2008 FiFi Awards Outstanding Packages
Great Minds Think Alike
“Great minds think alike” is a saying that often rings true when it comes to fragrance package design. Looking at the past year’s fragrance launches, it seems that some marketers were inspired by the same trends. However, each trend was interpreted uniquely for each fragrance bottle.
This booklet provides a closer look at some of the fragrance packages that the editors at Cosmetic/Personal Care Packaging feel demonstrate fragrance packaging at its best. Although only a select number will receive awards on FiFi night, we feel that all of these packages deserve recognition.
It takes much more than a great design to see the entire package development process through prototypes, production, and final launch. Executing a fabulous concept is no easy task; yet all of the suppliers listed in this booklet have achieved greatness with all types of components and materials, including glass, caps, metal parts, pumps, and cartons.
We’d like to recognize the hard work of these suppliers. Without their expertise, many package designs would never come to fruition.
This booklet is written to honor everyone working behind the scenes to create outstanding fragrance packaging. Congratulations on your achievements!
Marie Redding, Senior Editor
Jennifer Kwok, Editor
James Wagner, Publisher
1960s Style
Vivara by Emilio Pucci is named after a well-known Pucci print that was used on many of the brand’s fashion accessories during the 1960s. Achieving such sharp graphic detail on the bottle’s plastic cap took finesse. The pattern was pad-printed on the underside of the domed cap, requiring the use of printing screens and pads that conformed to a curved surface.
The abstract pattern on the Saks Fifth Avenue fragrance bottles reflects the 1960s Op Art movement. Michael Beirut of Pentagram Design magnified the retailer’s ornate script logo and divided it into 64 square boxes—four of which he arranged to form a pattern on the bottle’s front. The silk-screened design required many passes using a technique that prevented the black ink from bleeding onto the white areas.
Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory was inspired by the silver spray-painted walls in Warhol’s Manhattan studio. Applying the textured silver finish to the glass bottle, while achieving the right amount of shine, was challenging. Colorful graphics reflect Warhol’s signature Pop Art style.
Daisy Marc Jacobs is hippie-chic. Three oversized vinyl-petal daisies adorn the gold cap, reminding one of an accent on a vintage Mary Quant dress. The gold hardware on each daisy’s center keep the flowers securely fastened, while adding
luxurious detail.
The look of Smiley by Arthes reminds one of the color block patterns worn in the 1960s. The glass bottle was first dyed opal. Next, transfer printing was used to apply the colors and the text—a challenge to perform on a small area. The fragrance’s natural ingredients are supposedly uplifting when sniffed. The pill-shaped bottle is meant to look pharmaceutical to convey these therapeutic benefits. In fact, the bottle’s shape mimics the shape of throat-spray bottles sold in French pharmacies.
Inspired by the Sea
Tommy Bahama Set Sail St. Barts is, naturally, nautical. The men’s gold cap was modeled after a brass yacht ratchet. A rope, tied into a sailor’s knot, wraps around the cap. The women’s cap was adorned with ivory fish netting, based on the look of handmade nautical markers once used by fishermen. Like a pair of crisp white sailing shorts, the cartons have a linen finish.
Laser Engraved
The Coach bottle sports the brand’s signature symbol of luxury—its “C” pattern. Executing the complex decoration required several steps. First, a thin coat of aluminum was vacuum metallized to the glass bottle. Next, laser engraving removed parts of the metallization, leaving behind the “C” pattern.
Glistening Jewels
Leiber by Judith Leiber’s precise, star-shaped facets glisten like an Asscher-cut diamond—or like a Judith Leiber evening bag. Precise engineering was required to enable the actuator to sit very low in bottle.
Likewise, Emporio Armani Diamonds was modeled after a faceted diamond. Continuing this theme, the outer carton sparkles with crystal studs, which were embedded in the paperboard.
Estée Lauder’s Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia was created by Aerin Lauder in tribute to her grandmother. The EDP bottle’s hammered-gold cap was inspired by a necklace and a bracelet. The parfum bottle’s cap was decorated with semiprecious gems. Each stone is unique. Achieving the right color palette required worldwide sourcing. Molding the rectangular bottle and controlling glass distribution was a technical feat.
Survival Gear
Diesel Fuel for Life Men looks like a rugged whiskey flask. The glass bottle nestles in a distressed-canvas bag that can be unzipped at the shoulder. The gold cap is customizable; consumers can choose from five engraving options.
Rugged is the word conjured by Polo Explorer by Ralph Lauren. The canteen-shaped bottle was sprayed with a shiny olive-green finish, highlighted by gold flecks. The polypropylene cap feels like rubber and was embossed with the image of a polo player.
Gadget lovers will appreciate Attitude by Giorgio Armani. Like a cigarette lighter, the bottle’s cap flips open, revealing the actuator beneath. Magnets embedded in the collar ensure that the cap closes with a click—and makes opening and closing the lid highly addictive.
Intricate Lace
Badgley Mischka Fleurs de Nuit sports the design duo’s signature brocade pattern. Eight silk-screening passes were applied to all four bottle walls. Silk-screening was also used on the bottle’s shoulders, which typically aren’t silk-screened. Printing was done as close to the bottle’s edges as possible, making the pattern appear continuous all around the bottle. Precious-metal palladium ink was used.
Like the Parisian designer’s fashions, Christian Lacroix Rouge is very feminine. The lacy black pattern was silk-screened using ceramic ink. Organic red ink was then sprayed over the black silk screen. The team at Avon made sure that the red ink was transparent enough so that the black ink wouldn’t turn brown.
