At first glance at the packaging for Magic Choc, I thought it was a box of colored molding clay. I thought it strange though that the clay only came in shades of brown and white; how boring I said to myself! However, after I read the text and looked at the company name again I put two and two together. Magic Choc is actually a chocolate product that can be molded and shaped just like modeling clay! The only difference is that this molding chocolate is edible. Established over a decade ago, the British based company has come out with the perfect child entertainment project for a rainy afternoon.

Each box comes with three pouches of dark, milk and white molding chocolate in individually wrapped bags. Since the molded creation is edible, each box also comes with a hygienic pouch of antibacterial hand wipes. The chocolate is made from real Belgium chocolate with a special ingredient mixed in to make the sweet a moldable substance. The company assures the public that the product is safe to eat and has no artificial colors or added preservatives; it is even vegetarian friendly! To use, the chocolate pieces can be taken directly from the pouches, shaped and eaten. I love how they have packaged this good because it looks more like a toy than a food product. Including fun pictures of the finished chocolate creations on the box will help to attract children along with the bright orange box colors. I also like how they have printed the Magic Choc text in a font meant to resemble melted chocolate for a fun added touch.

What other innovative chocolate products have you come across? 

We’ve scoured all of our resources to bring you the best of World Cup-inspired and commemorative products and packaging! I’ll even be worldlier in using the term football. Here they are:

The “Hospitality Pack” contains the most important item for football fans: their tickets. Capturing the essence of anticipation, the slider pack provides a clever and playful opening experience, creating intrigue and a sense of novelty to complement the exciting nature of receiving World Cup tickets. With the games officially now underway, the high quality format of the Burgopak design further encourages fans to retain the pack, lending itself as a keep-safe of World Cup memorabilia.

Gillette’s World Cup-inspired shaving gel and antiperspirant and deodorant cans creatively resemble a football and shows off their sponsorship.

These bracelets were made by over 400 women in South Africa for fans of the Dutch team. The orange color is the national color for the Netherlands and the assortment of colors represents the South African flag.

SAB Miller developed a can that could also function as a cup.

Special World Cup Packaging for Carlsberg beer featuring England’s team manager Fabio Capello and team players David James, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and Jermaine Defoe.

England’s team received more support when Umbro commissioned the painting of the players’ numbers in their hometowns, even for manager Capello in Italy.

Coca-Cola’s commemorative cans feature French players in celebration and come in a box with a CD from K’Naan.

Miller Light cans are laser-etched with famous players captured doing their signature moves.

Please share if you’ve come across other promotional or commemorative products or packaging!

Okay, so I don’t have a pool, so it would be pointless. But this is the coolest swimming pool extra I’ve seen in a while. AquaClimb is based in Maryland and produces the apparatus in various shapes and sizes based on the depth of the pool. The square panels can also be rotated in any direction to change up the course. So if you happen to have $7,000 laying around (plus delivery and installation), you’ll be sure to have the summer hot spot!

Sustainability is a frequent topic on Dion’s blog. However we rarely look at the pressure that may be behind a company’s decision to implement sustainable efforts. This article from Brand Packaging takes a look at a few companies that have been targeted by green activists. When I say “activist” you may think of wild paint-throwing PETA rallies. But beyond the grassroots approaches, the strategy explained in the article that I found interesting is that activists may choose far more business-like tactics. Many have a voice because they are actual shareholders in the corporations they are trying to sway. By rallying votes on issues at shareholder meetings, activists are able to not only voice their concerns, but actually be heard by executives as their percentage of votes on an issue increases. To see how their influence has translated into more eco-friendly practices at some of the best known companies in the world, click here!