# More than sugar packets

They are a powerful medium for messages and, over the years, have therefore become a coveted collector’s item.

**2m**

The phenomenon began around 25 years ago. At fairs and festivals where Delta was present with a coffee stand, the sugar sachets often displayed messages related to the event. Since then, little by little, they have become an important communication medium, now requested by municipalities, IPSS, schools, state bodies, and promoters to help spread their messages.

The back is always reserved for the Delta Cafés (or Camelo) image, but the front opens the door to creativity. In hundreds of campaigns, it has already celebrated Camões, encouraged recycling, and promoted a wide variety of events. As a rule, the images, phrases, or illustrations are suggested by the institutions themselves.

The definition of volumes and the distribution of campaigns is carried out by a team in the productive innovation area, led by Céu Sapateiro, who has been dedicated to this field for more than 20 years—“always with validation from the board”, she notes. The process includes the approval of images, full-scale printed proofs, and a logistics flow adapted to regional or national needs, because, as Céu explains: “It makes no sense to promote in Aveiro a food festival that takes place in Olhão.”

## Impressive print runs

A regional campaign can involve 750,000 sachets, each with four grams of sugar—the equivalent of three tonnes of awareness-raising. A nationwide campaign can reach 30 tonnes of sugar, which equals 7.5 million sachets. “On special occasions, there have also been campaigns with 60 tonnes,” he says.

The amount of sugar has been shrinking over time. “It started at nine grams, more than 20 years ago, and it kept decreasing until we reached the current four.”

## A world of collecting

At the same time, there is a whole world of collecting where printing errors or irregular cuts turn an ordinary sachet into a rare and valuable variant. Collectors even contact the factory directly in search of new items, meet at national gatherings, and sustain exchanges, sales, and heated debates on digital platforms.

This shows that a simple sachet can, in fact, be much more than a sugar wrapper.