Sometimes the most mundane products are hotbeds for marketing innovation. Take trash bags, for instance. Nobody pays much attention to them, and you only really think about them when you run out of bags or something goes wrong, like a bag tearing apart. Well, I recently stocked up on Glad trash bags for the kitchen, and I was quite impressed with their package design. In short, it accomplishes two things:

1.) Increased conversion rates: There’s a handy chart on the side of the box, which depicts the bag you’re buying and compares it to the other sizes they sell — including a picture of what the trash can itself looks like. Clearly, this is there to convince people they’re buying the right bag size, and thus increases the percentage of consumers who go from picking up the box to actually buying it.

2.) Driving future purchases: On the other side of the box, there’s a panel designed to tell people about other products that Glad offers. While this might lead to some additional purchases during the initial shopping trip, the real value is played out over time. Consumers see the messaging about the other products whenever they look at the box they purchased, making them more likely to buy Glad products when they need those other types of items.

Could Glad’s package design be improved even more? Well, I’d like to see a coupon right on the box for the other products they’re promoting. But other than that, it’s quite ideal, and shows how a well-designed package can help increase revenues now and in the future.