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Secondary Packaging : Designing Outside of the Box

Breaking the Mold

An unusually shaped carton is an effective way to catch a customer's eye. Smaller brands may gravitate toward complicated carton constructions, partly because their production runs are smaller, making such cartons less impractical.

"Major manufacturers' cartons are more likely to be standard-shaped," says Dennis Bacchetta, marketing manager for carton supplier Diamond Packaging (Rochester, NY). "Alternatively, smaller companies may try something a bit different. They tend to be more open to creative shapes because it sets them apart and gives them a step up in the market toward being noticed. It puts them closer to the recognition level of well-known national brands."

Jaqua (Santa Barbara, CA) is one niche spa-product company that has made a name for itself, in part, through its secondary packaging. It was Jaqua that first retailed product kits in paint cans and pink cake boxes. The kit cartons for the new Jaqua on Main collection, launching in September, are no less distinct.

The Jaqua on Main cartons are the brainchild of Jaqua's founders, sisters Jennifer and Sara Jaqua. Three different hexagon-shaped paperboard cartons were whimsically designed after three of the sisters' favorite boutique stores in Santa Barbara: Jeannine's Bakery, French Bulldog Café, and a flower shop (interpreted as the Fleur Magique carton). The cartons' domed lids look like the roofs of buildings. The sides of the cartons are printed with windows, doors, and images that tie in with the boutiques. For instance, the owners of the real French Bulldog Café have two french bulldogs that are often tied to the store's front posts, just like the illustration on the French Bulldog Café carton.

Jennifer describes how the sisters decided on the cartons' shape. "We wanted more than just a square box," she says. "Our goal was to make the cartons feel inviting, so that customers want to walk right up the front steps and in the door, and ultimately, discover what products are inside."

The complicated shape required more engineering on the production end. One problem was figuring out how to make the domed lids collapsible, so that retailers could stack the cartons on the shelf. The cartons are shipped flat and assembled by hand at Jaqua's fulfillment center.

Another problem was making sure that customers would know what items were in the cartons. The sisters considered adding a window to the carton, but eventually rejected the idea. Instead, they decided to allow customers to be able to open the cartons and touch the products—something perhaps only suited to boutique brands like Jaqua and not those of larger corporations. "We did design some boxes with see-through windows, but they didn't end up looking prestige enough," says Jennifer. "Plus, in our market, customers want to be able to touch, feel, and smell the product."

To ensure the cartons would withstand repeated opening and closing, they were constructed with heavy, durable paperboard. Jaqua's proprietary carton supplier provided a coated matte board that was very thick. "We had very specific criteria for how we wanted the paperboard to feel," says Jennifer. "We wanted it to feel more like watercolor paper with very matte printing. We didn't want a very glossy, cardboard-looking box."

In addition, because the cartons are meant to be carried by their built-in handles, the bottom of the cartons had to be carefully designed to withstand the weight of the full-sized products without collapsing. "The way the bottom flaps overlapped and hinged had to be correct," says Jennifer.

Despite the work it took to get the cartons right, Jennifer says she is glad that Jaqua decided to deviate from the standard carton. "I think the more unexpected a carton's shape is, the more appealing it's going to be," she says. "The shape still has to make sense in the context of whatever product you're delivering. Giving these cartons a theme, which are the stores of Jaqua on Main, ties them all together."

Jennifer continues, "Sara and I hadn't seen anything in the market that really inspired us in terms of secondary packaging. We feel good about what we've been able to create."

Some brands prefer not to do all of the customized design work themselves and would rather rely on a supplier's already developed, unique carton shapes.

Paper tube cartons can be a good choice because they are standard, yet still unusual enough to have a custom feel. Although the popularity of paper tubes is increasing, they are still rare enough to strike a chord with customers. "There's definitely a perception that paper tubes are premium because they are so distinct," says Chrissy Cabay, marketing manager for paper tube supplier Chicago Paper Tube (Chicago). "The majority of secondary cartons that you see for products like fragrances are rectangular, so the paper tube's shape alone is very eye-catching on the shelf. Of course, there is a cost component that goes along with them because they can be more expensive to make than a standard square box."

Companies like Estée Lauder and Calvin Klein have used paper tubes. "Both skin-care and fragrance brands tend to feature luxury items for which they really want to create a sense of presence, and they find that using a round carton is a good way to do that," says Cabay. Some brands even choose a paper tube that is much larger than the actual product to boost its appeal, she adds.

