Tubes: Tubes Get Trendy
With its injection-molded tubes, Go Smile was able to keep the look of a standard tube while adding additional parts to its Smile On the Go product dispensers. By Marie Redding, Senior Editor
These days, tubes, in various shapes and sizes, are a very popular packaging choice. They are being used for everything from lip gloss to spa products.
"As successful as Demeter was, it had turned into something I hadn't originally set out to create," Brosius says. "I was dealing with the factory, managing the store, sorting out employer issues, and managing the product. I finally had to stop and say to myself, 'I was put here on this planet to make perfume, and that is what I'm going to do."
Some tubes are meant to sport a minimalist look, with simple decoration to complement their narrow, sleek shape. Others are more upscale, with special soft-touch finishes, embossing, and hot stamping to add a luxurious feel. The elegant tube containing Slatkin & Co.'s body lotion, mentioned in this issue's Designer Interview column, is one such example of a luxe tube. There are also high-tech tubes that incorporate smart design features such as airless caps or dual-chambered compartments to keep ingredients separated until the product is dispensed.
No matter what type of tube a brand chooses, a tube must be sure to deliver two of the most important aspects of modern design: portability and ease of use.
Minitubes for Pearly Whites
Jonathan Levine, DMD, president and creator of Go Smile, has just launched Smile On The Go, a lower-priced, more-portable version of the brand's tooth-whitening kit. Instead of the brand's signature glass vials, the kit features tooth-whitening solution in single-use tubes, which are injection molded with applicators attached.
Levine partnered with design agency Raison Pure International in order to create the new kit's package, as well as to design the brand's image. "Raison Pure helped us realize our vision of creating a 'smile care' category," says Levine.
Since the smaller tubes are injection molded instead of extruded, Go Smile was able to keep the look of a standard tube, but also have the benefit of adding additional parts like the applicator. "We looked at every option, and a tube was best for this product," says Laurent Hainaut, president of Raison Pure. "[The tube] was portable and lowered the cost of production. I have been seeing a lot more single-use tubes being used in the industry."
Makeup Meant to Squeeze
"Portable and practical is the cornerstone of our brand," says Amber Meredith, corporate communications and public relations director for Cargo Cosmetics. The upscale line currently has two different products marketed in tubes since last year. ColorTube is a color cosmetic meant to be used on the eyes, cheeks, and lips. Its laminate tube is supplied by Intrapac (Naperville, IL) and has a screw cap and neck designed for precise application. Extremely portable, it resists breakage and gives consumers their money's worth, since its softness allows every last drop of color to be squeezed out. Cargo's laminate tube of its foundation-concealer hybrid, called OneBase, is also supplied by Intrapac and has a doe-foot applicator with a soft sponge tip.
Cargo Cosmetics manages to convey an upscale brand without the usual types of high-end components. Its laminate tubes are shown. For some brands, a fancy compact or a heavy glass bottle communicates luxury. But Cargo Cosmetics manages to convey an upscale brand without the usual types of high-end components. "A tube is not traditionally a prestige packaging option, but we love it," says Meredith. "We're not tied to a heritage type of component. We're always looking for new and different types of packaging materials, and our customers seem to respond to that."
Skin Alison Raffaele is launching a cream eyeshadow in October called Light Shadow. It is housed in a low-density polyethylene tube by Tubed Products (Easthampton, MA). The polyethylene material gives the tube a softer feel. "A tube was the best choice because of the consistency of the formula," says Glenn Tatem, vice president of Alison Raffaele Cosmetics Inc. It has a small orifice, which allows for tight dispensing control.
"The really great thing about a plastic tube is that there are a lot of decorating options," says Tatem. Light Shadow's clear frosted tube is screen and offset printed, with a graduated effect. Starting at the crimp, it has an opaque white cheater band that gradually fades to a subtle frost about two-thirds of the way down, exposing the color of the product inside. Tatem explains, "Sometimes it's most cost-efficient to decorate a tube, rather than a bottle or jar, because lots of suppliers will do it all in-line, which means you might be able to do up to seven or eight different printing processes all in a row."
Laminates and Barriers
As skin care and personal care formulations become more advanced (especially those in the cosmeceutical category), laminated tubes are becoming more widely used because of their barrier properties. Michael Hoard, marketing director, Alcan Packaging Cebal (Norwalk, CT), agrees, saying, "Laminated tubes are definitely finding more of a home now in the cosmetic and personal care area where new product formulations require the special barrier properties delivered by laminate tubes. Also, there are new decorating options now for laminate tubes, such as embossing."
