Package Design - July/August 2011 by ST Media Group International

PACKAGEDESIGNMAG.COM BECAUSE THE PACKAGE IS THE BRAND

JULY/AUGUST 2011

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boutique boxes become iconic Sub How Headline ALSO:

The Designs Are In! Makeover ALSO: Challenge 2011, sponsored by Brushfoil Secondary Lines Matching Nail Colors with Coty Secondary Lines Private Label Tiering Strategies Secondary Lines The Digital Printing Divide Secondary Lines PACKAGEDESIGNMAG.COM

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CONTENTS

JULY/AUGUST 2011 VOL. 9 NO. 6

COLUMNS 14 DESIGNER’S CORNER by Kate Bradford Retailers in the U.K. lead the way in private-label tiering strategies.

16 SUSTAINABLY SPEAKING by Wendy Jedlicka It’s time to see the bigger picture about design for recovery.

DEPARTMENTS FEATURES 18

Simple Can Be Complicated

48 PACK EXPO PREVIEW

Nailed It The 2011 Makeover Challenge presented by Brushfoil

49 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS 50 LUXE PACK MONACO PREVIEW 52 GLOBESPOTTING by Lynn Dornblaser Lip balm you can open and apply with one hand.

This year’s four design teams reinvent Brazil Gourmet juices for wider retail distribution.

FRONT PANEL

The latest innovations and refinements in glass and rigid plastic packaging.

Attitude Adjustments

Coty sends an inventive nail decoration product to market in an equally creative package.

44 NEW PRODUCT FOCUS

The Summer’s Eve brand hopes to transform the entire feminine hygiene subcategory.

EDITOR’S LETTER

10 SNAPSHOTS

There’s a lot to learn from iconic boutique brands that are maximally minimalistic.

The Digital Divide – Q&A Digital printing expert Michael Ferrari explains brand-owner resistance to the technology.

THIS MONTH ON PACKAGEDESIGNMAG.COM ON THE COVER The Godiva brand maintains its iconic stature with a number of assets that are interchangeable. 2

JULY/AUGUST 2011

The research behind P&G’s Kids Oral Care line.

passion We provide rigid packaging. We have over 100 years of experience in the industry, over 40 offices worldwide, 500 plus employees with specialties ranging from customer service to logistics to global sourcing to design and engineering. While all of that’s important, the real reason to do business with us is not what we do but why we do it. At TricorBraun, we’re passionate about making your life simple. We understand how complex packaging can be so we’re constantly looking for innovative ways to streamline that process for you. Each and every member of the TricorBraun team exists to provide packaging professionals like you with more options for success.

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FROM THE EDITOR

BY RON ROMANIK 11262 Cornell Park Dr. Cincinnati, OH 45242

Authentic Origins B

y all accounts, consumers’ B.S. meters are getting more sensitive every day. They can quickly tell when a claim on a package or the brand’s positioning is stretching beyond the absolute truth. Some skeptical consumers have developed an instant, knee-jerk, negative reaction to even the slightest hint of impropriety. Of course, some brands have a history of consistent quality that they can rely on to back up their position. However, a new brand or package that offers no explicit back-story, does not detail ingredient origins, or seems misleading often won’t pass the smell test. Even when a brand is a quality, authentic product, a package can fall short in conveying that point of difference on shelf. For a compare and contrast exercise on this point, visit the Snapshots section of this issue, on pages 10 and 12. On one hand, a true heritage brand from Bulgaria, Kamenitza, gets an artful update with many traditional authentic cues. On the other, the new Kitchens of Africa brand presents its authenticity with a modern flair, using repeated, suggestive motifs while mixing in colors and patterns that U.S. consumers would recognize as African in origin. One way brand owners and package designers have responded to this need for authentic brand stories is by telling those stories, in text, on the package or having the company owner sign a short “letter” to the consumer. However, this type of information is often on the back panel. What’s more of an art is to convey authenticity instantly—at the shopper’s first glance—with front panel graphics, text, and hierarchy that are direct, informative, and accessible. This was the task before the design teams in the 2011 Makeover Challenge, sponsored by Brushfoil, which invites four design firms to reimagine an existing brand. The Brazil Gourmet brand produces high-quality juices sourced and packaged in South America. The design teams rose to the Challenge by creating brand positions and package designs that translated Brazilian sensibilities for more palatable consumption by U.S. consumers. We wish the best of luck to the teams as you, the readers, vote for your favorite redesign of Brazil Gourmet (www.packagedesignmag.com/ MakeoverChallenge). The prize for the most popular brand redesign is a full feature in our November issue. May the most authentic team win!

