We’ve recently helped Carman’s launch their exciting Super Seed & Grain Crackers into the health category. Our challenge was to design a rigid plastic inner tray that would protect and display the product, but also provide the consumer with a unique extension of the Carman’s brand experience.

Birdstone worked with Carman’s marketing and product development teams, and their packaging supplier, to deliver a solution that was both creative and makeable. Our design strategy and process yielded several concepts that were refined for research using our prototyping service.

Despite the unique challenge and a tight deadline, we’re delighted to have played our part in delivering this clever tray design and support another successful launch for Carman’s.

On the back of becoming a finalist in this year’s AGDA Awards, we have been recognised as a finalist in the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards for Product Design for our Schweppes Glass & PET Bottle Design. We are honoured to be shortlisted amongst the best that Victoria has to offer in creative design across a broad range of disciplines.

Established by the Victorian Government in 1996 as the Victorian Design Awards, the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards recognise and reward Victorian designers and businesses that display excellence in the way they use design. Design is a strategic business capability and an important enabler of innovation and creativity for the growth of Victorian businesses and communities.

The awards provide an opportunity for businesses and the community to better understand the role of design in making products, services, spaces and experiences more functional, safe, efficient and attractive. The awards also help raise awareness of the impact design can have on productivity and business outcomes and the role it plays in helping to shape a better environment and society.

We are very much looking forward to the awards ceremony to be held at the National Gallery of Victoria later in the year.

The team at Birdstone are delighted to have been shortlisted as finalists in two categories in this year’s Australian Graphic Design Association Awards. Our Schweppes PET and Glass Bottle design is a finalist in the Packaging category, and our re-brand of the Cobber dog food range is a finalist in Design Effectiveness.

The AGDA Design Awards recognise the best work in Australia across a wide range of disciplines. The awards aim to further the discussion about design and to stimulate the creative progress of the design industry. They highlight every generation of talent, from students at colleges and universities, through to the long established leaders of the design profession.

“We have invited a select group of highly regarded creatives to assess the work over a week long period, to curate a selection of the most outstanding work and to provide our industry with a benchmark of creative excellence to strive for.” AGDA

We are looking forward to November when Australian design community gather in Canberra for the gala presentation dinner. We will keep you posted!

We’re always excited by challenging design projects, and there is no doubt that the Cobber rebrand presented us with many, from both a merchandising and supply chain perspective.

Our design strategy and solution for the Cobber range has been highly successful in the market, delivering solid growth and awareness.

After we have completed a project it’s always rewarding to see our designs in the field, and this great photo of boarder collie Riley, taken by her owner Bec Sneath demonstrates the new Cobber packaging at work.

Bec, is a beef and dairy farmer managing a property in Kyogle, in the far North of New South Wales. Raised on the farm as a sixth-generation dairy farmer, working with dogs and horses each day fuels Bec's passion for a hard day's yakka on the farm. In addition to running the farm she keeps busy with her own photography business, managing horses and being a mother of three.

Our redesign was a significant part of the overall Cobber rebrand strategy, which also included establishing the Cobber Challenge. Now in its 2nd year, the Cobber Challenge records the performance of working dogs over a 3 week period.

Riley competed in this year’s competition against 11 other working dogs from all over Australia. He placed 2nd with an impressive performance of 609.5 km covered at an average speed of 5.07 km/h. His Working Time of 120h 12m 45s was all fueled by Cobber Working Dog!

It goes without saying that farming has been doing it tough over the last few years, especially farmers with dairy herds. We have recently been lending a hand to Kirsty & Chris Hickey as they build a new egg business on their farm, after pulling out of milk production late last year. Kirsty & Chris are the fourth generation to work the land at Red Bank Farm, Trentham East, starting a truly pastured egg venture selling from the farm and at farmer’s markets. Their hard work has started to pay off having been asked to supply a number of retail shops.

We were happy to get behind this initiative and give some time in the studio to help out them out by designing a brand identity and some basic packaging elements. We designed an on-demand labelling approach with a focus on flexibility and cashflow management. They are now going great guns, selling out on a regular basis at the local IGA.

We think they have entered the market with a great product at the perfect time. New regulations are being introduced shortly to control producers and their claims of "free range" and "pasture raised". To claim free range you can have up to 10,000 hens per hectare. To call your eggs pastured the maximum allowed is 1500 hens. Kirsty & Chris will not exceed 100 hens per hectare, so these certainly are Happy Hens!

We are proud to have played a part in getting this new venture off the ground and supporting Australian Farming.

We are excited to announce our next Insight Discovery Audit will be to Europe in May 2017, to coincide with the Interpack Trade Show in Germany.

We have actively monitored the category & packaging developments in key global markets. Regular in-market Discovery Audits enables us to immerse ourselves in global retail channels, categories and industries to deliver unmatched insights and commentary to our clients. We are confident our market evaluations and commentary will add value to your decision making process and expand your knowledge base. We often go beyond packaging, also identifying product developments.

Interpack is the world’s leading Packaging and Supply Chain trade show held every 3 years. This year’s programs will include a comprehensive overview of trends, developments and innovation identified at Interpack.

If you require more information or wish to discuss in more detail our plans, especially the Custom Programs please call Iain on 0409 488 172 or email on iain.blair@birdstone.com.au

After a busy couple of years with more great clients coming on board, we have outgrown our second studio in West Melbourne. So we're on the move again...

We found a great space tucked away in the cool laneways of North Melbourne, but still in at the centre of all the local action. Queensberry Place is close to the corner of Errol and Queensberry Streets. We are close to great cafes like The Auction Rooms & 5 Lire, so we are spoilt for choice for excellent coffee to fuel the team.

The #57 tram rolls past the end of our laneway and North Melbourne Station is only a short walk away.

3 Queensberry Place has all the space to welcome our clients, house our team and to create and deliver great work. If you're close by, please call in and say hello.