Even with new technologies emerging daily that reduce the barriers to identify and purchase products, the average consumer still reports having less time to devote to shopping. A study conducted at Clemson University, sponsored by a reusable packaging company, Rehrig Pacific Company, investigated if a unique shipping shell/crate design with on‐message and product branding (direct colour print onto the shell) increased brand awareness, attention and purchase intent when placed directly onto the retail shelf. Reusable packaging for 2 L bottles of carbonated soft drink packaged in proprietary reusable shells with a multicolour logo of the major US beverage company was chosen for the study. The branded proprietary reusable shell was evaluated against a standard reusable shell in the industry used by the same company. Testing was conducted using state‐of‐the‐art eye tracking hardware and CUshop™, a full immersion consumer retail experience laboratory. Data captured from 89 study participants indicated a strong preference for the new branded reusable shell. Statistical analysis demonstrated a 47% increase in eye fixations on the branded display and an increase in fixation duration, a measure of how long consumers looked at the display, of 34% (p < 0.05). More significantly, an increase in the visual saliency of the primary package, the 2 L bottle, was illustrated by an increase in fixation duration of 46% (p < 0.05) and an increase of the number of fixations of 54% (p < 0.01) when displayed in the branded reusable shell. Thus, results indicate that in‐store marketing incorporating a unique secondary packaging may lift brand awareness and increase purchase intent. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.