This project focuses on designing innovative, cost-effective, and visually appealing packaging for Pangaea Brewing Co., a Greenville-based brewery known for its commitment to quality craft beverages and its strong ties to the local community. Pangaea Brewing prides itself on creating unique, flavorful brews that reflect the diverse cultural influences symbolized by its name—"Pangaea," representing a connected, united world. With a reputation for excellence and a growing presence in the craft beer industry, the company sought a packaging solution that would not only enhance its branding but also align with its eco-conscious values and community-oriented identity.
The Team
Our team is composed of four dedicated individuals, each bringing unique strengths to the project. Me, as the Design Lead, ensured the packaging captures Pangaea Brewing’s brand essence while being practical for production. Daniel McKinney, our Estimator, focuses on sourcing materials and manufacturing options that balance quality with affordability. Davis Fogle, as the Communication and Timeline Manager, ensures seamless coordination with the client and keeps the project on track. Lastly, Ziang Xu, the Research Specialist, provides valuable insights into market trends and innovative technologies, supporting informed decision-making throughout the project. Together, we form a cohesive team committed to delivering an exceptional packaging solution.
Featuring Ziang Xu during accessibility and acuity test.
The Vision
Picture a 4-pack carrier that’s as rooted in Greenville as the craft beer it holds. At Pangea Brewing, every brew tells a story of local craftsmanship, and today, we’ll share how we created a packaging that is accessible and meets ethical packaging standards.
The Problem
Based in Greenville, Pangaea Brewing emphasizes natural elements and local pride in its products. Pangea currently uses PakTech and do not have a branded way to sell their variety of 4pk of beers and wishes to have a way to display their branding and local roots.
Our Solution
So we came up with a full-wrap paperboard carton highlighting biophilia by using natural tones and green elements like the Pangaea tree logo and Unity Park, and a Brewed in Greenville logo to resonate with the local feel of the brand.
The Market
This chart highlights the key market segments for breweries in the US, with restaurants, bars, and retail outlets like supermarkets and convenience stores dominating the revenue share.
This chart shows the 2023 US beer market, led by giants like A-B InBev. While Pangaea focuses on staying locally recognized, that offers a unique advantage of being more connected to its community and building brand loyalty.
Pangaea Brewing’s target customers tend to be between 22-55 years old, with a strong preference for products that support sustainable practices and reflect a connection to their local community.
Consumer Packaged Product in Use
The packaging is eco-friendly, compact, that's easy to open, close, and reuse, enhancing the consumer experience.
Sustainability
& UNSDG
Our design highlights recyclability, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 for responsible production and consumption.
Global Warming Potential
The GWP for the new Overwrap 4-packs is almost equivalent to the existing PakTech 4-packs. The main sustainability benefit of the change is the reduction of plastic packaging in place of more sustainable and recyclable paperboard packaging. A potential claim we could include on our packaging designs is to state the benefit of reducing single use plastic waste in place of paper packaging.
Prototype Iteration & Idea Selection
Old: no corner tabs; product for representation purpose only
New: Addition of corner tabs
We have iterated on several prototypes to arrive at our final packaging solution with a major iteration being addition of corner tabs that we did not have in our first prototype that was resulting in cans to fall out.
Testing Methods and Results
We conducted a series of tests, including the Accessibility Test, Color Blindness Test, Visual Impairment Test, Drop Test, and the Ethics STAR Test, which covered the Respect Test, Legality Test, and Peer Test. Through this thorough evaluation, we identified that the “chasing arrows” recycling symbol on our packaging was not clear enough for consumers.
To address this, we explored three potential solutions: replacing it with the European PAP 21 recycling symbol, adding a statement on how to recycle, or including an FSC symbol indicating sustainable sourcing. After performing the Ethics STAR Test for each solution, the European PAP 21 recycling symbol emerged as the best option. It passed the Respect Test by providing more context for consumers, the Legality Test as it complies with all regulations, and the Peer Test with positive feedback on its clarity and usefulness. While the other solutions had merits—such as clear instructions for recycling or highlighting sustainable sourcing—the PAP 21 symbol was the most effective and practical choice.
The drop test revealed a fundamental problem with the packaging as the absence of side support meant that the cans were not completely stable, which led to us adding corner tabs solving the issue of cans falling out sometimes.
SUPPLY CHAIN PLAN
The initial materials for brewing are sourced from Bev Source, which are then used to brew the product. Cans are sourced from Crowlers and More and the brewed product is canned before being packaged in 4-packs that are sourced from Pakit Products. These assembled packs are then sold by Bartenders at Pangaea Brewing.
COST ESTIMATE & PRODUCT PRICING
Our packaging design should cost $1.35, and the whole package with the product should cost a total of $9.71, with a sale price of $13.50. This is within the price range of competing craft breweries of $12.50 - $15.50. The initial equipment costs should be $14,792
Variable Costs
Total Cost to produce a single beer= $0.93
Total Cost to produce one overwrap = $1.35
Total Cost per pack= $9.71
Sale price of pack= $13.50
Competitor Sale Price= $12.50-$15.50
Extended Calculations
Initial Equipment Costs
Brewing Equipment (Stout Tanks & Kettles): $13,998
Canning Machine (Home Brewing): $769
Glue (Pack-it Products): $25
Total: $14,792
Raw Materials (BevSource): $0.35/can
Utilities (Duke Power/Greenville Water): $0.10/can
Labeled Cans (Crawlers and More): $0.48/can
4-Pack Overwrap (Pack-it Products): $1.35/pack
Glue (Pack-it Products): $0.04/pack
Labor: $1.15/pack
Brewing: $0.10/can
Canning: $0.15/can
Assembly: $0.05/pack
Sales: $0.10/pack
Total Cost to produce a single beer= $0.93
Total Cost per pack= $9.71
Sale price of pack= $13.50
Competitor Sale Price= $12.50-$15.50
With an initial $2,000 Investment
With this initial investment Pangaea could implement the first round of this new packaging line and get customer feedback.
PACKAGING PRINT FILE & INFOGRAPHIC
CONCLUSION
Our redesigned packaging solution reflects Pangaea Brewing’s core values of sustainability and community and provides a flexible and cost-effective way to manage seasonal product offerings. By focusing on accessibility and brand retention, we believe this packaging will strengthen the brand’s market position and resonate with its target audience.
CITATIONS
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