Iconic Girl Scout Cookie package gets facelift to tell the story of Girl Scouting

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Oct 01, 2012, 08:46 ET

Girl Scouts of the USA Launches First New Cookie Box in Thirteen Years

NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the first time since 1999, all boxes of Girl Scout Cookies have a new look and a new purpose: to elevate the significance of the Girl Scout Cookie Program, a $790-million girl-led business. The iconic Girl Scout Cookie package showcases the five financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills that the Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches girls, skills that will last them a lifetime: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics.

The decision to update the package came about in 2010 as part of an overall brand refresh in advance of the organization's 100^th anniversary on March 12, 2012. The package needed to be more contemporary to reflect the new brand identity and to embody the spirit of Girl Scouting, while showing customers how they can reconnect with the organization. GSUSA partnered with the New York office of Anthem Worldwide, the brand development division of Schawk Inc., to redesign the packaging to inspire consumers and engage them on the important role that Girl Scouts plays in girls' lives.

"We have more than 50 million cookie customers across the country, and the cookie box is the most tangible and powerful way for us to communicate directly with consumers," said Girl Scouts of the USA Chief Executive Officer Anna Maria Chavez. "So it's no surprise that our new cookie package tells the story of the five skills girls learn from participating in the cookie program. We want people to know that with each purchase of Girl Scout Cookies, they are not just getting a delicious treat, they are helping girls to be future business leaders and to make a difference in their communities."

After Anthem was selected from among many other firms, the team immersed itself in the brand's heritage in order to understand what feelings key stakeholders at GSUSA and girl scouts nationwide had about the previous design. Anthem conducted qualitative research to explore how consumers currently perceive the organization, define visual equities for packaging, and assess how much the design could and should evolve. Its creative team developed a range of concepts to showcase the organization's values in a meaningful and compelling way. Final concepts were validated with over 600 consumers through qualitative and quantitative research nationwide.

"Anthem is proud to capture the empowering essence of the Girl Scouts in these iconic brand packages," said Eric Ashworth, President of Schawk, Inc. "This moment of pride we feel is only the first of many moments of pride Girl Scouts everywhere will feel selling this year's cookies."

To execute the final design concept, Anthem and GSUSA worked with Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer David Hume Kennerly to photograph Girl Scouts around the New York Metro area. Girls from Girl Scouts of Nassau County and Girl Scouts of Greater New York participated in the photo shoot. The final package design captures moments that show the power of girls working together as they engage in activities like greening a park, volunteering at a soup kitchen, and traveling to Paris. In highlighting such activities, the new boxes defy the conventional understanding of what Girl Scouts do while staying true to the organization's heritage through the inclusion of the Trefoil logo and educating the consumer on the five skills that girls develop through participation in the Cookie Program.

The Girl Scout Cookie package also features the GreenPalm logo, which speaks to the organizational commitment to addressing conservation and sustainability concerns related to Girl Scout Cookies.

The Girl Scout Cookie season runs from October to May, with the majority of local cookie sales beginning in late January or early February. To find out when Girl Scout Cookies are available near you, go to www.girlscoutcookies.org

"I cannot think of a better combination than having people learn what Girl Scouting does for girls while supporting our Movement through the Cookie Program," said Chavez.

About Girl Scouts of the USA
Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, with 3.2 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts is the leading authority on girls' healthy development, and builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. The organization serves girls from every corner of the United States and its territories. Girl Scouts of the USA also serves American girls and their classmates attending American or international schools overseas in 90 countries. For more information on how to join, volunteer or reconnect with, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 800-GSUSA-4-U (212-852-8000) or visit www.girlscouts.org.

Anthem Worldwide is part of the brand development division of Schawk, Inc. (NYSE: SGK). Anthem's integrated global network provides innovative solutions to articulate, unify, and manage brand impact to create compelling and consistent brand experiences. Anthem does this by aligning their strategic, creative, and executional talent worldwide with the business needs of companies seeking a competitive advantage. Anthem offers a full range of branding and design services through their network of world-class design professionals in 10 cities. Anthem is presently located in Chicago, Cincinnati, Hilversum (The Netherlands), London, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, and York (U.K.). For more information on Anthem, please visit http://www.anthemww.com Follow Anthem on http://twitter.com/anthemworldwide.