Potpourri: News, market information, and current industry events.
Perceive by Avon won Best Men's Packaging for chain and nonstore venues. 2001 FiFi Awards Honor Best in Packaging
Four companies received Best Packaging awards at the Fragrance Foundation's 29th Annual FiFi Awards, held June 5 on the Grand Stage at Radio City Music Hall (New York City). More than 1500 members of the international fragrance community were there to recognize the Fragrance Stars of the Year, which included packaging winners CCB Paris for Annam, Giorgio Armani Parfums for Mania, Avon Products Inc. for Perceive, and Inter Parfums/Adipar Ltd. for Burberry Touch.
Annam received the Women's Packaging of the Year award for fragrance with distribution in chain and nonstore venues. Designed by Tan Giudicelli and Laurent Cormier of ARECA, "Annam was created [to be] a journey of the senses—not only the sense of smell, but also [the sense of touch], a tactile caress and reawakening of memories," says Maxime Gransart, fragrances group director for CCB Paris.
CCB Paris took home a FiFi for the packaging of women's fragrance Annam. For the package design, says Gransart, "Giudicelli has drawn on his own experiences and rediscovered memories of his childhood in Southeast Asia."
The packaging for Annam—a juice with notes of milk, lily, tuberose, rice, and rare woods—is a shell-shaped bottle supplied by the Gerresheimer subsidiary Nouvelles Verreries de Momignies S.A. The glass is etched with symbols in Mandarin. Secondary packaging is an egg-shaped carton with a smooth outer layer supplied by SEM. Valois supplies the pump, MBF the cap.
The FiFi for Best Men's Packaging in the category of specialty, department, and private-label stores went to Burberry Touch by Inter Parfums/Adipar Ltd. Mania by Giorgio Armani Parfums won Women's Packaging of the Year for distribution in specialty, department, and private-label stores. From the fragrance house Firmenich, Mania is an expression of sophisticated elegance, with its exclusive incense note. "We are quite proud of Mania, as it is the latest addition to the Giorgio Armani Parfums stable and continues to support Mr. Armani's sense of style," says Jack Wiswall, president of the designer fragrances division.
"Like the fashion designs of Giorgio Armani, Mania was created with simple, rich materials of the highest quality. Mania is Mr. Armani's symbol of seduction." The glass bottle, which is supplied by Verreries Pochet et du Courval, features slender curves and is topped with a sleek black cap.
Jack Wiswall, president of Giorgio Armani's designer fragrances division, accepts the packaging FiFi for women's fragrance Mania. The Men's Packaging of the Year award in the category of chain and nonstore venues went to Avon's Perceive. The fragrance, designed by Eric Lee, senior manager of package design at Avon, was created to provide the consumer with an uplifting, mood enhancing experience. The package is "a very masculine shape, with a crystal-cut design that gives an impression of power and energy," says Lee. Saint-Gobain Desjonqueres executed Avon's design for the bottle.
One of the challenges that had to be overcome when executing Perceive's design was the Surlyn cap, says Marilee Egan, senior packaging engineer for Avon. "Surlyn is expensive to produce, and the material is difficult to mold for a good fit on the bottle," says Egan, adding that Perceive's Surlyn cap is a technical achievement for its perfect fit. Tech Industries Inc. supplied the cap.
Other suppliers that helped bring Perceive's package design to life are Emsar Inc. for the pump, AGIKlearfold for the carton, and Custom Liners Inc. for the carton liner.
Finally, Burberry Touch from Inter Parfums/Adipar Ltd. won Men's Packaging of the Year in the specialty, department, and private-label stores category. From the fragrance house Quest, Burberry Touch for Men is designed for harmony with its counterpart fragrance for women. "The synergy between the men's and the women's Touch is celebrated in the bottle designs—a harmony between tactile elements which offer a range of sensations," says Sharon Connolly, vice president and general manager of Adipar Ltd. "Both fragrances capture the comfort of fine fabrics and the sensuality of the outdoors," Connolly says.
The packaging for Burberry Touch for Men is designed to be reminiscent of an apothecary flask. The conical-shaped glass bottle, supplied by Gerresheimer subsidiary Nouvelles Verreries de Momignies S.A., is topped with a wooden cap for a look that is masculine and robust, traditional yet modern. The wooden overcap is supplied by IPACK (Innovation Packaging).
The FiFi Awards, which were originated as the Recognition Awards in 1973 by Annette Green, president of The Fragrance Foundation, honors the fragrance industry's creative achievements. For more information on The Fragrance Foundation, visit the organization's Web site at http://www.fragrance.org, send e-mail to info@fragrance.org, or call 212/725-2755.