John Miller, president of Intrapac, tells us that he has seen the demand for laminate tubes increase substantially over the past couple of years. Miller says, "We are seeing a greater emphasis on laminate than ever before, with greater barrier capabilities and in larger sizes and diameters. We are also seeing shorter runs with more SKUs, which is one of our assets—we offer affordable shorter runs, to help get someone started in a tube." Intrapac has been doing lots of shiny holographic designs on its laminate tubes.
Sometimes a laminate is chosen not because of its barrier capabilities but because of its silver-metallic, high-tech look. In the past, companies searching for affordable laminate decorating options, such as Nu Skin, were limited to just white or silver. "We wish we could custom tool everything, but we rely heavily on stock options," says Cris Shiffler, packaging engineer for Nu Skin.
Alcan Packaging Cebal was one of the first suppliers to anticipate the need for more-colorful laminate options at lower costs and invested in the production of four different stock color pigments for laminates last year. Its pearlescent sky-blue laminate tube is being used for Nu Skin's Galvanic Spa Body Shaping Gel. This product was recently highlighted in CPC Packaging's Latest Launches column in the May/June 2004 issue. According to Shiffler, "We just loved its shiny, high-gloss look—it really fit in with our line."
Although the barrier properties of laminate tubes weren't necessary for Nu Skin's product, Shiffler does agree that demand for more types of protective barriers will increase. "I am seeing more people choosing laminate tubes now, more than ever before. As a packaging guy, I feel that you can never have too much of a barrier for active ingredients—but, typically, a good barrier package can increase the cost."
Although laminate tubes offer the best possible barriers, most suppliers offer a coextruded layer in a plastic tube, known as a "coex barrier layer," according to Tatem. "Using this extra layer is a reassuring way to be more positive about compatibility issues, and it also keeps many types of fragrances from escaping through the plastic, which may alter some high-fragrance formulas," he explains.
Plastic and Polyfoil
If your product doesn't require the barrier of a laminate, a plastic tube has its own benefits. It can be much softer, keep its smooth shape, and be more affordable compared with some laminate tubes. Although not as metallic or high-tech looking, decorating options for extruded-plastic tubes are definitely becoming more interesting. Alcan Packaging Cebal offers fabric-inspired, fashionable prints, such as pink gingham and herringbone patterns. They are created with a combination of printing and embossing, so patterns can be felt as well as seen. A hair product by a Japanese brand called Yoshi Yamamoto utilized this unique decorating effect. Silk-screening and embossing created a three-dimensional look for its logo, as well as a useful grip pattern on the tube. Hoard explains, "By using texture, we are appealing to the senses, and the consumer can really feel the package as well as see it."
Amcor Plastube offers its customers the benefits of a tube that is both laminated and plastic. Hoffman Neopak in Europe first commercialized the polyfoil tube, and two years ago, Amcor Plastube obtained the license to be the exclusive North American manufacturer. Polyfoil can be seen on shelves for several products, including John Freida's Brilliant Brunette hair care line. The tube looks laminated on the outside, with all of the same barrier properties, but contains a plastic layer inside that pulls it back into shape. Jennifer Hackett, marketing manager at Amcor Plastube, explains, "A conventional laminate tube will quickly become crinkled in retail displays, sometimes requiring extra board stock protection. Our polyfoil tube has the look and properties of aluminum, with the memory, feel, and decorating attributes of plastic, so it springs back after squeezing. It combines the best qualities of laminate and plastic."
Dual Tubes—More Widely Used in the Future?
A major development in the industry has been the introduction of tubes with separate chambers for products with ingredients that are best kept separate until they are dispensed. Procter & Gamble's Oral Care division first went to Alcan Packaging Cebal in 2001 and asked the supplier to develop such a tube, in order to hold two interactive products. Alcan Packaging Cebal designed a tube-in-a-tube package, which was used for Crest Advanced Cleaning toothpaste, the first brand to use this new type of package.
Alcan Packaging Cebal offers fabric-inspired, fashionable prints, such as this pink-gingham pattern "From a consumer standpoint, seeing the two products come together might give the impression that it is a fresher formula, so it can be used as a marketing tool to some extent," says Jeff Funk, product manager, Alcan Packaging Cebal. Colgate-Palmolive also recognized these benefits and chose a dual tube for Colgate's Simply White toothpaste. The tube is by AISA Automation Industrielle SA, which was just awarded the Innovative Component/Process of the Year Award for 2003 by The Tube Council.
