Simon Thomas – GWD Blog

Packaging for Sporting Promotions and Events

So here we go again – another World Cup and another sporting summer:-)

We are writing this on the day of the opening ceremony in Russia 2018, and we are looking forward to five weeks of international football, as well as five test matches against India and, of course, the All England Tennis Championships at Wimbledon.

Over the past few years GWD Limited have been involved in a number of presentation packaging products for sporting launches and other events. In April we wrote in our blog concerning a packaging product we were commissioned to create for EA sports for their FIFA18 video game – this style of packaging, a hinged lid box with a magnetic closure, is one of our specialities.

packaging for sporting promotions — Packaging for sporting promotions

Similarly, last June we were commissioned by Mercieca Ltd to create packaging for Mitre – who were re-launching their Mitre Delta football for last seasons Sky Bet Championship and the Scottish premiership – you can read more in our blog here

packaging for footballs and football clubs — Packaging for footballs and football clubs

In the past we have manufactured other examples of sport-related packaging. For example below are two other boxes of different construction, commissioned for the promotion Liverpool FC and the European Championships of 2012 respectively.

specialist boxes for football clubs — Specialist boxes for football clubs

The Liverpool box had a foam insert and contained a Liverpool FC badge which was being sent to the clubs official sponsors and partners. The Euro 2012 box again contained a foam insert with promotional items in it, such as tickets, lanyard and USB sticks.

It’s not just soccer that we’re involved in. The two round boxes below were made for De Rosier Chocolates for Wimbledon this year. Designed in purple (Wimbledon’s branded colour) they featured images of Dorothea Lambert Chambers (who won the Wimbledon singles title 7 times and a gold medal at the 1908), and of course, Fred Perry who won 10 Grand Slams, including 3 Wimbledon Singles titles. The boxes were designed to hold 6 chocolates.

Round boxes are one of our specialities – we are one of a very few companies who can manufacture round ‘Hat’ boxes here in the UK. Naturally, round boxes are especially appropriate for ball sports events and promotions.

promotional packaging for Wimbledon and other sporting events — Promotional packaging for Wimbledon and other sporting events

If we can help you or your clients with any promotional or presentation packaging requirements, please do get in touch.

Noel Greenwood is the Managing Director of GWD Ltd, the designers and manufacturers of presentation and promotional packaging. You can reach him on (01279) 416 093 or at the company’s website: www.gwd.ltd.uk

A Royal Wedding and Our Royal Connections

You can’t have failed to notice that there’s another Royal wedding in the offing, and we at GWD are very pleased to offer our congratulations to Harry and Meghan in advance of their special day. We have always had something of a connection to royalty, with some of our best clients being holders of the Royal Warrant- a recognition of the consistent excellence of companies which have provided goods or services to the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh or the Prince of Wales for more than five years.

bespoke gift boxes for premier gifts — Bespoke gift boxes for premier gifts

Cornelia James, for example, have held the Warrant since 1979 – nearly forty years. Cornelia James are glovers of distinction, making the gloves that the Queen herself wears, having made their first pair for her when she was still Princess Elizabeth and was marrying Philip. Cornelia James have expressed delight at the wedding, and also the American connection, as they do a lot of business there, although they couldn’t possibly comment as to whether Her Majesty will be getting a new pair for the occasion!

boxes for floral presentations — Boxes for floral presentations

We have also made flower boxes for Taylors of Holbeach, Bulb Growers To Her Majesty The Queen, as well as spoon boxes the cutlery manufacturer, the DJH Group of Consett who supply Buckingham Palace, Windsor and Holyrood, and have just supplied an order for five thousand boxes over the three locations. We have also worked with Prestat, who make chocolate that is literally fit for a Queen.

presentation packaging for spoon sets — Presentation packaging for spoon sets

Our specialty is luxurious presentation packaging, and you don’t need Royal blood to take advantage of our services! Whether you want a single box for a special gift or a bulk order, we have a solution for you. We’ve made boxes for hats, flowers, candles- you name it, we can make a box for it. Corporate and promotional packaging is also no problem. We have been manufacturing excellent presentation packaging for over thirty years, and are experts in our field.

design gift packaging UK — Design gift packaging UK

We are proud to create the majority of our packaging right here in Harlow, Essex, although if volumes require and lead times allow, we also have the option of a Far East manufacturing facility. We have an in-house design team who can create a box from scratch for you, or we can work alongside your designers if you already have a concept in mind. Drawers, magnetic closures, heart-shaped boxes – we can provide them all according to your wishes. As the majority of work is done in-house, we have quicker delivery, time-effective sampling and, perhaps most importantly for those wishing to surprise their loved ones, no minimum order requirement.