Best,

STAY IN TOUCH WITH US BY: Email: ron.romanik@stmediagroup.com LinkedIn: Package Design Magazine Facebook: Packagedesign Mag Twitter: packagedesignmg (no “a” in “mg”)

JULY/ AUGUST 2011

Ron Romanik

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ron Romanik ron.romanik@stmediagroup.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Patrick Henry pat.henry@stmediagroup.com ART DIRECTOR Laura Mohr laura.mohr@stmediagroup.com PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Linda Volz 513-263-9398 linda.volz@stmediagroup.com SALES DEPARTMENT PUBLISHER Julie Okon 317-564-8475 / Fax: 513-744-6909 julie.okon@stmediagroup.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER John T. Lyons III 770-955-2923 / Fax: 610-296-1553 john.lyons@stmediagroup.com CORPORATE STAFF PRESIDENT Tedd Swormstedt DESIGN GROUP DIRECTOR Kristin D. Zeit PACKAGE DESIGN SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES P.O. Box 1060 Skokie, IL 60076 P: (847) 763-4938 F: (847) 763-9030 PD@halldata.com REPRINTS / E-PRINTS / PLAQUES Mark Kissling 513-263-9399 mark.kissling@stmediagroup.com

PACKAGE DESIGN (ISSN 1554-6772) is published 10 times annually by ST Media Group International Inc., 11262 Cornell Park Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45242-1812. Telephone: (513) 421-2050, Fax: (513) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to non-qualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $48 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions in Canada: $76 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $98 (Int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by ST Media Group International Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Package Design, P.O. Box 1060, Skokie, IL 60076. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to Package Design, P.O. Box 1060, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Debbie Reed at (513) 263-9356 or Debbie.Reed@STMediaGroup. com. Subscription Services: PD@halldata.com, Fax: (847) 763-9030, Phone: (847) 763-4938, New Subscriptions: www.packagedesignmag. com/subscribe.

FRONT PANEL

Show Review: HBA Global Expo Many budding business owners come to the HBA Global Expo with a complete concept for their personal care or beauty product, but none of the details to make it happen. On the show floor and in the conference sessions, they can find literally all the components, production, packaging, marketing, and branding advice they need to succeed. The 2011 HBA show, held June 28-30 at the Javits Center in New York, again provided beauty innovators with the opportunity to hit the ground running. The conference programs in particular were well attended and well received, sparking lively conversations. Two marketing tracks covered a wide range of packaging and branding topics. “The A-Z of Launching an Indie Brand” featured a handful of business owners who’ve done just that, and “Leveraging the Marketing Potential of Packaging” featured branding veterans from Dragon Rouge, Berard Associates, and IBC Shell Packaging. A common theme was that package design should be the center of all marketing strategies and drive all business development. On the show floor, attendees could sample the wares of service providers while gaining intelligence about the beauty and personal care market. At the Americhem booth, visitors could request a plastic colormatch chip for any color they came with, and the company would FedEx that chip the next day. At the large Mintel booth, several presentations every day highlighted over a dozen sustainable packaging solutions from around the world, also on display all day for hands-on inspection. HBA once again hosted the popular HBA International Package Design Awards, which garnered more than 200 entries this year. The presentation ceremony announced 11 category winners, and cosmetics brand Stila took home the Grand Prize for its Color Wheel Palette, the favorite of the “Committee of 100” judges.

