Artistic Cartons
As the first thing consumers see, cartons need to express product differentiation and brand image.
By Bajeerah Lowe Associate EditorWhile cartons are considered secondary packaging for many cosmetic and personal care products, they are the first image a potential consumer sees. And as far as sensible packaging options go, cartons rank near the top. They provide protection to breakable interior packaging, more surface printing room and allow for inclusion of pamphlets and other written material. But looks are what sell. "Current market conditions make it necessary for personal care products to 'sell themselves' through attractive, high-quality package graphics that demand consumer attention on the retail shelf," says Tim Freeze, manager, products, solutions and systems, Mebane Packaging, Mebane, NC. Thus companies are spending just as much time and energy (if not more) on cartons as they are on the inner components.
"Packaging plays an absolutely critical role in Olay's global marketing strategy," says Art Herstol, global design manager, beauty care, Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH. Three interrelated objectives form the brand's core packaging philosophy, according to Herstol. The first is brand recognition, which is achieved through the use of the Olay/Madonna brandmark and the colors black, white and gold. The second is that the package and product are coalescent. And the third is clear communication. Lines and properties are differentiated to help consumers find the right products for their skincare needs. "We sometimes refer to this visual positioning as 'masstige,' expressing a quality impression in the self-select arena," says Herstol.
When it came time to redesign the packaging for the Oil of Olay line, P&G wanted to update the look, but at the same time strengthen its branding at the shelf. "We also decided the 'Oil of' was no longer adding value to our identity so we dropped it and brought the 'Olay' outside the cartouche creating a logotype/symbol brandmark that could be used more flexibly across media," says Herstol.
A simpler, cleaner, symmetrical format with more readable and contemporary typography was chosen with the ease of consumers in mind. "We really take this aspect seriously and are constantly seeking ways to give consumers the choices they are asking for yet make that process as easy and error free as we can because any mispurchase is not good for the consumer, our customers, or us," says Herstol.
"We are also using more high-end finishes and materials than we have previously," he adds. "Arkay Packaging, Olay's primary carton supplier, has been instrumental in helping us develop these finishes. They have acted as a true partner by bringing us ideas to help us strengthen the brand's image and project a more prestigious face at the shelf-and a constant reminder that the design process really doesn't stop unil the carton comes off the press."
"P&G has gone from a very basic black and white folding carton to a very sophisticated series of redesigns that creates a very unique shelf presence. On the white line they are now using solid multiple hits of ultra white gravure ink over the base solid bleached sulfate (SBS) which greatly enhances the vibrancy/brightness of the white base board," adds Walter Shiels, executive vice president, Arkay, Hauppauge, NY. Bath Oils Florence Gunnarson was, by all accounts, America's first woman perfumer. She got her start in 1939, when she started copying European perfumes for her friends who could no longer travel abroad to get the real McCoy because of the war. Once the war ended, her business did as well. She and her husband, also a perfumer, collaborated to make perfumed bath oils. ÒShe created the perfume bath oil category," says Lisa Manrique, president, Florence Gunnarson¨, Miami, FL. But Gunnnarson never advertised her products. In fact, you couldn't even buy them unless you had her private phone number.
But Manrique grew up knowing and loving Gunnarson's products. Beginning when she was four, her mother would pour a few drops of one of the oils, No. 67TM, into her baths as a special treat. "I just loved No. 67 because it was a part of my life," she says. But four and a half years ago Manrique received a letter from the company's second owner, Yvonne Roth, informing her clientele that she could no longer operate the business. "I bought the company to be able to hang the recipe on my wall since it was such a big part of my life," says Manrique. "I figured if people wanted the oils I could make some on my stovetop." Little did she know she purchased quite a bit more than a recipe card. At Roth's house "there were huge stainless steel pots I could stand in, enormous mixers, walls of essential oils. When I asked for the No. 67 formula, Mrs. Roth pulled out a thick tattered, old notebook and said, 'Lisa, this is the formula,'" says Manrique. No. 67 was made from 92 separate perfumes which include 300 ingredients. "It was like buying a box at an antique store and finding it had a false bottom that was filled with jewels," says Manrique.
"It started out so innocently with my desire to recreate the formula but then I realized I had to tell the world about Florence Gunnarson," says Manrique. She is, for the first time, presenting the product line to the public. Manrique describes the target consumer as women who are stylish but don't care about fashion. "She has her own style," she says.
The oils had always been packaged in regular plastic bottles. "Consumers didn't care," says Manrique. But packaging has become an important consideration with this launch. "Since it is an unknown product, we will draw people to the package. They will turn the box around and the story of the line will be on the back," says Manrique. In order to set the products apart from other, Manrique employed Barry Zaid, an artist who recently worked on the redesign of the Celestial Seasonings cartons. "You can tell him what you see and he can be your fingers," says Manrique. The tall, thin cartons, printed by Vista Color, Miami, FL, are quite colorful. Each one has a distinct look based on the images Manrique described to Zaid. The White Blossom™ carton is a combination of several rich blues with white flowers. The Perfumed Bubble Bath carton features the silhouette of a woman playfully holding a big pink bubble above her head while blue, green and pink bubbles float by. The other cartons each have their own look as well.
"In the 1930s and 40s packaging was pretty," says Man-rique. "You bought it because it was pretty. The packaging reflects that time...We create perfume and infuse it into oil. For the packaging, we created artwork and then made it fit in packaging," she says.
