Berry's rebranded Blue Clover expands packaging design reach

What's in a name? Everything, as far as Scott Fisher is concerned.

As design director of Berry Plastics Corp.'s rebranded packaging design studio, Fisher believes the new name of Blue Clover Studios cuts the heart of the studio's mission of being different.

 “Blue ties us into Berry Plastics because of the blue palette they've always used. Clover, we felt, was very unique, especially when it comes to a four-leaf clover. It's not something you run across every day,” he said.

“It is something that is very unique, which really describes our business model of being included under the roof of Berry Plastics, being able to offer one-of-a-kind solutions from a one-of-a-kind studio,” Fisher said.

As Blue Clover Studios, Fisher sees the packaging design operation as a way to provide all of the muscle his company can provide while also creating a separate identity to appeal to those who might otherwise just consider the studio an extension of the larger firm.

The goal, Fisher said, is to be viewed as a packaging design agency that can offer even more. And with that, Blue Clover Studios wants to compete against stand-alone packaging design groups for business.

“We're branding ourselves as an agency even though we are still part of Berry Plastics group. So what that allows us to do is really bring a holistic approach to package innovation where we really bring creativity and marry that with manufacturability,” he said.

Some potential customers might dismiss the use of Berry's in-house staff because they believe they will simply steer designs toward the company's capabilities.

But with Blue Clover, Fisher said, that's not the case. Instead, Blue Clover can use its insight as part of the larger company to provide solutions.

“What we've been able to do is cross-pollinate the best of everything: design, development, engineering, operations, manufacturing, R&D, all under one roof,” he said.

“Our objective is to become known as one of the leaders in packaging design, packaging innovation. Berry has always been known as a premier manufacture of plastic packaging,” Fisher said. “It's going to be able to help us break out of that shadow a little bit, gain access to those projects that we're not getting to look at today because people think of Berry Plastics as a manufacturer, not a go-to design agency or design house.”

Blue Clover clients can engage the firm and then go out to bid for manufacturing.

And here's where the synergy comes in for Blue Clover and Berry. If a client ultimately decides to use Berry to make its packaging, design fees are rebated. “They get it for free if Berry wins,” Fisher said.

“To me, it's our holistic design approach. Being able to understand what is manufacturable yet still be creative, still provide an enhanced positive user experience,” Fisher said.