Dispensing Systems: Delivering More Than the Basics
A thick-stemmed, transparent uplocking pump maintains the geometric look of Method's hand wash package.Today's dispensers drive package design and even product development.
By Jennifer Kwok, Managing Editor As part of a package, a dispenser's main role is to transfer product from container to customer. A well-designed dispenser, however, can deliver more than this.
Aesthetically, the right-looking dispenser can complement a package, helping to make its design coherent. Or, as evidenced by the continually growing market for foam pumps, dispensers can even drive product innovation. Read on to find out how today's dispensers influence package design.
Clearly Stylish
Shape, color, and decorating options are all important factors to consider when choosing a dispenser. Translucence and transparency remain popular trends in dispensers, seen on everything from hand soap to fragrance packages.
Method Home Care (San Francisco) first gained a reputation for chic home cleaning products in 2001 when it launched Surface Cleaners. The line comprises essential-oil-scented cleaners in contemporary-looking spray bottles. The company's second launch, a line of dish soaps, also made news with its amorphous bottles and a bottom-dispensing closure supplied by Zeller Plastik (Libertyville, IL). Most of Method's packaging is fashioned by New York industrial designer Karim Rashid. When it came time to choose the packaging for the brand's first hand soap, launched in May, only a fashionable dispenser would do.
"Method is updating the home cleaning industry, a category that's kept the same image for years," says Jennifer Drubner, director of public relations for Method. "With its modern products, Method makes cleaning more than just a mundane routine."
To complement the 12-oz teardrop-shaped heavyweight PET bottle for the hand wash, Method chose a transparent polypropylene uplocking pump from Emsar Inc. (Stratford, CT).
"I presented several different pumps to Method," says Don Usedom, a packaging consultant for TricorBraun (St. Louis), the distributor charged with sourcing the components for Method's hand wash package. "It all came down to the look of the pump and the way it looked on the bottle."
One attraction was the option to customize the polypropylene disc on top of the pump. This was done in Method's trademark silver shade. Another appeal was the thickness of the uplocking pump's stem, says Usedom. "They liked the way that the thickness of the pump stem complemented the package's geometric look," says Usedom.
Emsar's global marketing director, Des McEttrick, says that the demand for large translucent actuators is growing. "We're seeing a lot of bigger actuators, which are often more convenient to use because of their size," she says. "We've had tremendous success with our uplocking pumps with large actuators."
Another packaging supplier, Cool Cosmetic Packaging Inc. (Simi Valley, CA), introduced its newest translucent stock dispenser, called the GM Trigger, in October. Geared toward the salon industry, the large, trigger-style dispenser is available in translucent colors of green, purple, salmon, and white. It can also be color matched to any PMS color. "We are very excited with this new item," says Sheri Daliry, vice president, sales and marketing, for Cool Cosmetic. "Two large hair-care companies are testing it now."
A clear Surlyn actuator matches the transparent look of Estée Lauder's Beyond Paradise bottle and displays a holographic rainbow insert.Transparency is a trend not only for personal care dispensers, but also for fragrance dispensers as well. For Estée Lauder's Beyond Paradise, a clear Surlyn actuator helped highlight the package's main design theme--its rainbow effect.
The fragrance's glass bottle, supplied by Pochet (Paris), is sprayed with a translucent rainbow of colors. The choice of a transparent actuator helped maintain the bottle's clear look, and it also showed off a holographic rainbow insert located between the pump and its clear collar.
"We wanted to show off the holographic insert," says Stacey Henning, Estée Lauder's director of packaging, who led the development of the Beyond Paradise package design. "Our goal was to extend the look of the rainbow on the bottle through the clear actuator. The bottle's design concept was enhanced by the clarity of the dispenser."
The Surlyn pump is one of Rexam Dispensing Systems' (Purchase, NY) low-profile designs in its The Crimpless System family. The Beyond Paradise version is unique because it has no metal parts. Even the pump's metallic-looking silver collar is actually vacuum-metallized plastic. The Beyond Paradise logo was formed on the plastic collar in the mold prior to metallizing. Sister company Rexam Cosmetic Closures in Simandre, France, engineered and molded all of the fashion components for the pump's actuator assembly.