To truly showcase a product, Chicago Paper Tube offers its Display Pack design, which features a platform-style bottom. When displayed with the lid off, the platform becomes a stage for a product. Diane von Furstenburg recently used the Display Pack for its line of fragrances and cosmetics.

Diamond Packaging also offers cartons with platforms. The supplier recently produced a carton with a trapezoidal platform-style base for a company called Highland Lilac of Rochester. The brand's fragrance bottle is secured by a die cut in the base, which fits snugly into a two-piece PVC structure. Two flaps at the bottom of the PVC structure allow the assembly to lock into the trapezoidal base. According to Diamond Packaging, the friction-fit sleeve provides more versatility to retailers by giving them the option of lifting the sleeve just high enough to reveal the bottle, while displaying the carton's graphics at the same time. Diamond Packaging is also in the process of producing a hexagon-shaped carton for a cosmetic company that will incorporate foil-stamped plastic and a holographic foilboard insert.

Graphics that might look more mundane on typical square cartons can stand out more on paper tubes, Cabay says. "Because our containers are round, we find that some of the effects and printing that wouldn't be as exciting on a flat surface are more exciting on the paper tubes' curved surface," she says. "So sometimes we're able to use fewer printing techniques and still get a lot of impact."

Decoration can also be combined with a paper tube to help convey a brand's marketing message. Avon recently took advantage of this for its Avon Healthy Remedies aromatherapy fragrances package. Since two fragrances are retailed in one package—a fragrance that is relaxing and one that is invigorating—Avon decided to house one fragrance bottle in each half of one paper tube. To convey the dual-product notion, each half of the tube was decorated a different color--blue for the relaxing fragrance and salmon for the invigorating one. "Avon was able to take an existing tube design of ours and integrate it with the overall theme of its product," says Cabay.

Cabay says that Chicago Paper Tube has considered producing paper tubes in shapes other than round, but that it hasn't seen quite enough demand yet to warrant new tooling. "Lately, we've been asked to do a lot of innovative shapes, everything from a figure eight and a heart to a shamrock," she says. "I'd say that the trend for other shapes has been increasing over the past six to eight months." If demand for different shapes were significant, however, she says that the company might explore it.

Even if custom-shaped cartons might cost small companies more than standard ones, the benefits to the brands' images might be worth it. "Some smaller brands will try different carton shapes and feel that the investment in their packaging is worth the added cost, because it will attract new customers," says Bacchetta. "They look at it as an investment in their product and in their company."

Ordinary Shapes, Extraordinary Details

Cartons don't necessarily have to have an unusual shape to stand out. All of the decorating techniques available today can make conventional square-shaped cartons extraordinary.

"The structure of the carton might not necessarily be different, but companies are using other, more subtle decorating methods to differentiate their packages," says Diamond Packaging's Bacchetta.

For large-scale companies, sticking to simpler carton shapes that can be automatically produced and using more-elaborate decorating techniques is often a cost-saving decision. "Carton structures are getting simpler as companies become larger," says Mark Phillips, vice president of sales for carton supplier Landerer (Weston, CT). "The focus is on economics, and complicated carton constructions prohibit automatic assembly. For many companies, the extra cost to assemble by hand is prohibitive. Every business has to find a more efficient way to run in the next year. The last thing you want to do is increase your labor costs."

Benoit Bourguignon, director of sales and marketing for folding carton supplier Wilco (Candiac, QC, Canada), agrees. "If companies have enough volume to run their cartons on an automatic carton machine, it just makes sense to go automatic," he says. "Costs have become such an issue over the past two or three years that people are moving away from hand packaging."

There are many fancy decorating techniques that can be produced on automatically-run cartons.

For an ultraspecial metallic effect, holograms are still popular. Arkay Packaging Corp. (New York City) recently created a fantastic carton for Elizabeth Arden's Provocative Woman fragrance that features crisscrossed ribbons of holographic printing.

Pearlescent inks are also gaining popularity. "There has been a recurring request lately for pearlized pigments, not just in the inks, but in the coatings themselves," says Bacchetta. "When used in combination with other colored pigments, or when applied on top of colorful materials, numerous visual effects are possible."

Landerer recently supplied cartons for Estée Lauder's new Body Performance skin-care line, which launched this spring. "Pearl is one of those things that makes a package look really luxurious," says Phillips. "The Estée Lauder cartons are a white pearlescent, which is a tough color to do. Most pearlescents are innately yellow, but we challenged our ink suppliers to color-match the white pearl Estée Lauder wanted." The cartons were further decorated with matte gloss and embossing. The cartons' style is a basic French reverse-tuck.