And again, congratulations to the happy couple!

FIFA 18 Game Packaging

With the FIFA World Cup about to kick off this June, we thought that there would be no better time to talk about the packaging we created for EA Sport’s FIFA 18 videogame in September last year. We often create packaging for launch and press events which are very exciting, as it gives us the opportunity to work with our client on creating something truly unique and distinctive.

We worked with the creative agency Fluid in order to deliver some truly outstanding packaging for their client’s launch event. Fluid were the designers in this process; they developed an innovative design which we, as cardboard engineers, had to make into a reality. Creative agencies such as Fluid are great contacts for us at GWD as we pride ourselves at being adept at turning their creative designs into beautiful packaging.

The FIFA 18 game used technology which is said to be “the biggest step in gameplay innovation”. Due to this, the team really wanted the experience to start as soon as the box was picked up by the media/influencer recipients.

Playing on a gold and white colour palette, the boxes were wrapped in metallic gold paper. As with any companies branding, a logo should always stand out. With this in mind gold foil was employed and the logos were embossed on the front and sides.

The product box, complete with glossy outer sleeve

The final product took the form of a deluxe presentation box which contained the game and a range of FIFA/PlayStation content and merchandise; which was displayed to great effect using a bespoke white foam fitment which held each piece inside the box perfectly and securely. It was finished off with a magnetic closure.

For this job we worked closely with Fluid throughout. They had the idea and concept, and it was our job to engineer it and make it work commercially. If you have an idea for packaging, then please bring it to us here at GWD!

Noel Greenwood is the Managing Director of GWD Ltd, the designers and manufacturers of presentation and promotionalpackaging. You can reach him on (01279) 416 093 or at the company’s website: www.gwd.ltd.uk

Egg-cellent packaging for Easter!

For many, Easter means time off school, overdue family time, beautiful daffodils starting to head in the gardens and not to mention… eating copious amounts of delicious chocolate! We have all been there; sitting on the sofa with the ‘Christmas dinner feeling’ after successfully demolishing your final chocolate egg.

Easter is the number one chocolate-selling period of the year and quite astoundingly, the first Easter egg went on sale in Sainsbury’s in JANUARY this year! According to The Telegraph, us Brits eat 11kg of chocolate each year, so it’s no wonder why Easter is celebrated by the masses.

Easter boxes by GWD for Rococo Chocolates

For us, Easter is a fantastic marketing platform for gift & confectionery companies to show off! The pastel colours, the cute bunnies, the gold ribbon… it WORKS. Both B2B & B2C business can benefit from this holiday. Think about wowing your valued customers and suppliers with beautifully packaged edibles to show them how much you appreciate their support.

Be sure to consider your corporate clan in the Easter excitement as our cardboard engineers can create marvellous, bespoke and branded confectionery and gift packaging to meet your requirements.

In this day in age, a healthy conscience is being embedded into our brains by the TV, media, industry leaders and even our own family! Instead of gifting a traditional chocolate egg, more and more people are opting for Easter gifts (which last A LOT longer than chocolate!).

Even though the Easter gifts that are sent to us, to create beautifully packaging for, are not always egg-shaped, they are always guaranteed to hatch a smile!

We have been honoured to work with some of the UKs best names in chocolate including Rococo, Bettys and The Grown Up Chocolate Company.

Have a fantastic Easter!

Noel Greenwood is the Managing Director of GWD Ltd, the designers and manufacturers of presentation and promotionalpackaging. You can reach him on (01279) 416 093 or at the company’s website: www.gwd.ltd.uk

COMPANY FOCUS: Harry Specters

Award-winning flavours and positive social change – that’s Harry Specters. Mona, Shaz and their son Ash, who has autism, are behind this social enterprise. While visiting a chocolate shop on a holiday in Scotland in 2011, Mona discovered a perfect way of combining her passion for creating positive change for people with autism with her love for chocolate. Ash came up with the name and a year later, Harry Specters was born – dedicated to crafting the most delicious chocolates that create employment for young people with autism.

