Editors’ Choice Award Winner: Cosmetics
Rouge Allure Lipstick
by Chanel
When Chanel’s Rouge Allure lipstick launched in an innovative new package, the entire industry took notice. Considering Chanel’s prestigious, iconic image, even the slightest change to its packaging is a huge decision that isn’t taken lightly. “This design is a revolutionary move for Chanel,” observes awards panelist Dennis Furniss, vice president of strategic branding and design for Kaleidoscope. With one new lipstick case, Chanel modernized its image, while exuding the classically chic look the brand is known for.
Rouge Allure’s new case is metal with squared corners. When customers press on a gold logo on top of the case’s cap, the case’s gold base is released and pops down a half inch. The springlike feel of the clicking mechanism, combined with the sound of the “click,” is almost like the experience of using a ballpoint pen.
Once the cap is removed, the user can turn the base and see the Chanel logo that has been etched onto the lipstick’s bullet. When the cap is put back on the base, one click of the logo securely locks the two parts together again.
This package was designed by Chanel’s creative team based in France and led by Jacques Helleu, creative director for Chanel Worldwide. It has been in development for two years. “We worked with our colleagues in France, who championed the development, and incorporated the manufacturing of this package in our plant here,” says Scott Widro, vice president of materials management and manufacturing. Widro is based at Chanel’s Piscataway, NJ, facility, where the lipstick bullet is made using a soft-mold process.
“There is something very sexy about this package,” remarks awards panelist Hana Zalzal, president of Cargo Cosmetics. We agree that there is definitely something addictive about this package—something that makes the user want to keep clicking it open.
Every detail of this mechanism was fine tuned, says Widro. “Balancing the functionality with the smooth feel and sound of the click was critical. It was the little subtleties that were very tough to achieve, but that make a world of difference.”
Awards panelist George Kress, vice president of corporate package innovations for The Estée Lauder Companies, noticed how well the mechanism works. “The quality is there,” he says. “This is a breakthrough in lipstick packaging.”
Because this type of package is unconventional for lipstick, it was important that Chanel customers perceived it as being secure, and not something that will open up inside their bags. “This was the challenging part in terms of engineering. We had to find a way to make sure the base popped out enough to be grabbed, while still maintaining some retention,” says Jim Detwiler, executive director of packaging and purchasing at Chanel.
The Chanel name is etched halfway down the lipstick bullet, rather than on top, so it wouldn’t disappear after just a few uses. “Printing the name on the bullet is quite a feat,” comments awards panelist Paul McLaughlin, creative director for Liz Claiborne Cosmetics. Widro confirms that this was an extremely difficult part of the project. “The mold had to be moved away from the bullet while the letters were carefully extracted. We had to make sure they were legible and also looked like our company name,” Widro explains.
Because this package was being produced for a high-volume global launch, two suppliers were recruited. Rexam Beauty and Hidan both supply this case. Although the aesthetics and functionality of both suppliers’ cases are exactly the same, each is engineered a little differently. “The slight differences between the two cases from the different suppliers are undetectable, although they are not interchangeable on our machinery,” explains Widro. “It was a dual development process that required rigorous testing to qualify both mechanisms,” he says. The team at Chanel should be very proud of this accomplishment.