While companies are adding more decoration to their cartons, costs continue to dictate what kind of effects they choose. Subsequently, suppliers are pressed to come up with cost-saving alternatives.

To save on metallic substrates, Landerer suggests using silver polyester to replace aluminum foil board. "Silver polyester is much cheaper and quicker to get to market, so the benefits are twofold," says Phillips. "There's also a difference in the look. The polyester has a softer look to it, which can be a plus because it's distinctive." According to Phillips, cartons for Lancôme's Miracle and Aramis Life recently featured silver polyester.

Wilco recently installed a new 40-in., three-color gravure press that achieves extraordinary metallic colors at a quality comparable to more-expensive web-gravure printing. "The demand for innovation is pushing technology," says Bourguignon. "For instance, in the past, our customers had shied away from gravure because of the cost. Now they are reconsidering it, thanks to our new press." Wilco recently printed a carton for a large manufacturer on the press that combined gravure and litho printing, and hot stamping.

Eye-catching substrates can also act as decoration. "We're seeing a lot of demand for alternative substrates, whether it be plastic, holographic foilboard, laminated paper, transfer metallization paper, or even textured paperboard," says Bacchetta. "Brands want a substrate that lets customers see and feel the difference at the same time."

One substrate that may soon become trendy is uncoated virgin paperboard. The uncoated substrate doesn't have to look utilitarian. Luxury brand Gucci recently used uncoated virgin paperboard for its Gucci eau de parfum fragrance cartons.

For the Gucci cartons, French carton converter Autajon and paper distributor Agence Pierre Lelong used Kraftpak, a low-density, high-yield unbleached and uncoated virgin-fiber folding carton board manufactured by MeadWestvaco Corp. (Stamford, CT). To create a rough, coarse texture on the inside of the carton that contrasts with the carton's smooth exterior, the company laminated the unbleached Kraftpak paperboard to a white, uncoated bleached board to offer a clean and natural appeal for the Gucci cartons, while still maintaining their high-end look.

Another substrate that remains popular for cartons is plastic. The Freedonia Group recently predicted that U.S. demand for high-visibility packaging would grow 5.1% to $7.2 billion in 2008.

Carton supplier HLP Clear Packaging Products (USA) Inc. (Torrance, CA) reports it is already seeing increased demand for transparent plastic cartons that can be automatically assembled. "Clear cartons have the advantage of showing the products inside completely, while traditional solid cartons do not," says Johnny Cheung, office manager for HLP. "Consumers are more confident in purchasing items in clear packaging because they can see the items."

Since the role of a clear carton is to showcase the product inside, HLP doesn't believe in letting fancy shapes and decoration overwhelm a carton. However, HLP offers high-quality offset printing in bold, eye-catching colors, as well as silk-screening, embossing, and hot-stamping services.

HLP's cartons are also designed to make assembly easy. Its cartons feature E-Z crease technology, which makes a carton's edges easy to crease. The cartons also feature what is called a "click 'n' lock" feature that lets assemblers know when the carton's panels are correctly in place.

Square With Flair

Just because a carton is square shaped doesn't mean that it is standard. One supplier has come up with its own unique twist on the square carton, taking it from ordinary to extraordinary.

Carton supplier MMC Global Designs Inc. (Redding, CT) has designed a square, rigid setup box with an unusual feature in its lid. The lid features a compartment that houses a large silk flower. The carton was designed last fall by company president Mark Castillo and his wife Lisa, who is also the company's creative director.

"We felt that the timing was right for a carton like this because there have been so many floral fragrances launching lately," says Mark. "We imagined it would be a dynamic application for a floral-fragrance gift set."

The carton is made from 1200-g cardboard wrapped with 200-g pearlescent paper, which can be customized in various colors. The compartment in the lid is actually a five-sided, small box that is glued to the lid, with its open end facing the lid's top. The lid's window, which covers the compartment, is made from clear PVC, which Castillo says gives the window a "glass case" look. He adds that the PVC could be tinted, but guesses that most clients would prefer it to be clear, to showcase the flower inside clearly. For now, the carton is assembled by hand. Items in the compartment could be other than a flower.

Castillo says that although cartons with windows in the lids have been seen in the market, this carton is unique because the breadth and depth of the compartment allows marketers to place a rather large object in it. "The windowed box has been done before," he says. "Victoria's Secret did something similar for its Angels brand for which they put flat angel wings in a carton window. It's also been done with flower petals. Our carton is much more dramatic, however, because there is enough space for the entire flower to be housed intact."