"It was a complex development and a great partnership with Rexam Cosmetic Closures," says Dennis Desrochers, vice president of sales and marketing for Rexam Dispensing Systems. "We had to perfect the look and achieve the function of the dispenser to meet Lauder's exacting specifications."
Since the Beyond Paradise bottle retails without an overcap, a special custom locking mechanism was added to the dispenser. To lock and unlock the pump, customers must slightly rotate the round actuator. "The biggest concern was that customers wouldn't know how to lock and unlock the actuator," says Dennis Marcoux, vice president of sales for Rexam Dispensing Systems. However, he adds, graphics on the fragrance's secondary packaging, as well as a hangtag on some versions, explain to customers how the locking mechanism functions.
Innovations like Pfeiffer's Side Actuation are taking dispenser styles to a new level. The Beyond Paradise component is just one example of how transparency prevails as a trend for dispensers and how a dispenser can unify a package design. "As a trend, transparency is a look that has been around for a while for dispensers," says Desrochers. "It continues to be popular."
"Transparency is definitely growing as a trend, not just for dispensers, but for other types of cosmetic packaging too, such as compacts," says Henning.
Smooth Operators
Transparency, of course, isn't the only look popular for dispensers. Many suppliers are updating their dispenser designs with soft contours.
Summit Dispensing Systems Inc. (Manchester, NH) is developing soft-contoured versions of its square-edged dispensing closures. The supplier says that it will introduce its new family of round-edged closures at the WestPack trade show in Anaheim, CA, in January. In addition, practical features have also been added to the closures' design. To make the dispensing closures waterproof, for instance, Summit eliminated the gap near the closure's thumb pad to prevent water from seeping in.
"With these closures we are targeting the HBA market for tottles and tubes, as well as bottles," says Chip Gilroy, vice president for Summit Dispensing Systems.
Valois of America (Congers, NY) also continues to experience high demand for its round-edged Evolution pump. "The rounded top gives the pump more of a modern feel, versus actuators with flat tops," says Jerry Whelan, vice president of sales and marketing for Valois. "It also feels more ergonomic to the user."
At this year's HBA show in New York City, Valois introduced several modified versions of its soft-contoured pump. One is the Satine pump, a large-dose (500 µl) cosmetic pump with the same soft contours as the Evolution pump. Valois has also developed an airtight version of the Evolution called the Cocoon, which the supplier also introduced at HBA. The Cocoon pump features a self-sealing polymeric insert that Whelan describes as "a pair of lips." The plastic insert opens when product is being dispensed and then closes up again, keeping air from entering the pump. "It prevents products from drying out and becoming discolored," says Whelan. "The insert can be molded in any color."
Customizing with Color
Color is a standard but effective way to make a dispenser stand out. Developments by suppliers offer new ways for brands to add color to dispensers.
At HBA, Pfeiffer of America (Princeton, NJ) showcased its new Side Actuation dispenser, offered in a spray and a gel version. In addition to its distinctive design, a departure from conventional pumps that operate when depressed downward, the stock dispenser is offered in a range of color options to make its design even bolder.
"It's very important for a dispenser to be eye-catching," says Andrea Vollmer, marketing manager, fragrance and cosmetics, for Ing. Erich Pfeiffer GmbH (Radolfzell, Germany). "Our new Side Actuation is a good example of this."
Airspray's foamers continue to drive many of the latest launches, including Crayola.The actuator, located on the side of the bottle, features an ergonomic soft-touch finger pad designed for user comfort. All components of the dispenser can be custom colored, including the thumb pad, the wide collar, the actuator, and the bottle. A variety of materials such as metal, glass, and plastic can also be used.
The majority of dispenser suppliers, including The Cosmetic Packaging Group, a div. of O. Berk Co., (Union, NJ), also continue to offer a range of standard colorful decorating techniques. "We can customize the color of the disc, collar, and dispensing head, subject to certain minimums and lead times," says Steve Nussbaum, director of marketing for O. Berk.
Rising Popularity
Dispensers don't just affect package design. Some dispensers even influence product development. One of the best recent examples is the foam dispenser, which continues to make its appearance on newly launched products from some of the biggest names in beauty.