—Lori Bryan
Suppliers Team Up to Give Companies More Control over Placement of Antitheft Tags
The fact that electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags can be carelessly placed onto finished package designs at retail stores has cosmetic and personal care companies concerned. Their worry is that the tags, which are employed to prevent product theft, may cover up important ingredient information or directions for use. To prevent this, some companies have incorporated the placement of EAS tags into their own manufacturing processes. Others have made agreements with suppliers and contract packagers to carry out source tagging for them. Both scenarios enable companies to choose the best location on the package for the tag. In one recent case, an EAS system provider has teamed up with a packaging supplier to assure cosmetic and personal care companies and other manufacturers of consumer products that their EAS tags are placed correctly.
Enter Westvaco Corp. (New York City) and Checkpoint Systems Inc. (Thorofare, NJ), who have formed an alliance that allows Westvaco to incorporate Checkpoint's new line of EAS technologies, called Electronic Signatures, to develop more cost-effective methods to apply to its production processes for folding cartons and injection-molded plastic cases. Westvaco currently applies source tags, EAS tags with in-line and off-line tagging capabilities.
"Checkpoint has a strong global history of working with major retailers in using EAS technology," says Todd Walton, manager of business solutions for Westvaco's packaging resource group. "Westvaco has the relationship with consumer product manufacturers who buy packaging, particularly those in the cosmetic, personal care, pharmaceutical, and entertainment [industries]. The value of the alliance is that we can work with Checkpoint to apply the technology at the source of packaging."
Checkpoint's Electronic Signatures line consists of three types of EAS technology. The first type, called Gen3, is designed for antitheft applications. An "off-on-off" feature allows the sensors to be activated or deactivated at any point in the supply chain, depending on the manufacturer's needs. For instance, the tags can be activated in high-speed manufacturing environments that operate up to 400 ft/min, or by handheld activators when packages arrive at retail stores.
The second type, ExpressTrak, operates without a silicon chip. Besides its potential use for antitheft purposes, ExpressTrak can be used to identify a product's authenticity, as well as to track the product through the intended distribution channel.
The third type is Checkpoint's Performa radio-frequency technology, identification tags that not only provide antitheft and product authentification features, but also have the ability to store large amounts of information, such as product identification or tracking information through the supply chain.
Upon a manufacturer's request, Westvaco can incorporate the technology into packages during the converting process, eliminating the need for retailers to manually apply the tags themselves. The tags can be applied to the inside or outside of packages uniformly, eliminating the risk of covering brand logos or literature with critical ingredients information or directions for use.
Westvaco plans to work with Checkpoint to incorporate the source-tagging technology into its converting system in a cost-effective way. "Incorporating EAS technology into packages needs to be cost-effective in order that the technology can be used across a broader spectrum," says Walton. "Manufacturers will generally apply [EAS tags] to higher-end products with retail values of more than five dollars. We are looking to take this new technology and come up with high-speed technologies for applying the tags during the packaging process." Eliminating the multistep process of applying the tags will lower companies' costs, he says.
Westvaco is developing methods to incorporate Checkpoint's technology into its production process. Walton projects Westvaco will have those capabilities by 2002. Checkpoint provides solutions for tracking and securing assets.
—Jennifer Kwok
Givaudan Fragrance Corp. Provides FIT with Grant
The Fashion Institute of Technology's (FIT; New York City) cosmetics and fragrance marketing department has received a $50,000 grant from the Givaudan Fragrance Corp. (Geneva), an innovator, creator, and supplier of fragrances. The grant will allow the college to establish the Jimmy Bell/ Givaudan Creative Department Certificate Program, a training program for fragrance development, to be taught by recognized industry professionals.
"With this gift, the cosmetics and fragrance marketing department can expand its reach and better serve the industry by making noncredit courses available to professionals who need additional training," said Peg Smith, the department's chairperson. The program is organized by FIT's center for professional studies in collaboration with the cosmetics and fragrance marketing department.
Low-profile PETG jars in a range of sizes are designed to have the appearance of glass. The program, to be held at The Annette Green Fragrance Foundation Studio in New York City, will begin in fall 2001. The class, called The ABCs of Fragrance Evaluation, will include lectures and hands-on laboratory assignments.
Colt's Plastics Showcases New PETG Jars at WestPack
Colt's Plastics Company, Inc. (Dayville, CT) was among the suppliers exhibiting the latest in packaging supplies and services at WestPack 2001, held June 19–21 at the Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, CA). The Colt-Ainer IV line of low-profile PETG jars is designed to have the elegant appearance and brilliant finish of glass, with the durability of plastic. The 7-, 15-, 30-, 50-, and 100-ml sizes are compatible with any standard GCMI/GPI finish caps in sizes from 33 to 70 mm.
