Opportunity

One of the most controversial anime serials in the past five years, Gantz, a "tsunami of blood, guts, and stone-cold nihilism"1 tells the story of a group of people resurrected in a bleak afterlife controlled by a mysterious black sphere that sends them on dangerous missions. When ADV Films collected the series into a 5-DVD set, they knew that they had to come up with a package as arresting and thought-provoking as the show itself. They also wanted to tie together all interior and exterior packaging to capture Gantz's distinctive and stylized atmosphere, from first glance in the retail environment to removing the first disc for viewing.

The package presentation was the key to differentiating not only the collections, but also the task of designing them: one for domestic, the other for offshore production.

Solution

Printing on such a large spherical surface was a challenge. Our solution was to shape the tins first, then apply ink in two different stages: spray-painting the background color first, then printing logos and copyright information through “pad printing,” the technique used to print on globes. Inside the sphere, a dense foam insert provides a secure base for a die-cut 5-panel gatefold disc carrier.

An invisible magnetic closure and images of the protagonists in their black skintight combat suits complete the sleek and sexy presentation. Finally, to grab attention at the retail store, we added an outer carton that shows off the tin sphere directly to the consumer through two plastic, die-cut printed windows.

Result

Amazon.com called it "the must-have anime collectible of 2007!"2 and the online review community agreed, citing its "kitschy-cool... a unique twist on the typical box-like collector tins"3 that "will look damn cool on your shelf."4 Gantz clearly shines out from other anime titles on the stands, even other collector-oriented packages. It commands the attention (and sales) it deserves. Mission accomplished!