In 2020, Kellogg’s planned to create a special edition Coco Pops box to commemorate World Sight Day. The initial goal was to raise awareness and increase knowledge about sight loss and the opportunities for improvement in developing inclusive packaging.
The Trial
Original testing took place in over 50 co-op stores across the United Kingdom. The trial featured the new Coco Pops box which incorporated braille, larger print, simplified artwork, and NaviLens technology that pairs with smartphones to detect and provide nutritional and allergen information to the user.
The Technology
With NaviLens, visually impaired users can obtain information about their surroundings. The technology requires a physical code (present on a box of cereal or subway sign, for example) and a smartphone. NaviLens codes work similarly to QR codes but are less sensitive and work from farther away. When in the vicinity of the NaviLens code, the phone app will guide you to a specific location and give you additional information through spoken text.
Positive Change
The success of the trial led to broader positive changes: Kellogg's just announced that they will be adding NaviLens codes to all of the company’s cereal boxes in Europe.
Marc Powell, Strategic Accessibility Lead at RNIB, views Kellogg’s new packaging as a “real game changer within the packaging world.” He explains how it has set a great example on how big brands can and should set accessibility as a priority when designing. “Designing packaging so that it works for everyone makes complete sense and we hope that other brands will follow Kellogg’s lead in making packaging information more accessible,” he says.
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