At VDC Group Trading Ltd, we pride ourselves on being the UK’s leading disc and digital service provider – and we like to see a product that is well conceived from content to packaging. You could have written a classic album or made a superb film, but without the right packaging, very few people will be curious about it. Just like on-body printing is essential, so is having an attractive case to draw people’s attentions.
CD’s in particular need to stand out. In such a competitive market place, a CD needs to turn heads not only with its artwork, but with the design itself. Likewise, given that the majority of the world these days seem to be more interested in downloads and streaming (boooo!), it is a smart move, business-wise, to reward a customer with a sturdy, beautiful product that they physically own. Likewise, if you have a CD that is for business to business use, a durable, functional design is essential. Not that these shouldn’t be beautiful, too. Let’s take a look at a couple of design tips for a CD case.
Simple, Effective Packaging
While the days of the jewel case may be over in terms of cool, nothing beats the simple paper case. Warmly reminiscent of vinyl packaging, a card or paper case is less bulky, more stylish and of a far more satisfactory texture to their plastic predecessors, while remaining light, cheap and durable, with none of the shatter risk. If you’re looking for a quickly designed, simple packaging that looks great, then a card or paper one is perfect for you.
Alternatively…
Think Outside “The Box”
And we mean that more literally than the common expression. In the punk and post-punk eras, artists designed cutting edge vinyl sleeves that not only looked great, but were provocative in their composition and materials, with sleeves being created by Factory Records and by bands such as Public Image Limited that were genuinely antagonistic and thought provoking.
Examples include items that were either complex and innovative (New Order’s Blue Monday 12″- so expensive they made a loss on record breaking sales) or impossible to get into (PiL’s “Metal Box”). While these wouldn’t necessarily help artists initially, they are examples of how sleeves, including CD sleeves, can utilise different materials, and different forms altogether. Don’t let the chart selection at Sainsbury’s dictate your design – cut your packaging into different shapes and forms, with multiple layers of interest.
Whether you decide to break boundaries or keep it simple, we can help. We have a range of options that are superb, durable packaging and marketing material for your CD. Contact us for details on how to make your CD stand out from the crowd.