Finnish firm aims to reinvent food supplement design

John Bauer is the designer who has come up with the “what you see is what you get” ​with an initial range of three supplements called Livaform that come in transluscent bottles with pills shaped as apples or lemons.

Finnish firm Vivalue Oy is marketing the three products – Daily Balance, Kids Balance and Immune Active – targeting higher end, “women who would be proud to have these products in their handbag,” ​said Sami Sassi of global licensee, Fruitamins.

He said negotiations were underway with European, US and Asian supplement manufacturers with the first products likely to hit European shelves by the end of 2011.

“Our research indicates these designs will appeal to women and children because of the novelty of the design,” ​Sassi said. “But essentially the design is looking to appeal to the usual health gatekeeper – the female. Food supplements are a really boring design category which is why something new like this is great.​”​

Relevant aesthetic symbolism​

On its website, Vivalue Oy said of the designs: “​Livaform introduces a new dimension, that of ‘relevant​ aesthetic symbolism’. The brand differentiates itself from other players in the market by being very choice friendly, that is: amusing, fun, colourful and alluring.”​

“​Livaform follows the EU recommended daily allowance (RDA) in the formulation.”​

The first three products, branded Livaform, but which could serve as templates for other supplement brands, Sassi said, were based on vitamin and mineral formulations and were being offered fully formed.

But Vivalue Oy is developing new formulations and product designs such as resveratrol that would come with grape-shaped pills or cranberry supplements.

“Pricing is competitive with other chewables on the market,” ​Sassi said.

The products are sweetened with stevia and are recommended to be consumed one-per-day.