). Step 4. Insert the tail section 110 and the lower wing section 108 into the fuselage section 104, and attach the propeller section 112 with a pin as shown. Step 5. Place the upper wing section 106 over the lower wing section 108 and insert the struts 128 into the slits 122 on the upper wing section 106. Step 6. Fold out the flaps 126 and the wheels 130. Assembly directions, such as those provided in FIG. 3, can also be printed on (or otherwise provided to the consumer) with the food container 100.

[0022] Various three-dimensional shapes and figures such as airplanes, trucks, games, puzzles, action figures, brand mascots or other items that carry an advertised brand's logo, or other advertising or promotional indicia, also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 4, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a food container 400 is formed with a plurality of detachable surface sections (i.e., pop-outs) one or more of which bear advertising indicia. As with the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1-3, the food container 400 is a pizza box formed, for example, from corrugated cardboard, paperboard or chipboard. The pop-outs are formed within a top surface 402 of the food container 400 as shown and include a body section 404, a forward legs section 406, and a hind legs section 408. The body section 404 is a two-sided piece formed with complementary slits 410 in its forward portion and complementary slits 412 in its hind portion. After the body section 404 is detached from the food container 400, the consumer can fold it in two along the body top edge 414 such that the pair of advertising indicia 416 can be seen on opposite sides of the body section 404. The forward legs section 406 is a two-sided piece formed with adjoining complementary slits 418. Similarly, the hind legs section 408 is a two-sided piece formed with adjoining complementary slits 420. After the forward legs section 406 and the hind legs section 408 are detached from the food container 400, the consumer can fold them in two along the top edges 422 and 424, respectively.

[0024] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, advertising indicia are provided on the body section 404 as described above. It should be appreciated, however, that the advertising indicia can comprise one or more different advertisements, promotions, etc. and that the number and positioning of the advertising indicia can be adjusted or modified depending upon the particular nature of the advertising indicia. As with the previously described embodiment, exemplary advertising indicia comprise a logo, design, image, symbol, text or any combination of these. The advertising indicia can, but do not necessarily, pertain to one or more of the following: a business entity other than a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food, goods or services other than those provided by a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food, and an event or other promotion unaffiliated with business operations conducted by a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food.

[0025] A die cutter or the like is used to form, in a flat, a series of scores of various depths. Complete (through and through) cuts are made at the trim edges of the food container 400. Partial scores are made to the individual pieces 404, 406, and 408 of the premium in order to facilitate easy detachment (as shown in FIG. 5), either by hand or with scissors, by the consumer.

[0026] FIG. 6 illustrates steps of a procedure for assembling the pop-outs of FIG. 5 into a three-dimensional object, namely, a cow figurine 500. Step 1. Fold the body section 404 along its body top edge 414 to form the two-sided piece as illustrated. Step 2. Fold the forward legs section 406 and the hind legs section 408 at their top edges 422 and 424, respectively. Step 3. Insert the forward legs section 406 and the hind legs section 408 into the slits 410 and 412, respectively. Step 4. Display the resulting cow figurine 500. Assembly directions, such as those provided in FIG. 6, can also be printed on (or otherwise provided to the consumer) with the food container 400.

[0027] Thus, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a food container includes a single-piece folded box suitable for storing food, the box being formed with one or more pop-out surface portions at least one of which bears advertising indicia. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a food container includes a corrugated cardboard pizza box, the box being formed with one or more pop-out members bordered by cuts, scores and/or perforations in the box, at least one surface of the pop-out members including advertising indicia. In various embodiments of the present invention, the one or more pop-out surface portions are shaped such that they can be fitted together to form a three-dimensional object (such as a toy, model, or animal figure). As discussed above, in certain embodiments of the present invention, the advertising indicia pertain to one or more of the following: a business entity other than a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food, goods or services other than those provided by a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food, and an event or other promotion unaffiliated with business operations conducted by a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food. In other embodiments, the advertising indicia pertain to: a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food, goods or services provided by a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food, and/or an event or other promotion affiliated with business operations conducted by a retail seller of food who is using the food container to package food.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing major steps of an exemplary method 700 of manufacturing food containers including pop-outs for presenting advertisements to purchasers of food packaged in the food containers. At step 702, flat-form sheets (e.g., corrugated sheets) are fed into printing/drying stations. For example, corrugated sheets in flat-form, which are made from a combination of linerboard sheets laminated to a paper medium, are stacked in a loading tray or feed section positioned at the start of the press. At step 704, advertising indicia are applied to one or more portions of the corrugated sheets at the printing/drying stations. For example, ink is applied at the printing/drying stations to create an image on what will become the outside surface of the food container. The number of printing/drying stations is determined by the number of colors being applied to the (corrugated) sheets, typically, from one to as many as seven colors. It is at this stage that the advertising or other indicia are applied to the (corrugated) sheets. More specifically, at this stage, both the graphics for the food container and the ad/promotional message to be featured on the premium are printed. The sheets now exit the final printing/drying station and, depending on the equipment used, either: exit the printing press through a sheet ejector where they are conveyed via a conveyor belt to be stacked on pallets by press operators, or go directly (via an in-line process) to the die-cutting station. The next step 706 generally involves cutting through the (corrugated) sheets to form the food container (e.g. box) design, and cutting, scoring and/or perforating along borders of the one or more portions to form one or more pop-outs for each food container design. For example, once the sheets arrive at the cutting station, either as a separate step or in-line, they are subjected to a series of rotary die-cutting blades where they are simultaneously: cut-through to form the box design (with the trim from the outer edges being removed); and cut, scored and/or perforated in accordance with the indicia or advertising design. In one embodiment of the present invention, these cuts, scores and perforations are made in such a manner as to enable consumers to easily "pop out" or remove the shapes from the box without the need for scissors, knives or other tools. At optional step 708, the printed and cut corrugated sheets are shrink-wrapped in bundles and palletized for delivery.

