CPC Packaging's 2008 Packager of the Year - 2008 Notable Launches: mark. Hooks Up
Innovative, unexpected, and customizable are a few of the packaging requirements for Avon’s mark. brand. Its new skin care collection, which launched in May, delivers just that. The skin care line is packaged in bottles and airless jars, as well as the brand’s iconic “hook-up” packaging.
The mark. brand launched three new skin care products in jars with unique dispensing systems: For Goodness Face, See Things Clearly, and Matte Chance. “This is the first time that this type of package is being used at a ‘masstige’ price point,” says Gail Boye, global vice president of product development for mark.
From the outside, the jar looks conventional. When the jar’s lid is removed, however, the user can see that the jar’s mouth is sealed with a plastic platform. This platform features a dispensing orifice. When users push down on the platform, product dispenses through the orifice. Swiping a finger across the platform picks up just the right amount of product. By allowing users to access product without having to stick their fingers into the jar, this feature protects the product from outside contaminants.
Other products, in the skin care treatment category, were launched as part of mark.’s “hook-up” collection. “Hook-ups” are mark.’s iconic double-ended tubes that fit together with a connector. Adding these new products further solidified the brand’s reputation as promoting the ultimate in portable packaging.
“Innovative and unexpected are the pillars we live by,” says Boye. “It was important that our new skin care line was fun and customizable in some way. We decided that it would be perfect to launch some skin care products as part of our hook-up franchise.”
Since the hook-up concept and the connector components were already developed, the production process ran more smoothly, according to John Alongi, senior manager, global new product engineering and development.
“Pricing was a huge challenge for many of the skin care packages, so we had to make sure we partnered with the right suppliers,” says Alongi. “A lot of suppliers have the componentry we needed, but we had to negotiate to be able to afford it. We work very hard to be able to deliver quality products and packaging at ‘masstige’ price points.” The innovative jar is an example of this—a mass-market package that would normally be considered prestige.
The first 10 skin care products in the mark. line launched in May, and many more are expected to launch during the next 18 months.
More on CPC Packaging's 2008 Packager of the Year
Feature:
Avon Products Inc.
Notable Launches:
Web Exclusive: A High-End Look for Tube
Web Exclusive: Avon Continues to Partner with Fashion Designers for New Fragrances
A Custom, High-End Look for Skin Care
A Customizable Delivery System
The Challenge of Engineering a Dual-Chambered Jar
Tooling a User-Friendly Dispensing Tip
An Innovative One-Handed-Use Lipstick Case
New Partnership with James Bond Franchise
Web Exclusive Sidebars:
Timeline: Tracking Avon's Expansion in New York from 1886-2008
Avon 's Advertising: A New Image Sparks Growth