Cosmetic/Personal Care Packaging.

• You're at:
• Home \
• Magazine \
• Archives

• Print
• Email

CPC Packaging’s 2007 Packager of the Year: Clinique

An Iconic Brand

Clinique was The Estée Lauder Companies’ (ELC) second original skin care and makeup brand to be developed in-house. It was introduced by ELC in 1968 as the industry’s first dermatologist-guided, allergy-tested, fragrance-free cosmetic brand—and it is now sold in more than 130 countries. Clinique’s print ads have always featured simple close-up shots that showcase the packaging and the products themselves, without much else on the page.

Clinique’s packaging has always had a distinctive, minimalist look and style that has remained consistent since the brand’s launch. However, style is the wrong word to use, according to Ted Owen, Clinique’s vice president of global package design. “The brand has always had its own very strong identity,” he says. “Its new package designs are an evolution of the same core aesthetic that the brand has had since 1968.”

Clinique’s image includes a few specific design elements that are known around the world, such as the floral design on its cartons and the specific shade of green that is used on many of its packages.

“I always said I could match ‘Clinique green’ with my eyes tied behind my head. It becomes so ingrained in your mind,” says John Delfausse, vice president of package development for Clinique.

The challenge presented to Owen and his team during the past few years was to create new designs that would give the brand a more modern feel, while also elevating existing packages. It was the subtle design changes that were the most challenging to achieve. “The goal was to use new engineering technologies and new materials, but they had to be incorporated into our classic forms in order to keep a consistent look,” Owen explains.

Function is always a top priority for Clinique’s packages. Owen and his design team would never be in favor of any extra decoration that wouldn’t be there for a reason, nor a mechanism that could be considered a gimmick.

“We did consider making a few items a little more decorative, but then we realized that is what other brands do—not Clinique,” Owen explains. His team decided that making the packaging more ornamental would be a mistake. “Our packaging has always focused on truth in materials and ease of use, and the new designs continue this focus.”

Adding convenience and portability, and showcasing color are other goals that drive the new package designs.

Colour Surge Collection Sparks Design Changes

Clinique’s redesign began in 2003. Owen says it was “out of necessity. The same processes to mold our plastics for some of our compacts weren’t even available anymore,” Owen explains. “Also, the green of our signature Clinique marble compact was beginning to look a little drab. We knew that we needed to stay competitive and keep evolving.”

One of the first newly designed products to launch was Colour Surge Eyeshadow, in 2005. It was originally packaged in Clinique’s signature marbled green and silver opaque compact, but was changed to a clear acrylic tray with a silver cover.

The redesign marked the beginning of Clinique’s design evolution. “We decided to start transitioning the same look and feel of the Colour Surge collection to every other product,” says Owen. “Even the applicator brushes all have a synergy now that they didn’t have before.”

Clear materials with the appearance of acrylic or Lucite were also chosen for many of Clinique’s new compacts. “These materials showcase the beautiful colors and textures of the makeup. They also provide functional benefits by allowing consumers to choose colors more easily,” says Owen.

This year, those design cues were extended to Clinique’s Anti-Age Repairwear product line. “We’ve incorporated that same look of chrome and Lucite inspired by the Colour Surge family into these skin care packages,” says Owen.

The New Green Marble

Originally, the new style for Clinique’s compacts was intended to one day completely replace all of the green marbled ones, which the company has used since the brand first launched. Owen decided to change this plan, keeping the signature marbled compacts in the collection. “We have found that our classic green marbled compacts actually look more modern than we originally thought. We will be going back to this type of material in the near future—but in a new way,” Owen says.

The way the marbled look is achieved, and the colors used to create this effect, will be updated. “The colorization of the marble was beginning to resemble olive drab in recent years and was too dull,” says Owen. “The new marble will be lighter and brighter, much like it used to be. We went back to the original design boards from 1968 for inspiration.”

Customers can probably expect to see the new packages on shelves in 2008, although it’s too early for the company to predict a launch date. The new compacts will be made from ABS plastic, and suppliers will be using new proprietary molding techniques to give the compacts a newly updated marbled look, according to Owen.

Marketing Fragrances with Cosmetics

Clinique customers are a very broad group, spanning all ages. Because the brand has such wide appeal, finding ways to connect with and target one specific type of customer, without alienating others, is no easy task. The marketing team at Clinique addresses these issues by using design and product development to customize certain groups of product packaging, making sure that the packaging will appeal to a specific type of customer. “We always like to create entire collections of products that are trend-focused,” says Owen.

The characteristics of the target customer influence design and product development. For instance, the same type of consumer who purchases the new Happy Travels fragrance, which comes in its own travel pouch, would probably find Clinique’s new Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss appealing because its small tube, supplied by Alcan Packaging (New York City), is designed to be ultraportable.

Fragrances are not always marketed with a collection of cosmetics, but this unique strategy has worked well for Clinique. “This holiday season, we have two trends designed around our signature fragrances,” Owen says. An entire cosmetics collection has been de-signed around the Happy fragrance, and another is designed to complement Aromatics Elixir.