Just launching in Europe in Alcan Packaging Cebal's dual tube is a cellulite-controlling gel by Isdin. Its translucent outer tube is unique, and you can see right through the package to its inner tube. The outer part is laminate, while the inner is extruded plastic, and the two parts are assembled together.
"I think that dual-chamber tubes will be a big trend down the road. There is a big future in dual dispensing because of the growing cosmeceutical industry," says Hoard. "However, it seems that more progress must be made in the development of formulations, because unless the product has very similar viscosities, it will mix at different rates. Some of the dual tubes I've seen are still hard to use, because you don't have good control over mixing."
Growth in the area of dual tubes has been slow, partly due to the fact that the filling process for a tube within a tube is challenging. Existing filling equipment must be retrofitted, and purchasing new equipment might even be required. Right now, contract manufacturers are discovering this niche and attempting to fulfill this need.
Hoard says, "We fully expect to be doing more of these dual tubes in the future. It is just a matter of the marketers, suppliers, and formulators all being in sync. There is a great new opportunity right now for the development of new products that might have a higher level of effectiveness."
Maybe the future impact of dual tubes in the industry can best be explained by the story of the chicken and the egg—what has to come first? Shiffler sums it up by saying, "It is great that a couple of these packaging options exist. As an engineer I fully appreciate the technology, but, for Nu Skin, there's no real need for it right now. Nu Skin doesn't have any two-part formulas. But, at the same time, if we decide to develop a two-part formula and there isn't a stock package available for it, we probably wouldn't do it."
New Closures to Top Off Tubes
Sometimes it's the cap that makes the tube. A few brand-new cap and tube combinations are debuting at this year's HBA show. JSN Packaging (Irvine, CA) has partnered with Berry Plastics (Evansville, IL) to launch a new center-dispensing tube-and-cap combination with a bullet-spot applicator. The long-nose tube's new complementary cap turns slightly, allowing the product to be dispensed through its center. JSN Packaging produced another innovative tube last year, partnering with Murad, and the tube is now being used for several of Murad's skin-care products. "With the long-nose nozzle on the tube and tall stand-up cap, it is perfect for spot application," says John Ulibarri, sales manager at JSN Packaging. There is also an embossed letter M on its cap, which is done economically with a custom insert that fits into the standard tooling.
Alcan Packaging Cebal is showing its new square, flip-top dispensing cap, called Radiant, at the upcoming HBA trade show. "We focus a lot on innovative caps," says Michael Hoard, marketing director. "They make tubes look unique—as if they have four sides." This could benefit firms interested in expanded graphics. Also, the cap stays oriented to the front for constant brand identity.
CCL Plastic Packaging (Los Angeles) is also making a debut at HBA called the Nova integrated packaging system. It is a 2-in.-diam screw-on, flip-top cap. According to Jeff Hayet, director of national accounts, it is the first screw-on cap that stays oriented to the copy on the front of the tube (the rest of caps with this feature are snap-on styles). The Nova cap hasn't been produced yet in the United States. Hayet says, "We call it an integrated packaging system, because both the cap and tube's thread design have to be in sync."
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare has just won a DuPont Award for its Aquafresh Floss 'N Cap, which launched in the summer of 2003. (For more news on the winners of DuPont's competition, announced at a ceremony on August 6 in Philadelphia, see page 10.) The tube is by Alcan Packaging Cebal, and the polypropylene, flip-top cap containing floss was custom injection molded by Nypro.
"The initial design was driven by consumer feedback," says Lori Lukus, corporate communications supervisor, GSK Consumer Healthcare. The floss needed to be contained, since the tube might be left out on a wet sink. To do this, Michael LaRocca, packaging engineer, GSK Consumer Healthcare, explains, "We incorporated a door with a hinge that snaps shut with the proper retention force so it could be easily opened but also stay closed to conceal the blade from children." The part of the cap containing the floss is removable, so the tube is designed to also stand alone.
Regarding its assembly, LaRocca says, "We had a complex supply chain because of the number of components involved. Aligning each part and coordinating with multiple suppliers so that the parts aligned perfectly was a challenge." GSK Consumer Healthcare relies heavily on consumer insight for ideas for product innovations and is always looking for ways to apply those insights to packaging, Lukus says.