The 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-oz sizes feature a 100-mm footprint suitable for pomades, bath products, and creams, and can accept standard GCMI/GPI caps with 100/400-mm finishes. The company's line of caps is available in many styles. Decorating options for the jars include hot-stamp foil applications and screen printing.
Risdon-AMS Donates to Jade Foundation
Risdon-AMS (Watertown, CT) has donated the pump components for Jade, a perfume that benefits The Jade Foundation. The foundation provides assistance to Minnesota children with mental, physical, or emotional challenges, or who are affected by drug abuse, alcohol abuse, or violence. Jade Perfume is available at all Target store fragrance counters in Minnesota.
Kenneth Cole Signs Agreement with LVMH's Parfums Givenchy
Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. has signed an agreement with Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) Perfumes and Parfums Givenchy Inc. The deal provides LVMH's American Designer Fragrance Division exclusive worldwide license to create, distribute, and market Kenneth Cole fragrance and body products. "Given the power of Kenneth Cole's vision, there is a clear opportunity to stage a major reinvention of fragrance marketing, both in execution and communication," said Camille McDonald, president and CEO of Parfums Givenchy Inc. The company plans to launch such Kenneth Cole fragrances as Kenneth Cole New York, Reaction Kenneth Cole, and Unlisted.
PFSweb Supports Customization Services for Lancôme
Lancôme USA, a subsidiary of L'Oréal S.A. International, has announced that PFSweb Inc. will be the logistics provider for the Lancôme Web site, facilitating custom packaging services for Lancôme gift products chosen by the customer. Customization options include a variety of gift boxes and personalized gift tags.
PFSweb will also support on-line programs like My Lancôme, which provides members with free personalized samples with each order placed as well as free shipping when a certain order amount is reached.
The Web site, located at http://www.lancome.com, enables consumers to purchase items from the company's catalog of skin care, body care, make-up, and fragrance products. PFSweb provides traditional and e-commerce infrastructure solutions to companies including Mary Kay, RCA, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, and IBM.
Coty Inc. and Parsons School of Design Award First Scholarship
Coty Inc. (New York City), in association with the Parsons School of Design's product design department (New York City), has presented the first awards for its new scholarship program. The award recipients are Wilhelm Liden and Elizabeth Linstrom, both students of the Parsons School. Liden was awarded for incorporating innovative labeling technology into his designs, while Linstrom focused on sustainable, eco-friendly ideas. Coty plans to incorporate both winners' designs into packaging for future fragrances.
Coty, a multibrand manufacturer and marketer of personal fragrances, color cosmetics, and skin treatment products, established the program together with the Parsons School in fall 2000. The program was designed to support upcoming design talent, rewarding students with monetary prizes.
"Parsons maintains an excellent reputation as the starting point for many of today's leading fashion and product designers," said Douglas Toews, Coty's executive vice president, ideas and images. "Coty is always looking to help develop new talent."
Proceeds from the sale of unisex fragrance 001Coty fund the scholarship. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must participate in a Coty-sponsored product design class at the Parsons School. The students' design ideas for fragrance packaging are judged on originality, general aesthetics of design, and commercial appeal.
The scholarship is funded by proceeds from the sale of 001Coty, a new limited edition, unisex fragrance by Coty. The fragrance will be sold exclusively on-line at http://www.001Coty. com and produced in a limited quantity. The ideas and images development team for the fragrance bottle was led by Toews, who said that the package was created to test the boundaries of what consumers expect from "the idea of a bottle of perfume." Toews said, "We want to challenge the perception of what a fragrance can and should be."
001Coty was developed in association with Fragrance Resources. The bottle size is 1.4 fl oz; its design was inspired by a Coty bottle designed in 1917. The bottle, supplied by Pochet (Wayne, NJ), is the first limited edition to be endorsed by the International Perfume Bottle Association.
—Jennifer Kwok
Plassein Packaging Corp. Takes New Name
Plassein Packaging Corp. (Willington, CT) has changed its name to Plassein International. The company, with its expertise in barrier films, precision sealing, and reclosable packaging, creates such high-impact on-shelf advertising as value-added flexible packaging, innovative stand-up pouches, and retail shopping bags.