"Foam isn't just a fad anymore," says Robert Brands, CEO of Airspray International Inc. (Pompano Beach, FL), which launched its first foam dispenser in 1996. "Based on the success of instant-foaming hand soaps, other new personal-care products such as foaming shampoos and body washes have recently been introduced. The key is innovation. Airspray's innovations are still driving many product launches."
This July, Unilever launched its Dove Essential Nutrients line comprising eight products. One of the products, a self-foaming cleanser, features a custom version of Airspray's Mini Foamer.
According to Brands, the Essential Nutrients dispenser is one of Airspray's first custom designs. All of the components above the package's silver "smile-shaped" chrome band were custom designed, including the dispenser's base, cap, nozzle, shield, and overcap. "The Unilever and Raison Pure teams designed the dispenser, built around the platform of our Mini Foamer," says Brands. Raison Pure International (New York City) is the firm responsible for the line's structural and graphic design in conjunction with Unilever's design team.
Like other Airspray foamers, the Mini Foamer uses air to convert liquid products to creamy foam, without the use of chemical propellants. "The system that was chosen was very specific," says Laurent Hainaut, president of Raison Pure. "The dispenser's large engine allows the product to foam before being dispensed. Not many suppliers have this technology. We were also able to design a specific actuator that is proprietary to Unilever. The skirt, bottle, cap, and actuator are all designed for Unilever. The only thing that is stock is the foam mechanism itself, which is inside the bottle."
With so many brands now featuring foam dispensers, customizing a dispenser's design is a smart move. Another opportunity to stand out is to be one of the first brands to use new versions of the foam dispenser.
At this year's HBA show, Airspray introduced its newest concept for foam—a foam dispenser for fragrance. "It can be used for various fragrance products like aftershave or perfume," says Brands. "We're now making presentations to several fragrance companies. I think it's going to be very popular in the men's category, for products like aftershaves and colognes." He adds that the benefit of applying fragrance as foam is that the product wouldn't drip, as it might in a liquid state. "For companies looking for innovative dispensers that are easy to use, this fits the bill," says Brands.
Though some consider Airspray as leading the pack with its patented designs, other suppliers are also coming up with their own versions of the foam dispenser. Suppliers like Emsar are working to get an edge in the foaming market. "For dispensers, foaming is probably the biggest trend right now in terms of innovation," says Emsar's McEttrick. "Until recently, Airspray was really the only manufacturer producing foamers."
In early 2004, Emsar will debut its EcoFoam Squeeze Foamer. Designed for one-handed use, the foamer differs from Airspray's foamer because it is designed to dispense foam when customers squeeze the bottle. Products that would be suited for the dispenser are sunless tanners, body washes, and shampoo. In addition, since the dispenser is constructed from plastic parts only, it is recyclable.
Regarding competition from other suppliers, Brands says, "We welcome competition because it only helps to expand the market for this type of dispenser."
Product Protection
Foam dispensers aren't the only innovators. Dispensers that protect product are being developed, which marketers of sensitive-ingredient antiaging products will find attractive.
Roberts Cosmetic Containers (Chatsworth, CA) recently introduced its patented Fusion Activator Bottle, which features a dual-stage pump. It comprises two separate chambers: a 1.5-ml chamber to house an active-ingredient powder, paste, or liquid; and a 10-ml chamber for a blending catalyst. The dispenser's dual-stage pump, featuring an individual dispensing tube for each chamber, outputs the two product parts simultaneously when the user presses the pump. According to the company, the dispenser was designed to ensure the freshness and potency of active-ingredient products. It is suited for a range of products, from antiwrinkle creams and hair-growth treatments to moisturizers and sunscreens.
At this year's HBA show, Cospack America Corp. (Edison, NJ) showed its newest airless dispenser, suited for air-sensitive products. The dispenser's noticeable feature is its small size, making it convenient for traveling. The dispenser's piston raises the product, pushing product up through the dispenser for distribution. The package is available in sizes of 7, 10, and 15 ml, with clear or tinted bottles, and gold, silver, or custom-colored components. Decorating options include UV frosting, hot-stamping, and silk-screening on the bottle.
Crowning Touch
Today's dispensers are doing a lot more than simply sitting pretty on a container. Advancements in design, decoration, and technology ensure that dispensers remain an integral part of packaging.