Author Topic: 2009 Clone Wars Packaging  (Read 12290 times)

Offline iFett

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #15 on: January 13, 2009, 12:44 PM »
I'm a carded collector and I think the design looks fine.  Nothing too over the top and I'm not crazy about it or anything, but they're nixing the Stormy/Clone concept rather quickly. 

Hasbro will own the action figure aisle this year.  They're getting their money one way or the other, plus THIS IS Star Wars.  It will sell no matter the competition within its own lines.
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Offline GrandMoffNick

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #16 on: January 13, 2009, 12:45 PM »
Hasbro will own the action figure aisle this year.  They're getting their money one way or the other, plus THIS IS Star Wars.  It will sell no matter the competition within its own lines.

Very nicely put!!!!!
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #17 on: January 13, 2009, 01:01 PM »
The current design was cool because you could scan left and see all the figures from one line, and right and see all the figures from the other line.  I think I'll miss that if it's not going to be that way anymore.  :-\
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Offline jedi_master_sal

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #18 on: January 13, 2009, 01:24 PM »
Now before it's asked, yes, I definitely feel I can design better than what this newest cardback looks like. Yes, I'm in Marketing and Advertising and have two different degrees (Industrial and Graphic design) to back that up. Yes, I'm an Art Director and utilize Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign (the industry standard, print design software programs) on a daily basis.

I know I'm not the only one who'd be interested in seeing what you could come up with here.

Well while I'd LOVE to design a new cardback for Hasbro, this is not something one can easily whip out in a half hour. The design process takes time as revisions are made, requests to those revisions, client desires, proofreading, etc.

Besides, I know no matter what I'd design there would be critics, especially since I've voice my opinion to the newest design. Besides, since I'm not getting paid to design a new cardback, I know that I just wouldn't put my all into it and that's not fair either.

So I'll respectfully decline. Not that I'm not capable, I just I don't have that time, nor the inclination to do it for free.
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Offline Matt

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #19 on: January 13, 2009, 01:29 PM »
Well while I'd LOVE to design a new cardback for Hasbro, this is not something one can easily whip out in a half hour. The design process takes time as revisions are made, requests to those revisions, client desires, proofreading, etc.

Besides, I know no matter what I'd design there would be critics, especially since I've voice my opinion to the newest design. Besides, since I'm not getting paid to design a new cardback, I know that I just wouldn't put my all into it and that's not fair either.

So I'll respectfully decline. Not that I'm not capable, I just I don't have that time, nor the inclination to do it for free.

Of course.  Putting your money where your mouth is silly.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2009, 01:44 PM by Matt »
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Offline Keonobi

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #20 on: January 13, 2009, 01:34 PM »
The current design was cool because you could scan left and see all the figures from one line, and right and see all the figures from the other line.  I think I'll miss that if it's not going to be that way anymore.  :-\

I'm good with the cards being different between lines, ie the Legacy having the picture on the left and CW having it on the right, my issue is that they put the character's picture low on the card, down where the bubble is, so when you look down the row, the picture is mostly blocked by the card in front.  By putting the picture higher where there is no bubble, there is more space to the card in front, so the viewing angle is larger, meaning you don't have to push the cards in front out of the way to see what is on the peg.
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Offline jedi_master_sal

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #21 on: January 13, 2009, 01:36 PM »
I don't remember saying you weren't qualified to say what you thought. I just think that having a big picture of Vader's head as opposed to the specific character isn't going to determine sales on them. I will admit that none of the economics courses I took to get my economics degree had formulas that stated whether Vader's helmet or Maul's head had an outcome on overall profit but this is just my opinion. ;)

As Keonobi said it was horrible to look through Indy stuff because you had no choice and with the new SW card you can just quickly glance the side. I like that.



I know you didn't say I wasn't qualified, but I've been on forums long enough to know someone might want to challenge my thoughts, so I figured I'd give my credentials first, so people would know where I was coming from with my thoughts.

As to the sarcasm regarding Vader/Maul's head, I'm just saying those were strong designs because of the iconic character. Individualized characters pics without any more punch is not going to be enough to draw kids and collectors alike in. People have to take a step back here and look at some of the characters we've finally got (or will soon get) in figure form. There are any number of Cantina aliens that a casual fan (not collectors) or kids (again not collectors) just aren't going to know who they are by the picture. So something else about the package has got to make them want to look at them.

While yes it's much easier for we collectors and even the kiddies to just look at the side pic to see who the character is in the package, ultimately I believe that hurts sales. We're going to look regardless if we can see the character from a graphic on the card or not. By us rummaging through the cards to look at the figures instead of a quick glance, it keeps us in the aisles just a little longer and almost imperceptibly makes other shoppers wonder what the hubbub is about. Having this big character pic is an easy out for Hasbro and quite possibly a nod to collectors by helping them to find things easier. It will make my shopping faster, but that for me also means I won't be in the aisle that long. I actually kind of like looking through figures and finding that one elusive one. Besides by being in the aisle longer I tend to help others find stuff they want, be they other collectors, kids or parents. Now it's almost goign to be a "drive by" sighting for figures...