We received a call back in 2015 when Harry Specters were ready to take their business to the next level. After their graphic designer had established their branding, colour scheme and logo, the next step was perfecting the packaging. They had an idea of what they wanted their packaging to look like, and it was our job to turn that vision into reality.

They wanted their packaging to exude quality and excellence whilst still being attractive to people of all ages and backgrounds. From our previous experience with food brands, we had a very good idea on what would work and what wouldn’t work in terms of size, shape and thickness. Our team of ‘cardboard engineers’ were able to create a whole range of options for Harry Specters to choose from.

As mentioned previously, Harry Specters was established for creating paid employment opportunities for young people and creating a product which everyone can enjoy! This cause is unique and is supported by us at GWD.

Harry Specters staff & work experience students

As well as the traditional selection boxes, Harry Specters wanted to be able to sell their chocolates in different quantities so they can fulfil different requirements. We created boxes which were made to hold their ‘Tasty Two’, ‘Finest Four’ and ‘Fine Nine’.

If you are looking for an award-winning sweet treat then Harry Specters have an online shop which you can visit here. Both Harry Specters and the GWD team are very pleased with our packaging creations thus far and we very much look forward to working with them again this year!

GWD Ltd are designers and manufacturers of presentation and promotional packaging.
You can reach them on (01279) 416 093 or at the company’s website: www.gwd.ltd.uk

Valentine’s packaging from GWD Ltd

Love is certainly in the air here at GWD!

Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion for many to show friends and family that they are loved. For GWD, it is the perfect occasion to help individuals box this concept up in a unique and special way. It is also important for companies who specialise in gifts such as chocolates and flowers to make the most of this celebration.

Gifts don’t have to be big – a little special something can have a huge impact. Visually, one of the easiest ways to add finesse and class to a gift is all in the packaging. Our team of packaging engineers encapsulate ‘love’ every year without fail and we take great pride in providing both ideas and products which hold such importance for many. As you will see in this blog, we are able to give those all-important corporate and personal gifts a heart-felt touch.

Chocolate Boxes

DID YOU KNOW: over 36 million heart shaped boxes are sold every year in the UK alone? And that is where we come in… we like to think of ourselves as experts in this field…

Chocolate has been a popular choice for those in love for hundreds of years and gifting chocolate is said to have originated in 1861. When we think of chocolate, we think of Cadbury’s and it was Richard Cadbury himself (the founder) who started the heart-shaped box trend and so a new tradition was born.

Here at GWD, we are currently working closely with Rococo Chocolates who are luxury chocolatiers based in London. They place heavy importance on Valentine’s Day and of course, want to get their chocolate boxes right. They came to the right place! Here are some of the boxes that we created for them:

Flower Boxes

Much like chocolate, there is a huge demand for flowers at Valentine’s. Flowers can be absolutely stunning on their own, but we specialise in boxing them up so they behold even more beauty.

Victoria Blooms are a florist who like to deliver a modern-luxury edge to their flowers. Our team have captured this vision again for 2018. From the colours and shape, to the design and finish; everything about this box had to be perfect.

As well as the Victoria Blooms design, we produce more traditional flower boxes if a client is looking for something which is simple yet stunning. These flower boxes work well all year round for any occasion! Inside could be anniversary flowers or congratulatory flowers perhaps… the possibilities are endless!

Our Blog has spoken previously about round, ‘hat’ boxes and how GWD is one of a very few companies in the UK with the ability to create them. Circular boxes are perfect for floral displays and show off the beauty of any arrangement to great effect, whether it is for 12 roses or a much larger bouquet.

Below is an example of a hatbox which was created for an independent florist in Scotland. They wanted a small order which meant that they could sell their beautiful roses in style. This demonstrates that you don’t have to be a multi-outlet company to have great packaging. The boxes were matt black with eye-catching gold foil lettering which gives a truly upmarket, luxurious feel to the arrangement inside.

Spread the love this Valentine’s Day! GWD Ltd. Team

GWD Ltd are designers and manufacturers of presentation and promotional packaging.
You can reach then on (01279) 416 093 or at the company’s website: www.gwd.ltd.uk

Astro

COMPANY FOCUS: Astro

Founded in 1997, John Fearon and James Bassant came together to create Astro with a shared commitment to British lighting design and a passion for quality and precision. Now entering their 20^th year, Astro’s creative ethos has remained consistent throughout.

