Latest Launches
Helping Customers Get a Grip
Applying
eye and lip liner is a lot easier now with Estée Lauder's
Artist's Pencil, a winner of CPC Packaging's 2004 Editors'
Choice Awards. The pencil features a soft-touch grip that is movable,
allowing users to determine where it feels most comfortable and
providing better control during application.
Lombardi Design & Manufacturing (Freeport, NY) produced the grip. What looks like a simple rubber piece on the outside is actually quite a complex component.
According to the supplier, the grip is a bi-injection-molded piece. An inner piece, not visible from the outside of the grip, was molded from polypropylene and acts as a frame to support the softer material applied to the outside of the grip. The inner piece is designed as two rings (one at the top end of the grip and the other at the bottom) that are connected by a series of ribs. Once the frame was made, it was put into another mold and overmolded with soft Krayton material that gives the grip its soft touch.
One issue that Lombardi Design & Manufacturing faced was figuring out how to ensure that the grip fit securely enough on the pencil to keep it from sliding uncontrollably, yet loose enough so that the customer could move it into the position they desired. The solution was developed during the secondary molding process. When the soft Krayton was overmolded to the frame, the Krayton material filled in the spaces between the frame's ribs, protruding into the hole where the pencil fits. The result is that when the pencil slides into the grip, the Krayton that protrudes through the ribs compresses on the pencil, preventing the grip from moving.
The entire grip package, patented by Lombardi Design & Manufacturing, is a good example of how a component that looks as simple as the grip pencil is often a result of complicated engineering.
Creative Compacts
Most cosmetic customers appreciate having a compact with a built-in mirror. However, retailing a compact with a mirror is often problematic, especially for mass marketers, because a mirror under a compact's lid blocks customers' view of the product's shade. Supplier HCT Packaging Inc. (Bridgewater, NJ) came up with an innovative solution, as seen on Revlon's spring collection of powder and cream blushes.
The
black Revlon compact has a clear lid that showcases the product.
The compact's mirror is a patented, spring-activated design that
pops out of one side of the compact when a small button is pressed.
"This unique package was created by HCT and presented to Revlon as a working model," says Dennis Anderson, executive vice president of HCT Packaging Inc. "Revlon fell in love with the push-button-activated, spring-out mirror and asked HCT to design the compact to fit its products' current shelf footprints so that it could use existing display units."
Working with Revlon's creative design team, HCT refined the compact's design to Revlon's specifications. The compact was designed with a modern look and with slightly sharper corners than the prototype. To ensure that the mirror and the rest of the package would function flawlessly, Anderson says that the components were put through rigorous testing.
The result is a compact that may give Revlon an edge over other mass-market compact displays. "Typically, the only way [most mass marketers] are able to show their product in a mirrored compact is to present the compact open on a blister card," says Anderson. "This takes up double the shelf space in the retail store, which we all know is very expensive. This patent-pending compact has been an overwhelming success."
Cosmetics brand Body & Soul has also launched a standout compact. The brand's new D'Lites Lip Quad is housed in a shiny silver compact reminiscent of a vintage jewelry box.
"We
wanted the compact to keep to the overall vintage style of the entire
Body & Soul line and at the same time stand out from the rest
of the line since it was our very first lip color palette,"
says Tao Miller, president and CEO of Body & Soul. "The
inspiration for the Lip Quad came mainly from a vintage pillbox
and other items reminiscent of the 1930s to 1950s era. It's essentially
[meant to look like] a jewelry box." The four pans filled with
richly colored lip glosses resemble four cabochon stones, he adds.
The plastic compact is a custom mold that was produced by Dae Myung Glass Co. in Korea. Its silver finish was characteristic of the jewelry and vanity items that inspired the compact's design, says Miller. Coating the plastic compact with a metal finish kept the compact eye-catching, yet lightweight and convenient to tote.
Also featured is a mirror under the compact's lid that magnifies a reflection three times, making detailed application easier.
To add to the compact's precious feel, a flocked velveteen pouch accompanies it. "Velveteen bags and pouches hark back to the era that inspired the look of our products," says Miller. "Very often vintage jewelry pieces are kept in drawstring velveteen pouches. The pouch also protects the compact's finish from being scratched."
The compact's carton was supplied by Hagadone Printing Co. in Body & Soul's signature sea-foam green color. To celebrate its first lip palette, the company chose a special foil-stamped sea-foam green shade, making the carton distinct from the others in the line.
Clearly Cool
The newest addition to Adidas's line of deodorants is Adidas Active Antiperspirant for Women. Its deodorant barrel has a white translucent finish that communicates the product's clear gel formula.
"We
sought a modern, youthful look that would convey our advanced technology
and stand out on the shelf," says
Kina Guyton, marketing manager for Adidas Personal Care, a Coty
brand.
The barrel is supplied by MC Plasticos de Mexico and is filled in Coty's own manufacturing facilities. The sides of the barrel are embossed with a three-dimensional pattern that makes the container easy to grip. "The 3-D barrel side treads add a distinct and modern athletic feeling," says Guyton. "These grips are utilized across the Adidas personal care line."
Silver holographic labels printed by Interstate Packaging also contribute to the modern look. "Our labels are designed to communicate the importance of technology," says Guyton. "The iridescence of the label allows light to bounce off the package and really draws attention in a field of opaque packages."
Packaging in a Snap
Rexam
Dispensing Systems (Purchase, NY) made packaging a snap for Christian
Dior's Dolce Vita eau de parfum and eau de toilette. The supplier
provided its one-piece snap-on pump assembly, which includes Rexam's
SP8 pump, a cap, an actuator, and a customized collar. Since the
system is supplied preassembled, it simplifies production for the
manufacturer.