Aromatics Elixir is a fragrance that is targeted to Clinique’s more mature customer. A new limited-edition bottle is launching this holiday season. “The glass bottle has a carved flower design and was inspired by the look of beautiful Lalique crystal,” says Owen. “It shows how vintage looks have become modern now,” he adds. The bottle is supplied by Saint-Gobain Desjonquères (New York City). It has a gold bulb-shaped atomizer supplied by Garret-Hewitt (Wilton, CT).

Along with Aromatics Elixir, the new cosmetic collection is featured on CPC Packaging’s cover for this issue. The cosmetic colors and packaging are designed to complement the style of the fragrance bottle. These items include Colour Surge Eye Shadow Quad in Allspice, packaged in a mirrored compact supplied by ATP Health & Beauty Care (Stratford, CT); and Fresh Bloom Allover Colour in Almond Blossom, packaged in an all-in-one, easy-to-use palette supplied by Alcan Packaging (New York City). Naturally Glossy Mascara, a limited-edition Brush-On Cream Liner in Bronze, and Full Potential Lips Plump and Shine, are also shown.

A few different lipstick formulations in new colors are part of the collection as well. They are: Colour Surge Lipstick, in a silver case with a design inspired by a bamboo stalk; and Different Lipstick and Long Last Lipstick, both packaged in Clinique’s classic silver ribbed case. Risdon International (Watertown, CT) and Hidan (Japan) supply the lipstick cases.

A Solution to Streamline Production

The fragrance Happy by Clinique has launched for this holiday season in packaging named Happy Travels. It’s a 0.5-oz bottle that comes with its own bright-orange travel pouch. Promotional bags, such as this pouch, are a large part of any beauty brand’s business and often entice consumers to make a purchase. Many of these types of bags are produced overseas.

Developing these promotional items and manufacturing them in places such as China can be very time consuming, but Clinique’s team has found a way to streamline the process. Last year, Clinique hired Evita Wang to work on all bag development overseas. Wang speaks Chinese and is based in Shanghai. She made sure that all of the approvals were done quickly for the orange pouch in the Happy Travels fragrance set.

Before Wang’s position was created, developing promotional items with overseas vendors usually involved a number of FedEx exchanges in order to view submissions. “Having to speak with the sales team of an overseas vendor, instead of speaking directly with its technical staff, usually complicates the process even more,” explains Lori Resnick, staff vice president, Clinique Package Development. “Now, having Evita as our eyes and ears over there is a huge help.”

Wang has a background in handbag manufacturing but was trained by ELC’s staff in New York City for three months. “After training, we knew that Evita had the ability to look at submissions and know what’s right for Clinique,” says Resnick.

Functional Upgrades

All of Clinique’s skin care products have been modified during the past few years and are much more user-friendly. Pumps used to be optional but are now standard on many bottles, including the bottle for Clinique’s classic product, Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion.

Clinique’s 3-Step Cleansing System has been an extremely popular set of products since the very beginning of the brand. The basic set of products includes a bar of soap, a cleanser, and a clarifying lotion. New research shows that more consumers like the convenience of a liquid soap with a pump dispenser, so the cleanser is now offered as an alternative.

The cylindrical bottles with green caps in the 3-Step System are instantly recognizable. “It’s such an iconic set, so we knew that the way it looked couldn’t change. However, we knew that we had to make a lot of changes to improve the function of these packages for the consumer,” says Owen.

Delfausse agrees. “Making changes to the packaging of some of our core products is something we all took very seriously,” he says.

“We went to great lengths to make sure that the new packages had the same aesthetics,” adds Resnick.

The Cleanser and Clarifying Lotion had already been changed from glass to heavyweight PET bottles supplied by Inoac Packaging Group (Bardstown, KY) a number of years ago. At the end of 2006, however, pumps were added to these packages.

This year, a new package for Clarifying Lotion was launched. It has an unusual “cotton ball” dispensing pump supplied by Emsar (Stratford, CT). The user places a cotton ball on top of the cap, and pushes down. The right amount of product dispenses directly onto the cotton. It took some tinkering to make sure that the right amount of product would be dispensed onto the cotton ball. “We worked for almost three years to get it right. It was a huge challenge to make sure that the engineering all fit inside the cap and didn’t change the package’s aesthetics,” says Owen.

A new 3-Step Acne Set also launched this year. Instead of the bar soap, the cleanser is a foaming formula in a bottle with a foam dispensing pump by Rexam Airspray (Pompano Beach, FL). The face moisturizer in the Acne Set is packaged in a tube.

An Environmental Message

The type of PET used to produce the bottles for Clinique’s 3-Step System is called PET #1, which allows these bottles to be recycled in the same bins as beverage bottles. Consumers might not realize this—or any of the other efforts the brand is making in the environmental area.

The majority of Clinique’s cartons are made from recyclable paperboard. Cartondruck USA (Summit, NJ) and Arkay Packaging (New York City) are two of the carton suppliers.