Acquisition Strengthens Carton Company's Capabilities
Folding carton manufacturer Groupe Cartem Wilco Inc. has acquired Les Emballages Ecco Ltée (Longueuil, QC, Canada) and Les Étiquettes Miramont Ltée (Longueuil, QC, Canada). Group Cartem Wilco, which comprises Cartem Inc. (Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, QC, Canada) and Wilco Inc. (Candiac, QC, Canada), expects the acquisition to strengthen the company's production capabilities in Québec for the cosmetic and personal care markets. The acquisition will also aid efforts to increase the company's presence in the North American market.
IMA to Acquire Co.ma.di.s S.p.A
IMA (Bologna, Italy), an equipment supplier to the pharmaceutical and tea industries, has announced plans to acquire Co.ma.di.s S.p.A (Senago, Italy), a supplier of tube-filling machines for the cosmetics industry. The acquisition of Co.ma.di.s S.p.A will expand IMA's range of tube fillers and cartoners.
FACES & PLACES
RPC Bramiage-WIKO USA (Exton, PA) has appointed Jerry Ruud national sales manager and Mark Zolty director of customer service and capital projects. WIKO USA is the exclusive distributor of Bramiage and WIKO products, including airless dispensers, cream sticks, wind-up sticks, two-component dispensers, tablet dispensers, cosmetic jars, and customized systems.
Eugene Matarese has joined the sales team of pressure-sensitive-label manufacturer Logotech Inc. (Fairfield, NJ) after more than 20 years as a founding member of Valois of America Inc. (Greenwich, CT). Logotech is part of Tadbik, an international packaging solutions company with headquarters in Israel. Tadbik's flexible packaging division, called CLP Packaging, exports to the United States. Also employed by Logotech is Carl Archambeasult, vice president of sales, who has more than 15 years' experience in the printing industry serving the personal care industry, and Leslie Gurland, president of CLP Packaging's U.S. operations.
Techpack America (New York City) has named Tom Faath president of sales and Tom Moore director of sales. Faath has more than 25 years' experience in plastics and metal for the cosmetics packaging industry. Moore, also with more than 25 years in beauty packaging, has held positions at Rexam, Risdon-AMS, and Bridgeport Metalworks.
The Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (Washington, DC) has elected Andrea Jung board chair. Jung also serves as CEO of Avon Products Inc. and is the first female chairperson for CTFA.
Arthur G. Rich, most recently senior director, research and development, at Bath & Body Works, has founded A. Rich Development LLC (Chestnut Ridge, NY), a product development firm. In addition to his former position at Bath & Body Works, Rich has held supervisory positions with Avon and Johnson & Johnson. To contact A. Rich Development LLC, call 845/735-8232 or e-mail arichdevel@aol.com.
Circle of Beauty (New York City), a supplier of cosmetics and bath, skincare, and haircare products, has named Catherine Kratchman director of marketing for the Living Pleasures, Skin I.Q., and Mane Manager product lines. Kratchman will be responsible for the development of new products and promotional programs, and the maintenance of existing products for the three lines. Kratchman was formerly international marketing director of fragrance for Estée Lauder.
William Vitriol has been named senior vice president, new business development at the Sterling Group (New York City), an international brand consultancy firm. With over 20 years' experience in brand marketing and advertising, Vitriol will oversee overall strategy, development, and management. The company provides strategic consulting, graphic design, interactive services, and marketing communications, and focuses on changing the way brands connect to consumers.
Paxonix (New York City) has appointed Edward Samuel Jr. vice president, global operations. Samuel will manage customer support during product development, as well as oversee administration and training of the global operations department. Paxonix assists in the development of products and packaging for global commercialization, using software tools, packaging and process experience, and a network of suppliers.
The Wella Corp. (Montvale, NJ) has announced several management position changes. William C. Decker, vice president, marketing, has been appointed senior vice president, marketing. Ian Murphy, formerly director, marketing haircare, is now vice president, marketing. Melanie Koroyan will act as director, business development, responsible for developing programs for national accounts, e-commerce, salon programs, and store merchandising. R. W. Miller, senior vice president, North America, is now senior vice president of North American sales for both Wella and Sebastian, and will lead the trade channel sales teams. Finally, Raphaela Kirschnick, Wella director, marketing international haircolor, has become vice president, marketing, for Sebastian International. Kirschnick will oversee all of Sebastian's marketing business initiatives for the United States and Canada.
CORRECTION
Information contained in O. Berk International's listing in the May/June advertiser index was incorrect. The company's listing should have read as follows: O. Berk International Inc., Union, NJ; phone: 908/687-7720; fax: 908/687-5157; e-mail: obi@oberk.com; Web site: www.AluminumBottles.com.