"For the customer, this advanced technology increases efficiency and makes filling operations more productive," says Dennis Desrochers, Rexam Dispensing Systems' vice president of sales and marketing.
The pump assembly is featured on Dolce Vita's 30-, 50-, and 100-ml bottles. The collar and actuator were metallized in gold, while the clear cap is made from Surlyn.
Lip Balm Beauties
Pookie
Products, known for its flavored lip balms, has launched its first
lipstick-lip balm hybrid. The tinted, scented product is housed
in a slender, pocket-sized container that is a more-elegant alternative
to standard lip balm tubes.
"It's smaller than any tube we've used before," says Gianine Rothschild, vice president of Pookie Products (New York City). "It continues our theme of cute and convenient packaging. Current trends call for sleek, streamlined packaging."
The opaque, frosted plastic container is supplied by Fabrique Cosmetique (Cross River, NY). Colorful plastic labels that match each product's shade were provided by Label Aid Inc. (Huron, OH).
In other lip balm news, Eco Lips Inc. (Seal Beach, CA) has redesigned its organic lip balm package to look brighter and bolder.
"After we launched our original package, we found that the natural, organic tones of the printing [on the label] were getting lost on retail shelves," says Steve Shriver, president and CEO of Eco Lips. "It was hard to spot our product or see our logo from a distance."
To solve this problem, the company switched its label color to a bright orange. Supplier Flexo Impressions (Bloomington, MN) printed the label. "We went from 50–60% color saturation using various gradations to 100% full-flooded reversed-out printing," says Shriver.
"There
was an immediate increase in sales when our new packaging went into
distribution," Shriver
continues. "It was an important packaging upgrade because as
a small brand, we need to get noticed. We don't have mass quantities
of consumers seeking us out, so we need to catch their eyes and
reel them in."
Eco Lips still uses the original lip balm container supplied by Federal Package Network Inc. (Chaska, MN). The secondary carton, also bright orange, is provided by Green Bay Packaging (Green Bay, WI). Instead of a window, a full-size image of the lip balm tube was printed on the carton to showcase the product. "A window in the size we wanted would have affected the way the carton was assembled during manufacturing," says Shriver. He says that it was still important for the company to show consumers what was in the carton. "Our strategy is to let the consumer know at a glance what is inside the carton and what to expect when they open it."
In Swell Shape
Round bottles have always been popular in the personal care market. For a brand called Belli (Issaquah, WA), however, a round shape is especially significant. Belli is a skin-care line for pregnant women and new mothers. The brand uses round bottles resembling the curves of a pregnant woman.
"Belli
seeks [packages with] a soft, round look and also a clean and clinical
feel because the line is physician formulated,"
says Annette Rubin, president of Belli Cosmetics. "The packaging
must also convey a high-quality image to support our prestige points
of distribution."
Earlier this year, Belli launched three new products: Elasticity Belly Oil and Comfort Cleansing Body Wash, both in rounded bottles, and a Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator in a low-profile jar.
The bottle for the Comfort Cleansing Body Wash was provided by Lumson S.p.A., which also supplied some of the line's other bottles and dispensers. The Elasticity Belly Oil bottle is from Arminak & Associates (Duarte, CA). "I loved the shape of these bottles for Bell—it conveys the brand perfectly," says Rubin. "It is also important to me to have unique packaging, and this has the feel of a custom mold."
The low-profile jar for the Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator also looks unique. Supplied by Colt's Plastics Company, Inc. (Dayville, CT), the clear 10-oz jar sports a silver cap and the Belli logo.
Belli's luxurious packaging helps to set the brand apart as a company that is serious about its products. "We are the first to deliver a physician-formulated brand specifically for pregnancy and early motherhood to the personal care market," she says. "There are other lines available for expecting women and new moms, but no one can boast the medical difference that truly sets Belli apart. Every ingredient we use is carefully screened through an independent, national prenatal-toxicology database. Because our goal is to set the new standard for safety in the industry, all Belli products are allergy tested. We are the go-to line for safe and efficacious products, and we try to set Belli apart from similar brands via the packaging--by paying incredible attention to detail and using top-of-the-line resources."
High-Tech Performance
When Yves Rocher launched its ADN Végétal antiaging skin-treatment product, it needed a sophisticated package to match the formula. Since the product is divided into individual doses, the secondary packaging needed to hold 28 unit-of-use, heat-sealed polypropylene beads.
Alcan
Packaging Techpack came up with a solution. The secondary packaging
is a clear polystyrene case that includes four removable, vertical
trays made from PCTA. Each tray features cavities in the shape of
half of a sphere to hold the beads. To access the product, customers
simply slide the trays out and remove a bead.
According to Alcan Packaging Techpack, creating the package required precise injection molding in order to create the thin trays with cavities that perfectly fit the beads. In addition, demolding had to be done very carefully to avoid any damage to the plastic's shiny surface.
Standard Packaging, Extraordinary Look
Stylish
stock packaging made Elizabeth Arden's recently launched Skinsimple
line anything but standard. Launched in Wal-Mart, the line features
many components by DieterBakicEnterprises.
DieterBakic's signature is designing distinct stock packages that can be easily decorated to look custom. The Skinsimple line includes DieterBakic's 30- and 50-ml Laurie glass bottles; 15- and 50-ml Laurie plastic jars and jar caps; and 100- and 200-ml plastic Drama tottles featuring DieterBakic's Sophia and Disctop closures.
"The cooperation with Elizabeth Arden and Wal-Mart proves again why we are considered to be a packaging provider with a different approach," says the supplier's founder, Dieter Bakic. Bakic points out that when stock components are well designed, they can stand on their own or be integrated with other unique components. "Our commitment to designing highly appealing standard packaging attracts both the [high-end] and mass markets," he says.