Dual-Duty
"Gift boxes need to speak about the brand," says Bob Bohach, art director, Matrix Essentials Inc., Solon, OH. When creating promotional materials for the various Matrix lines, Bohach prefers the packaging to speak to the consumer rather than letting a large, eye-catching word such as ÒFree" do the job. Matrix's Amplify™ line is designed for anyone looking to add volume and thickness to his or her hair. While any age group can use the products, the younger age bracket is the ever-growing one. The packaging for the line employs bright colors and typography, something that differs Amplify from other Matrix lines such as Biolage™. "You would never see bright, loud colors on Biolage packaging," says Bohach. "Biolage is elegant, sophisticated, natural...Amplify colors and typography choices speak volume and thickness and convey energy."
In addition to the eye-catching colors and typography, Matrix wanted the cartons themselves, manufactured by Diamond Packaging, Rochester, NY, to create a unique look on the shelf. Matrix brought its design ideas to Diamond. "It is my job to turn those ideas into structures that meet their requirements as well as our manufacturing specifications," says Lesley Bates, structural design, Diamond Packaging. For this promotional carton, Matrix wanted a double-carton feature. "This feature gives them the freedom to choose how the carton will be displayed," says Bates. "And because it was a family of packages Matrix wanted all three to be similar." This design aspect increases shelf-appeal as the carton can be alternately displayed to show either the product or the graphics.
The cartons, which house two bottles, are essentially two rectangular cartons attached by one common edge. When closed, the consumer sees one carton with cutouts displaying the product within. When displayed open, the image of a woman appears. "The consumer can see, on the models, how thick and full their hair is," says Bohach.
The double design as well as Matrix's filling method (by hand) caused special care to be made when creating the final package. In addition, Matrix didn't want a break in the graphics on the back of the carton meaning Diamond had to use a full panel on the back of the carton.
The printing was 4-color process with two special colors and an aqueous coating was used. "The details make the difference in the packaging," says Bohach. Further confirming the uniqueness of the three cartons, Matrix won four awards at the 50th annual National Paperbox Association competition. Matrix received a gold award in the category of general superiority according to end use, excellence awards for best surface design and execution-type 1 and best innovation and a special recognition, judges citation from Judge Fran Welch.
Decorative Embossing
Dial Corp., Scottsdale, AZ, approached Ivy Hill Packaging, New York, NY, last October when it was decided that the packaging-at that point a paper envelope-for Sarah Michaels® Foaming Bath Grains needed to be changed. The idea was to create a package that would capture more shelf presence and of course consumers' attention. "Dial came in with an idea," says Chad Carmody, account executive, Ivy Hill. "They knew the envelopes weren't working. I initially sketched out a couple of concepts and then our structural engineers began the process of making prototype samples until we came up with something they liked." The packaging that resulted is a domed rectangle with a sealed top, tuck bottom and gusseted sides. Originally, the idea was to tie an actual bow, printed with the brand name, at the top of the package but the labor and cost made the idea unrealistic, says Carmody. Instead a bow is embossed on the top of the package and the brand name is printed over it. The cartons are printed in six colors on 12-pt. SBS. The color pictures correspond with the scent of the bath grains. For example, the Spring Dreams™ scent features a bunch of daffodils growing is a field of wild flowers. A bumblebee has landed on one of the flowers. In the background is picture-perfect sky with a few fluffy clouds. The cartons are also embossed with a floral design background and feature a dull, water-base coating.
Promotional Toothpaste
Promotional toothpaste no longer exists simply to attract consumers to the power of the paste; it now also promotes movie launches. SmithKline Beecham, Pittsburgh, PA, teamed up with Disney to launch AquaFresh Tarzan toothpaste. "The promotional carton needed to generate excitement about the movie, but also promote the toothpaste," says Tim Freeze, manager, products, solutions and systems, Mebane Packaging, a Westvaco Packaging Resource, Mebane, NC. For each of the cartons, a third features the characters from the cartoon as well as wording informing the consumer of the static cling decals found inside. When manufacturing the cartons, Mebane was able to apply the promotional labels in-line on its folder/gluers, which was how the decals were attached. The cartoon graphics were developed by SmithKline Beecham's graphic designers and seven-color printing. High-gloss, UV coating was used to increase shelf appeal.
Set Box
Sometimes people go to great lengths to find unusual packaging, like the packaging designers at Ann Taylor, New York, NY, who went all the way to Japan for a different look for the Ann Taylor Deluxe Holiday Set for fragrances.
The set box is covered with hand-made Japanese rice paper (Echizenwashi paper) flown in from Tokyo. Beautiful but delicate, the paper had to be handled with great care according to Dan Shedd, president, Taylor Box, Warren, RI. "Ann Taylor came to us with the concept of using the rice paper. It was very fragile and slightly transparent so we had to handle it carefully."
The inside of the set box is finished in the fine paper and foil stamped for a luxurious image. The set box is held together with a satin ribbon.
Taylor Box collaborated with Hub Folding Carton, Warren, RI, on the package. The set box itself is made from a two-sided chipboard to enhance the surface brightness of the rice paper. The machines handling the boxes had to be modified to avoid damaging the surface. Still, the five-panel boxes were on shelf one month before the holiday deadline.
The set box won the NPA's Best of Show award. The box was judged the best from a field of 400, including entries from Canada and England.