Presenting U.S. Patent # D858272

Sara Brohl, left, Brad Smith, Julie Francis, Danny Jenniges, Jessie Joslin,

 Stacey Fowler and Dimitrios Smyrnios celebrated Danny and Jessie receiving

 their U.S. patents for the chamfered corner carton design used by Edwards® desserts.

Oct. 30, 2019 — At Schwan's Company, we recently celebrated the accomplishments of two employees. Director of Integrated Marketing Jessie Joslin and Associate Marketing Manager Danny Jenniges recently received U.S. Patent #D858272 for the chamfered corner carton design they created in 2016. The carton design is used to package Edwards® desserts whole pies.

“The patent will block competitors from using a similar carton design for the next 15 years. When we look at applying for a patent, we consider whether the idea would be useful strategically to the company either now or in the near future,” said Bonnie Hinze, senior director of strategic technology. “This patent is not limited to Edwards desserts, which means the company could choose to use the patent on other products and brands including pizza.

Although three years sounds like a long time, Bonnie said that is a relatively quick turnaround to receive a patent.

“Sometimes patents can take up to seven years,” Bonnie said.

Jessie and Danny collaborated on the chamfered corner carton design in 2016 as part of the overhaul of the Edwards brand that included new brand positioning and tone as well as assets including the logo and packaging.

By changing the carton shape from a square to a polygon, the new packaging allowed for disruptive branding and messaging opportunities on shelf. The unique carton design visually differentiates Edwards desserts at the retail shelf from competitors. The Edwards brand team received positive feedback from consumers and buy-in from top customers when unveiling the new packaging design.