And again, I still think this is too simple of a design for SW figs.
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Offline jedi_master_sal

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #22 on: January 13, 2009, 01:39 PM »
I'm a carded collector and I think the design looks fine.  Nothing too over the top and I'm not crazy about it or anything, but they're nixing the Stormy/Clone concept rather quickly. 

Hasbro will own the action figure aisle this year.  They're getting their money one way or the other, plus THIS IS Star Wars.  It will sell no matter the competition within its own lines.

Oh it will sell no doubts. But it will already have stiff competition from Joes and Transformers, let alone the economy in general.

The design team needed to bring their "A" game and I think they've brought their "C" game or "B-" at best.
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Offline ruiner

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #23 on: January 13, 2009, 01:45 PM »
Quote from: jedi_master_sal link=topic=18699.msg410062#msg410062
  So something else about the package has got to make them want to look at them.


Maybe the big honkin red Star Wars logo will do the trick, no?
« Last Edit: January 13, 2009, 01:46 PM by ruiner »

Offline GrandMoffNick

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #24 on: January 13, 2009, 01:48 PM »
Quote from: jedi_master_sal link=topic=18699.msg410062#msg410062
  So something else about the package has got to make them want to look at them.


Maybe the big honkin red Star Wars logo will do the trick, no?

Good call (and it made me laugh). The more I look at the new package, the more I like it. I like the attention on the picture being given to the specific character and not something generic. I'm not discussing this as far a overall sales here, but just what I am going to enjoy having in my collection.
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Offline Keonobi

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #25 on: January 13, 2009, 01:49 PM »
While yes it's much easier for we collectors and even the kiddies to just look at the side pic to see who the character is in the package, ultimately I believe that hurts sales.

That's probably reasonably accurate.  I think studies have shown there's a positive relationship between the amount of time spent shopping and amount spent (in dollars).  From that perspective, i bet the current cards are very successful for Hasbro, since at the most basic level they are very similar to the casual buyer (think the Grandmother you saw looking through the toy isle prior to Christmas).  So the fact they had to look through a whole bunch of figures for the "Drath Vaber" figure that Johny wanted might have increased sales.  Then if they didn't have one of those, she picked up the evolutions or Battlepack instead, precisely because she just looked at 70 figures and spent 10 minutes doing it, and isn't going to three stores to find it etc.

I just think for me, a causal collector, who is looking for a particular character, the so called "drive by" shopper, since I'm in the store for 5 other things, not that; I'd prefer to quickly see whats available and find what I was looking for.  I'm still happy to help more novice buyers and do as often as the situtation presents itself.

Thanks for the design and marketing perspective jedi_master_sal, its nice to get a different take than I initially had.
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Offline GrandMoffNick

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #26 on: January 13, 2009, 01:56 PM »
I'm sure what you are saying is right. But I also don't think Grandma is going to just do a drive by shopping, not see Drath Vaber and make a run for the door. She is going to have to look through the figs for a longer period of time anyway.

And by the way does anyone know where you can pick up a Drath Vaber figure? I still don't have one and he probably is my favorite character. I bet he's been in stores on the pegs but after thumbing through so many figs for so long I just gave up. I bet I'll be able to find him easier in the new packaging. j/k  ;)
« Last Edit: January 13, 2009, 01:58 PM by GrandMoffNick »
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Offline Jayson

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #27 on: January 13, 2009, 02:11 PM »
I think this line’s packaging will help sales, not hurt.

I too didn’t like it at first but it has started to grow on me after toying around with it. It seems like the natural follow up to the angular TAC 2007 packaging more than the current CW/TLC design.

Also, some of the most successful basic card designs (VINTAGE, VOTC/VTSC, OTC, TSC & TAC) benefitted strongly from having large character art to “sell” the look rather than the generic design card backs of POTF2, TPM, POTJ, SAGA, Animated CW and ROTS.

The promeninet artwork helped give the figure context in the Star Wars universe - especially for kids who aren’t “hip” on all things Star Wars, but remember seeing the cool character in the movie, cartoon, comic etc. and I think this new design will do the same.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2009, 02:14 PM by Jayson »
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Offline Nicklab

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #28 on: January 13, 2009, 02:21 PM »
The new look seems like an evolutionary step forward from the current line look.  It maintains the current white theme, but moves on in a way that's in line with the look of the Clone Wars series.

But we're only seeing the Clone Wars look.  I wonder what the Saga line look will be like in comparison.
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Offline Keonobi

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Re: New Star Wars Packaging
« Reply #29 on: January 13, 2009, 02:25 PM »
And by the way does anyone know where you can pick up a Drath Vaber figure? I still don't have one and he probably is my favorite character.j/k  ;)

Yeah, he was a very limited release.  In fact he was planned to be KB exclusive for 2009.
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