The reusability value of the box is high. "I can't imagine people throwing this box out," says Castillo. "It could be reused for a gift box or to hold letters or something else. What this does is keep your brand in the forefront of a customer's everyday life."

Choosing Your Carton

For beauty product companies that want their cartons to stand out, inspiration can be found everywhere. The important thing to remember is that secondary packaging must draw customers to the primary product.

"Secondary packaging is more important than ever," says Landerer's Phillips. "The whole industry is challenged to figure out how it is going to get another 5% of customers to buy its product. It may be more worthwhile to spend a little extra on the packaging if you're going to see your sales go up 10%."

Booming Demand for Bags

For special-occasion items like gift sets, bags can add a feeling of festivity. Today's bag suppliers are advancing their techniques to ensure that their bags can be customized to match a brand's general image.

"Bags must be customized in every way," says Helmut Hatzinger, president of bag supplier Interconti Systems Inc. (La Jolla, CA). "Following the new demand for total branding first observed in Europe and Japan in recent years, U.S. customers are increasingly unwilling to make do with the limited choices offered by the traditional mass producers of shopping bags. Today's customers want more than just a logo or a picture and some copy on a run-of-the-mill bag. The look, the size, and even the physical touch of a bag have to mirror the product and reinforce the corporate identity. This requires a flexible approach to supplying a bag that can meet diverse demands in appearance and composition."

In order to match a range of brand images, suppliers must be able to achieve a range of looks through their bag materials and decorating techniques. The following are some trendy looks for bags right now.

Natural Appeal

Supplier The Pack America Corp. (New York City) helped redesign a gift bag for Aveda. To correspond with the brand's natural image, the original bag material was switched from a 100%-recyclable white kraft to a 100%-recyclable substrate that was constructed from tan brown kraft on one side and a beater-dyed dark brown on the other. The result is a more rugged, natural-looking bag that is in line with the company's image.

Interconti Systems created a natural-looking shopping bag with a minimalist look for John Masters. Made of natural brown kraft paper, the bag was printed in one color. The bag's handles were made from sisal, which retained most of its natural oils.

Advanced Techniques

Today's suppliers specialize in blending techniques and materials to achieve very custom-looking bags. "Materials and techniques are carefully chosen and balanced to carry [a brand's] message," says Hatzinger.

Supplier Ma Cher Inc. (Los Angeles) custom designs promotional items for cosmetic and hair-care companies like Merle Norman Cosmetics, L'Oréal USA, and Graham Webb. The company can develop a wide variety of items, including small cosmetics bags, handbags, and totes. Materials used on the items often vary, from clear PVC and microfiber to genuine leather. "Traditionally, our bags are for gift-with-purchase and purchase-with-purchase products," says Ma Cher spokeswoman Ana Soriano. "Our products range from basic to very upscale."

For Merle Norman, Ma Cher created a custom-designed cosmetics purse, for which the brand's logo was made part of the pattern of the bag's mesh material, instead of simply being printed on.

Combining materials and decorating techniques is also popular. For a special effect, Interconti Systems uses a paper-plastic hybrid bag and decorates it with flexographic and offset printing. "[The effect is that the] printed imagery on the paper seems to move in and out of focus when viewed through the hazy screen of the plastic," says Hatzinger.

Shrink Bags

For marketers who want to ensure that their gift set's products remain visible at the point of sale, clear shrink bags are a popular choice. Far from looking cheap, shrink bags for the beauty industry can be created to look luxurious.

"For cosmetic companies especially, aesthetics have to be perfect," says Roy Kobler, president of shrink bag supplier Sunrise Packaging Group Inc. (West Babylon, NY). "Shrink bags are used by companies who want to promote their products, not their packaging. If a film is not a good, high-clarity film, it makes the products inside look distorted."

To make sure that its shrink bags are ultraclear, Sunrise Packaging uses PVC film. "PVC is the clearest and most rigid film," says Kobler. "With other films, when you look through them you will get a distorted view."

Sunrise Packaging's domed shrink bag is a good option for brands that want to place their entire gift basket into a bag. The top of the bag can then be tied with a ribbon and arranged into a plume. The bag's domed shape is designed to conform precisely to the basket's handle when the bag is shrunk.

"A lot of people feel that when they shrink-wrap something, it gives [the item] a very commercial-type appearance," says Kobler. "However, when they use shrink bags and decorate them with frills or a plumed top, it counterbalances that commercial look and makes it very suitable for retail."

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