Reducing the amount of packaging materials has also been a priority for the brand. “This is the second year in a row that we’ve reduced the amount of paperboard used for gift sets by 14 to 18%,” says Delfausse. The aluminum caps for the skin care jars are made from an 8020 alloy, which means that the aluminum contains 80% recycled content.

“Every consumer is concerned about these issues now and wants to know what their favorite brand is doing to help the environment,” says Owen. “Conveying an environmental message has become the right thing for every brand to do now, not just certain ones,” he says.

Delfausse agrees and hopes that the brand makes a commitment to communicate this message to the consumer. “Clinique is already doing a lot in the area of sustainable packaging. We now need to determine how we will communicate these efforts to our consumers. We might use the outer packaging to relay this message,” Delfausse says.

A Bright Future

Clinique is undoubtedly on a path toward more success in the future. “Our goal is to continue to launch new formulas in more-enhanced packaging, while still remaining true to the classic design our customers love,” says Owen. Incorporating new technologies and materials will remain the mission of Clinique’s design and packaging teams.

Owen stresses the importance of design and the impact it has on a brand’s image. “The consumer lives with the packaging on a daily basis. It becomes like a piece of jewelry or an accessory. We want all of our products to be in packages that consumers are proud to take out of their handbags,” he says. “It also needs to look right next to their bags—whether the bag is from Gucci or The Gap.”

Judging by Clinique’s popularity, customers appreciate how much planning, thought, and engineering lies behind every Clinique package.

The Packaging Process

The packaging process is a collaborative effort among design, marketing, package development, and packaging engineering. These teams ensure that every Clinique package conveys a consistent message, brand image, and quality standards that every Estée Lauder package must uphold.

Ted Owen leads Clinique’s design team in creating new package designs. Most of Clinique’s packages are produced using custom molds that duplicate these designs. The average development time for a new package can range from 6 to 18 months, according to Owen. “The more complicated the piece, such as a new compact, the longer the time it will require,” he says.

John Delfausse worked with the brand from 1977 through 1979, when he was Clinique’s director of packaging, working on the launch of Skin Supplies for Men. Delfausse returned to the brand in 2006. (In addition to Clinique, his responsibilities include Aveda and Origins.)

Lori Resnick, staff vice president, Clinique Package Development, reports to Delfausse. She has been with the brand for 20 years. Three executive directors report to Resnick, with responsibilities in three different categories: Rich LaPosta handles treatment and skin care products; Palmer McGuinness works on makeup and fragrance products; and Jim Cobbs is responsible for the promotions, holiday, and travel retail categories.

Suppliers are part of the partnership as well. “It’s most important that our suppliers understand the quality required for Clinique, which is the same as for any Estée Lauder company. Our suppliers also need to have the capacity to produce quality parts on an ongoing basis because we run pretty big numbers—more than many of our other brands,” says Delfausse.

Clinique’s New Products That Deserve Extra Attention

Continuous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer

This high-tech face moisturizer launched in March. The formula’s antioxidant complex required a package that would limit its exposure to light and air. A polyfoil tube supplied by Neopac Packaging Solutions (Oberdiessback, Switzerland) was chosen for this purpose. The tube has an aluminum barrier layer and an outer plastic layer.

Owen describes the tube’s green color as having a matte satin finish. "It has a stylish upscale look and a smooth, luxurious feel," he says. There are three different formulas for different skin types—and the tube for each is a different shade of green. "We used a slight color gradation to distinguish between each formula," says Owen.

The tube’s aluminum barrier layer was instrumental in helping to achieve a metallic effect on the tube’s surface, according to Delfausse. "The same shade of green is carried from the inner layer to the outer layer of tinted translucent polyethylene," he says. "The biggest challenge was to correctly match the three different shades of green chosen for each formula on this outer plastic layer."

The aluminum cap is supplied by Seidel (Montclair, NJ). An induction seal over the orifice lets the consumer know that the product is fresh and that the package is tamper evident. "The tube has a very small opening that allows very little air back in when the product is dispensed, which also helps to protect the efficacy of the formula," explains Owen.

Zero Gravity Repairwear Lift

This moisturizing cream launched in September. The plastic jar has an inner molded insert and silver outer casing. The package is designed to protect the formula from light. The jar is decorated with a hot-stamped logo. The cap is made from an 8020 aluminum alloy, meaning that it contains 80% recycled content. A special "buff and shine" process had to be developed in order to achieve the right shiny finish on this material. The jar and cap are supplied by Eyelematic Manufacturing Co. (Watertown, CT).

Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick

New lipstick colors are launching this fall in Clinique’s super-soft Buttershine formula. When this formula was first developed in 2005, a brand-new lipstick case had to be created to support the soft bullet. Risdon International (Watertown, CT) produces the supportive case and created a new mechanism specifically designed to accommodate this type of formula.

Buttershine was also the first lipstick case to sport Clinique’s new silver bamboo stalk design. "I love that we’re one of the few brands to still use metal lipstick cases," says Owen. "I like truth in materials. I love how the lipstick case always feels cold to the touch," he adds.

Back to top