We have been working closely with Astro for over 3 years now which involves a single project each year. Their dedicated team decided that they would start rewarding their VIPs, top customers and distributors with a gift, which in 2017 was a stunning bronze and black lamp.

Astro use GWD Ltd to make the presentation box for these gifts each year, which they send out annually. Typically, they start these projects as early as July each year and we create a full working sample ready for their approval. Once approved, we await their order and start the creation process. In 2017, the order was 200 boxes which were made in time for a September delivery.

Open lamp boxWe decided that we wanted to continue Astro’s vision of quality and precision by keeping the packaging simple. The box is matt black wrapped, with the logo bronze foiled in a central position.

Due to the unique shape and size of the lamp, a lot of thought went into the inner-packaging. It needed to be strong and sturdy so as to protect the lamp inside. We achieved the end product by trying and testing different designs, along with our extensive experience in packaging delicate goods we produced the below. Deciding on a luxury black foam cut perfectly to cradle the lamp inside.

Both Astro and the GWD team were very pleased with the end result and we very much look forward to working with Astro again in 2018.

GWD Ltd are designers and manufacturers of presentation and promotional packaging.
You can reach then on (01279) 416 093 or at the company’s website: www.gwd.ltd.uk

Christmas packaging from GWD Ltd

We are certainly getting into the Christmas spirit here at GWD

Christmas is always a busy time for us here at GWD and is a period which we start early on in the year (sometimes as early as May!). We have been receiving orders thick and fast for our luxury and bespoke packaging services for quite a few months now, so in order for us to fulfil these orders planning and preparation is key!

As you will see in this blog, we are able to give those all-important corporate and personal gifts a bit of Christmas sparkle each and every year. This week we have been working on Bettys of Harrogate’s packaging.

‘Bettys’ opened in 1919 by Swiss confectioner Frederick Belmont. He mistakenly travelled to Yorkshire and the rest is history! Bettys has grown from strength to strength and is now classed as one of the UK’s top confectioners!

Bettys have chosen a range of shapes and sizes so that their products are delivered and displayed in style this festive period (and ‘style’ they will receive!). One of our favourites is the simple yet sophisticated round hat box which they are taking in 2 different sizes.

AT GWD Ltd, we remain one of the very few firms in the UK who can manufacture circular or semi-circular boxes in-house with the help of our ‘know how’ and bespoke machinery. It’s not only the artwork, or the company name which can help attract attention… it can be as simple as the shape of the box! So be different, be unique and get creative with us. We love a challenge!

Bettys Christmas design this year is based around the idea of an ‘Enchanted Forest’ which captures Christmas perfectly. Bettys believe in and encourage the use of local produce from dairy products to vegetables so where is best to set the scene…? Yorkshire, of course! Locally sourced produce has been a fundamental element at Bettys since day one which is something that we were keen to convey in the packaging design.

Excerpt of ‘The Enchanted Forest’ – full version can be seen in Bettys Christmas catalogue

It’s Christmas Eve in a Yorkshire town

A blanket of snow lies on the ground

Two children in Bettys choosing some treats

Gifts for the family and cakes for a feast…

It is often said that people ‘eat with their eyes’ so we knew that we wanted the appearance of the box to be just as impressive as the treats inside. A simplistic shape with the quality and feel of something that screams out luxury was the objective.

Christmas Packaging from GWD

Bettys hat boxes will hold a range of deliciousness including Fruit Jellies, Classic Onion Chutney, The Swiss Chocolate Shortbread Box, a Christmas Fruitcake Portion and SO MUCH MORE! Getting peckish? Us too! Due to their purpose, the round hat boxes had to have depth and a sturdy structure which has been crafted using the best quality materials along with our outstanding attention to detail.

The workmanship that goes into our products, especially these round hat boxes, can be very complex and time-consuming. That said, our talented and experienced team of in-house designers and cardboard engineers have become extremely well versed in addressing the complexities in packaging.

LIFT THE LID ON DELICIOUSNESS

Please don’t sit there and think that the feasibility of your design is ‘out of the question’ without speaking to GWD Ltd first, because you won’t know until you’ve tried! Call us with your ideas and I’m sure we can create packaging which is perfect for your business and your product.

Christmas is extremely important to us here at GWD Ltd. So if you are looking to stand out amongst the already-crowded retail shelves next Christmas, give us a call and we can help pack your gifts with creativity and finesse!

