By Liz Stevens, writer, PostPress

Good things, they say, come in small packages. Neenah, Glenmore Custom Print + Packaging, and Print Design Academy have proven that adage with a collaborative promotional project that combines small packages, evocative decoration, creative copy and more. Their project, “Folding Board Variety Pack,” features four little breakfast cereal boxes – knockoffs of cereal brands and flavors that evoke fond memories of childhood. The mini cereal boxes make for compelling packaging, and the set’s larger package is a winning design in its own right. Each piece does double duty with clever nostalgic elements and with print/packaging promotional value.

Headquartered near Atlanta, Georgia, Neenah Paper is entirely focused on the premium paper market. Glenmore Custom Print + Packaging, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, is a custom manufacturer of printed paperboard boxes, labels, offset print and digital print. Print Design Academy, an online entity, offers expert industry advice on print and packaging and is the host of a supportive creative community of designers. Michelle McDermott-Pautz, Neenah Paper’s senior channel leader, North America, and James Rowley, president and owner of Glenmore Custom Print + Packaging, gave PostPress the background and specs on this cooperative project.

The Brainstorm

“The idea for this piece,” said McDermott-Pautz, “grew out of a conversation with Dave Hopkins from Print Design Academy about how paper choice can dramatically influence the perception of a product, especially in packaging. We discussed the power of premium materials to elevate something familiar and ordinary, which led us to the idea of nostalgia and, more specifically, the mini cereal box.” She noted that for many people, mini cereal boxes were a small but meaningful luxury when they were growing up. They were something kids didn’t have every day, but rather enjoyed on special occasions like road trips, hotel breakfasts or school events. “That sense of rarity gives them an elevated status in our memories,” McDermott-Pautz said, “making them the perfect vehicle for exploring how packaging can transform perception.”

Reimagining these familiar forms with refined design and premium materials amplified that childhood feeling of something special, while repositioning the cereal box as a sophisticated, design-forward object. “The primary production goal was to demonstrate how thoughtful material selection can enhance both emotional connection and perceived value,” said McDermott-Pautz. 

Adding Glenmore Custom Print + Packaging to the collaboration team was a no-brainer. According to McDermott-Pautz, “Neenah chose Glenmore because of their commitment to quality, state-of-the-art equipment and ability to take brands to the next level with their expertise in custom packaging and print capabilities.”

Glenmore was happy to collaborate. “The team at Neenah,” said Rowley, “wanted to showcase a folding board product, and they wanted to push the paper to the max to highlight its ability to print both digitally and offset, and to emboss, foil and diecut. We, in turn, wanted to showcase it as an elite option for designers and for high-end brands that want to stand out on the shelf. The piece would connect visual, touch and smell by using a wide variety of stocks that allow the customer to see the full range of what is possible.”

McDermott-Pautz explained why Neenah Folding Board was the ideal choice for the project. “This project allowed us to showcase five dramatically different board options within one cohesive set,” she said. “This highlighted the versatility, tactile richness and visual impact of the line, while reinforcing the idea that the right paper can turn even the most familiar packaging into something memorable.” Info on Neenah materials is cleverly integrated into the design on the individual boxes. Neenah material specs for each box also are charmingly listed in a very creative way on the multi-box packaging.

Little Package, Maximum Creativity, Big Production Value

The Neenah marketing team started the creative design process by brainstorming cereal flavors and potential names that would coordinate with the 13 different colors in the Neenah^® Folding Board line. “At the same time,” McDermott-Pautz said, “we looked at the elements that were needed to create a somewhat realistic package and had the idea of including the ‘Nutrition Facts’ chart on each box as a way to include properties of each of the papers.”

The team also discussed different ideas on how to house the boxes together in a sustainable way and came up with the idea of an outer box with four diecut windows to showcase the four cereals. “We worked with a graphic designer who concepted the personality and characters that depict each cereal flavor,” said McDermott-Pautz. Glenmore Custom Print + Packaging worked with Neenah and the designer to advise on what was possible and how they could achieve the finished look that they desired for the project.

“The focus of this promotion is Neenah Folding Board,” said McDermott-Pautz. “This brand consists of 13 different colors in multiple finishes and calipers, all designed specifically for folding cartons.” The outer package includes minimal but vivid embellishment – providing “a tremendous opportunity to showcase the benefits and ease of use for a solid black board,” McDermott-Pautz explained. “It was printed with a single hit of metallic silver ink and embellished with a holographic silver foil. The four windows were diecut as well, and this is really where the solid black board shines. Minimal print needed, beautiful solid black inside and out – with no white edges.”

Each cereal box has its own branding and production story to tell. “Pearl Pops uses White Pearl, a C1S pearlized white board, which instantly adds a luxe feel,” said McDermott-Pautz. “It is decorated with digitally printed 4-color process plus a Kurz Pink Pearl foil and registered emboss.” Fruity Flakes, while also a white base, uses the 100PC White board, which is uncoated and made from 100% post-consumer waste – giving it a distinctly different aesthetic. The box is printed 4-color process on the HP Indigo 12000 with a registered emboss, and it has a Kurz Luxor Red foil to “make the strawberry the star,” said McDermott-Pautz.

Cookies ‘n Cream Puffs was printed on Deep Black. “This provides a rich, elegant and unexpected look for cereal,” said McDermott-Pautz. “The graphics literally jump off the page with two metallic gold inks and two blue inks overprinting six hits of opaque white – all printed offset.” Toasted Marshmallow Graham Bites utilized Neenah’s Desert Storm, a timeless neutral that lends a sustainable look. The marshmallow character and some of the graphics were printed with six hits of opaque white and two shades of brown ink. A Kurz Luxor metallic copper foil was then used as an accent.

Rowley described more of the production process. “The project includes hot foil in several different colors including copper, red, white and holographic,” he said, “as well as embossing, metallic ink, UV printing, digital printing and hot chocolate-scented coating.” Printing was done on a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106 (offset) press and an HP Indigo 12000 (digital) press. The labels were flexo printed and diecut with the scented coating inline on a Mark Andy Performance Series Press. Foil stamping, embossing and diecutting were done on an Eterna E-foil 1050. “One of the most unique features of the piece,” Rowley said, “was the hot chocolate scented coating, which adds the smell of a freshly opened box of cereal.”

The production included a few specialty requirements. “Neenah wanted a box that felt rigid,” said Rowley, “and for that, we added some additional rollover panels that added strength and a feeling of luxury to the piece. Our structural team also added small feet to the bottom of each cereal box so that the boxes wouldn’t topple over when sitting on a table or resting on a shelf.”

One of the biggest challenges was the tight registration across three to four processes on each box. This required the set-up of multiple machines at the same time to ensure that registration was perfect. “Neenah also wanted a white that stood out on the kraft and black stocks,” Rowley explained. “To give the product punch, we did multiple hits of UV-cured white on the colored stocks to really highlight the contrast.”

The Feedback

The target audiences for this promotion were designers and marketing companies, as well as cosmetics and specialty products brands. “They loved it,” Rowley said, “and it really showcased the great quality of Neenah folding board. The board prints incredibly well; it foil stamps like a dream and holds an emboss very nicely. The finishing touch was the scented coating that made the whole project smell delicious. This project was a dream come true to produce.” 

For more information, visit www.neenahpaper.com and www.glenmorecustomprint.com.