Pop Star Personality
Usher He and Usher She sport ornate metal caps that feel like heavyweight pieces of jewelry. In fact, both embossed caps feature spinning sides modeled after a ring worn by R&B singer Usher. The women’s cap is matte silver, while the men’s cap has an antique black finish.
Prince’s signature color was used throughout the packaging for 3121 Inspired by Prince. An unexpected design element is the 22-carat die-cut gold plaque on the front of the purple bottle.
Mariah Carey’s hit song, “Butterfly,” inspired her M by Mariah Carey bottle. In addition to a butterfly on its cap, the lavender bottle features a silver collar and a Surlyn cap.
The carton was printed with interference inks, which are often used in the automobile industry, by Arkay Packaging. The inks cause the carton’s butterfly pattern to appear to change from lavender to gold, depending on the angle at which the carton is viewed.
Chic Black
L’oeuvre Noire by Kilian, translated as The Black Masterpiece, is a collection of fragrances created by Kilian Hennessey. The packaging is meant to feel mysterious and exclusive—and every bottle is packaged in a black lacquered box, complete with lock and key.
The sides of each opaque black glass bottle were decorated with an ornate “shield,” whose texture was created in the mold. Four-part molds were used to prevent visible joint marks. The marks are brilliantly hidden at the edges of the bottle’s walls.
Refillable bottles should last a lifetime. The engraved metal plate adorning the front of the bottle was affixed using ultraviolet glue to ensure that it would stay put.
A 1-L glass bottle with a spout, perched on a stainless-steel stand, is used to refill the bottles. The bottle’s glass was lacquered using black varnish.
Behind the Scenes
Designing a new fragrance package, executing its design, and ensuring that it launches on store shelves on time requires a variety of talent, as well as the collaborative effort of many different suppliers. Congratulations to everyone involved in creating these outstanding fragrance packages!
Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory
by Bond No. 9 New York
Bottle: Bormioli Luigi
Deco: Hanes, Paris Art Label
Pump: Valois
Attitude by Giorgio Armani
by Giorgio Armani Parfums
Designer: Fabien Baron for Giorgio Armani
Bottle: NVM
Cap: SAF
Pump: Valois
Badgley Mischka Fleurs de Nuit
by Elizabeth Arden
Designer: Arketip
Bottle: Pochet
Deco: USS Corp.
Cap: Bonnay
Plaque: Northern Engraving
Pump: Valois
Christian Lacroix Rouge
by Avon Products
Designer: Patricia Demnisky-Green, Eric Lee
Bottle: Heinz Glas
Cap: C+N Packaging
Pump: Emsar
Coach
by BeautyBank Inc.
Designer: Reed Krakoff
Bottle: SGD
Deco: Solev
Cap: Lombardi
Pump: Rexam
Daisy Marc Jacobs
by Coty Prestige
Designer: Wilhelm Liden
Bottle: Pochet
Cap: Jackel
Pump: Rexam
Diesel Fuel for Life Men
by L’Oréal Designer Fragrances
Designer: Baron & Baron
Bottle: Heinz Glas, NVM
Cap: Pivaudran, Lisi
Pump: Valois, Sofab
Emporio Armani Diamonds
by Giorgio Armani Parfums
Designer: Giorgio Armani
Bottle: SGD
Cap: Auriplast
Pump: Valois
Leiber by Judith Leiber
by Gary Farn Ltd.
Designer: Frank Zambrelli
Bottle: Pochet
Cap, prongs: Jackel
Pump: Valois
L’oeuvre Noire
by Kilian
Designer: Franck Basset at Kilian Hennessey
Bottle: Verreries Brosse
Deco: Nigermat, PSP
Pump: Valois
Cap, fountain base: Metapack
Refill Fountain: Seves
M by Mariah Carey
by Elizabeth Arden
Designer: Jean Antretter, Mariah Carey
Bottle: Pochet, Heinz Glas
Cap: Jackel
Pump: Rexam
Carton: Arkay Packaging
Polo Explorer
by Ralph Lauren Fragrances
Designer: Ralph Lauren
Bottle: Verreries de Brosse
Cap: RPC France
Pump: Rexam
Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia
by Estée Lauder
Designer: Lloyd & Co.
Bottle: Pochet
Cap: Qualipac
Pump: Rexam
Saks for Her/Him
by Bond No. 9 New York
Bottle: Bormioli Luigi
Deco: USS Corp.
Pump: Valois
Smiley
by Arthes Inc.
Designer: Ora Ito
Bottle and deco: SGD
Pump: MeadWestvaco Calmar
Locking pin: Coradin
3121 Inspired by Prince
by Revelations Perfume & Cosmetics
Designer: Product by Design
Bottle: Bormioli Luigi
Cap: Maticplast
Pump: Valois
Tommy Bahama Set Sail St. Barts Him/Her
by Gemini Cosmetics
Designer: Brandonology
Bottle: Pochet
Cap: Jackel
Pump: Rexam
Carton: Shorewood Packaging
Usher He/She
by Liz Claiborne Cosmetics
Designer: Paul McLaughlin of Liz Claiborne
Bottles: SGD, Bormioli Rocco
Cap: Metal Dynamics
Pump: Rexam
Vivara by Emilio Pucci
by Guerlain and Emilio Pucci Fragrance
Designer: Helle Damkjaer
Bottle: Pochet
Cap: Rexam
Deco: Printing International
Pump: Valois