Merry Christmas to you all! GWD Ltd. Team

GWD Ltd are designers and manufacturers of
presentation and promotional packaging.
You can reach then on (01279) 416 093 or at the company’s website: www.gwd.ltd.uk

A Wedding In Ibiza – Specialist Boxes for a Special Day

We have spoken of weddings many times previously in this blog – we produce specialist boxes for wedding favours for example – however we were pleasantly surprised by a commission we received earlier this year for a special wedding being held on the Balearic island of Ibiza.

GWD Ltd were contacted by Barefoot Luxury Weddings in regards to creating two bespoke boxes for a celebrity wedding which took place this summer. Barefoot are described as: “A wedding planning company of unparalleled standards, experience and expertise.” Their offering is to creating elegant, stylish and unforgettable haute bohème wedding experiences.

There is no company that creates such high-quality presentation packaging in the Balearics so Barefoot approached us in sunny Essex to create the two boxes.

The first (shown above) was a relatively simple build wrapped in a high quality dark brown paper with gold foiled lettering and a matching brown cord handle. It’s overall appearance was incredibly stylish and was designed to carry buttonholes on the day.

The second box was for the bridal bouquet. Naturally in the same material and style, this circular ‘Hat box’ is a GWD speciality – we are one of only a very few companies in the UK who have the technical expertise to produce them.

The boxes were to displayed in a video taken at the event – being loaded into transport then removed with style and the contents dramatically displayed. The design quality of the boxes was obviously set to a very high level.

As you can imagine this is a premium service and nothing, is left to chance! The level of care that Barefoot Luxury Weddings provide was best illustrated by the appearance of a specially commissioned van outside of our factory – there to pick up the boxes and drive them all the way to the Mediterranean to ensure that they didn’t get damaged en route!

Barefoot work both locally and internationally with the finest suppliers in the wedding industry, including the best caterers, cinematographers, florists and highly creative stationers. We were pleased to be considered as suppliers of presentation packaging for this project and look forward to a continued relationship – you never know, we might just get an invite to one of their weddings one day!

Noel Greenwood is the Managing Director of GWD Ltd, the designers and manufacturers of presentation and promotional packaging. You can reach him on (01279) 416093 or at the company’s website: www.gwd.ltd.uk

GWD and ‘The Ant’

‘Crafting’ as a hobby has experienced a massive growth over the past 5 years, and the crafting industry has grown alongside it. While other sectors have suffered there seems to be no end in sight for companies who provide for hobbyists. According to Paula Gorry, UK Business Development Manager of Stampin’ Up! UK there are a number of reasons for this, including crafting’s therapeutic effect and the sense of pride at the completing of a project. However perhaps the most important contributors are the need for a secondary or tertiary income and the availability of an increasing number of platforms that allow products to be sold on line easily and quickly.

At the forefront of this industry are Antex Craft who have 70 years experience manufacturing heated craft tools for use in card making, fabric distressing, wood-burning, and many other unique craft applications. The company, based in Plymouth, have recently developed a product called ‘The Ant’, which is described as “A safe, low voltage tool designed to enable crafters to be creative with a variety of medias such as leatherwork, hot-fix gems, stencils, paper craft, wax art, fabric and card foiling.”

Antex Bespoke Presentation Packaging Box

GWD Ltd were approached by Antex Craft to create a box for the ant that would have three specific functions:

As presentation packaging, suitable for a product of this type in the marketplace
As a functional box that could be retained for the myriad additional fixings and tools that come with the product, and
As a form of ‘keepsake’ box which would be sufficiently aesthetically pleasing that the end consumer would want to keep it on display

We have touched on this final point before in this blog. Packaging like this can be retained by a customer and has the benefit of keeping the company at the ‘front of mind,’ hence inspiring customer loyalty.

Antex Bespoke Presentation Packaging Box Open

The creation of the box was relatively simple, although it looked and felt suitably impressive with the brand printed on the front and a smooth magnetic closure. The box has been matt laminated to help with its longevity, and give it a high-quality feel. The company’s contact details, including their website were printed on the base of the packaging, making it simple for the end-user to re-order or get in touch with Antex as required.

Antex Bespoke Presentation Packaging Box Components

If you can see the benefit of this type of high quality – but functional – presentation packaging, please get in touch with us today. Our team of experience designers and cardboard engineers are here to help.