[0029] Thus, in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method of manufacturing food containers including pop-outs for presenting advertisements to purchasers of food packaged in the food containers includes the steps of: applying advertising indicia to one or more portions of a plurality of flat-form corrugated sheets; and cutting through the corrugated sheets to form a box design and cutting, scoring and/or perforating along borders of the one or more portions to form one or more pop-outs for each box design. In one embodiment of the present invention, this method further includes the step of: shrink-wrapping the printed and cut corrugated sheets in bundles and palletizing the bundles for delivery.

[0030] Containers manufactured as described above are then shipped, usually in flat form, to retail operators where they are folded/constructed into a usable form depending on the primary purpose of the container. For example, a box is constructed which has various shapes that are ready to be popped, perfed or cut out from the top panel by the consumer. After the initial/primary use of the container, the consumer simply removes the pieces from the top panel of the container and, following instructions provided, assembles them into the three-dimensional premium. The container is then discarded (e.g., recycled), while the three-dimensional "premium" is used or displayed by the consumer, thereby serving to communicate a specific advertising or promotional message on an ongoing basis.

[0031] Although the present invention has been described in terms of the embodiment(s) above, numerous modifications and/or additions to the above-described embodiment(s) would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the scope of the present invention extends to all such modifications and/or additions.

Claims

I claim:

1. A food container, comprising: a single-piece folded box suitable for storing food, the box being formed with one or more pop-out surface portions at least one of which bears advertising indicia.

2. The food container of claim 1, wherein the box is formed with corrugated cardboard.

3. The food container of claim 1, wherein the box is a pizza box.

4. The food container of claim 1, wherein the one or more pop-out surface portions are shaped such that they can be fitted together to form a three-dimensional object.

5. The food container of claim 4, wherein the three-dimensional object is a toy.

6. The food container of claim 4, wherein the three-dimensional object is a model.

7. The food container of claim 4, wherein the three-dimensional object is an animal figure.

8. The food container of claim 1, wherein the advertising indicia pertain to a business entity other than a retail seller of food who is using the box to package food.

9. The food container of claim 1, wherein the advertising indicia pertain to goods or services other than those provided by a retail seller of food who is using the box to package food.

10. The food container of claim 1, wherein the advertising indicia pertain to an event or other promotion unaffiliated with business operations conducted by a retail seller of food who is using the box to package food.

11. The food container of claim 1, wherein the advertising indicia pertain to a retail seller of food who is using the box to package food.

12. The food container of claim 1, wherein the advertising indicia pertain to goods or services provided by a retail seller of food who is using the box to package food.

13. The food container of claim 1, wherein the advertising indicia pertain to an event or other promotion affiliated with business operations conducted by a retail seller of food who is using the box to package food.

14. A food container, comprising: a corrugated cardboard pizza box, the box being formed with one or more pop-out members bordered by cuts, scores and/or perforations in the box, at least one surface of the pop-out members including advertising indicia.

15. The food container of claim 12, wherein the one or more pop-out members are shaped such that they can be fitted together to form a three-dimensional object.

16. The food container of claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional object is a toy.

17. The food container of claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional object is a model.

18. The food container of claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional object is an animal figure.

19. The food container of claim 14, wherein the advertising indicia pertain to a business entity other than a retail seller of food who is using the box to package food.

20. The food container of claim 14, wherein the advertising indicia pertain to goods or services other than those provided by a retail seller of food who is using the box to package food.

21. The food container of claim 14, wherein the advertising indicia pertain to an event or other promotion unaffiliated with business operations conducted by a retail seller of food who is using the box to package food.

22. The food container of claim 14, wherein the advertising indicia pertain to a retail seller of food who is using the box to package food.

23. The food container of claim 14, wherein the advertising indicia pertain to goods or services provided by a retail seller of food who is using the box to package food.

24. The food container of claim 14, wherein the advertising indicia pertain to an event or other promotion affiliated with business operations conducted by a retail seller of food who is using the box to package food.

25. A method of manufacturing food containers including pop-outs for presenting advertisements to purchasers of food packaged in the food containers, the method comprising the steps of: applying advertising indicia to one or more portions of a plurality of flat-form corrugated sheets; and cutting through the corrugated sheets to form a box design and cutting, scoring and/or perforating along borders of the one or more portions to form one or more pop-outs for each box design.

26. The method of manufacturing food containers of claim 25, further comprising the step of: shrink-wrapping the printed and cut corrugated sheets in bundles and palletizing the bundles for delivery.