Every so often, I get the feeling that I and most of the people I deal with and write about might take packaging a tiny bit too seriously. And then I come across something like this. Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg recently wrote a column about the differences between English muffins. Steinberg is the kind of writer who can make anything interesting—he wrote an entire book about men’s hats. But what cheered me up about his column is that he devoted about a third of it to the muffins’ packaging. He wonders why Bay’s, a Chicago-based product, uses paper trays, and expresses disappointment that they’re wrapped in brittle cellophane. Two of the comments beneath his column picked up that theme. Yes, people, packaging does get noticed, and it does make a difference. (I also agree with him and his commenters about the cellophane. If you can’t afford a reclosable feature, fine, but don’t use a material that can’t be reclosed even with a consumer-supplied clip.)
--Pan Demetrakakes