Flow Your Oats In the why-did-it-take-so-long category, Pepsico has created a second option for dispensing oats from Quaker Oats’ large canisters. The new EasyPour feature was created by adding perforations to the sealed paperboard lid. The package promotes the new feature quite prominently with a graphic representation of the new lid opening. Consumers still have the option of removing the lid completely, but they can now choose one of two openings for a more controlled pour.

JULY/ AUGUST 2011

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FRONT PANEL

QUOTE

“In the grocery store, the parent chooses the category, the child chooses the brand.”

Identity Crisis Have you ever wondered if your favorite brand name would be as visually strong if it were placed in a different logo context? Wonder no more. The “Brand Reversioning” logo project by designer Graham Smith produces some intriguing results by swapping the brand names and logo designs of competing brands. The example shown here swaps the Harley-Davidson name and logo design with the European motorcycle brand Moto-Guzzi. Some other examples came from what Smith felt would work well aesthetically, or what might best display a certain visual identity characteristic, such as a BlackBerry/Flickr logo switch-out. Smith explains why he developed Brand Reversions and other projects such as Unevolved Brands and 8-Bit Brands in his blog: “In the world of logo design, rarely is a seemingly unique idea totally unique,” he writes. “A truly unique idea can happen, but for the most part we live in a world full of examples and inspiration that we can’t ignore—much less hide from.” For the complete Brand Reversions project, visit www.imjustcreative.co. uk/brandreversioning/. Also check out “Logo Mashups” by designer Mario Amaya at www.marioav.blogspot. com/2008/04/just-for-fun.html.

FAST FACT

300 The number of brands a typical U.S. 10-year old is conversant with, according to James McNeal, in his book The Kids Market: Myths and Realities. The average adult consumer holds about 1,500 brands in his or her “repertoire.”

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– BILL GOODWIN, CEO OF GOODWIN YOUTH DESIGN, SPEAKING AT THE HBA GLOBAL E XPO IN NEW YORK CIT Y ON JUNE 29.

Is Red, White, and Blue the New Green? Many consider it a patriotic act to buy Americanmade products, just as many consider it a responsible Earth-preservation act to buy sustainable goods and packages. While the packaging industry struggles to find a viable certification process to comprise the many facets of sustainable materials and practices, a certification for American-made products should, by comparison, be clear-cut. And it is. The Made in USA brand certification mark, amazingly enough, is the only certification mark registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for identifying goods either made or grown in the U.S. When outsourcing jobs overseas is common in an era of 10% U.S. unemployment, placing this mark on a package could be a true selling point to consumers concerned about the foundations of the U.S. economy. In one year, the number of Made in USA brand-certified companies has grown from 15 to over 300. Marcie Gabor, a principal at the branding firm Conrad Phillips Vutech, Columbus, OH, developed the concept only a few years ago based on the Federal Trade Commission’s regulations for complying with Made in USA origin claims. Gabor had assistance from the law firm of Schottenstein Zox & Dunn, Columbus, OH. “Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in buying local and purchasing goods made in America,” says Gabor, “because they associate them with higher quality and reliability than products made in other countries.” According to www. madeintheusabrand.com, studies show that 83% of survey respondents said they would buy “Made in America” products as their first choice if given the option. Accreditation standards can be found at www.MadeInUSAbrand.com/form/. PD

PANTONE® and other Pantone trademarks are the property of Pantone LLC. PANTONE Colors may not match PANTONE-identified standards. Consult current PANTONE Color Publications for accurate color. Pantone LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated. © Pantone LLC, 2011. All rights reserved.

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SNAPSHOTS

A Birthday Makeover Pierini updates the heritage Kamenitza beer brand for the new millennium.

No Packaging Too Extreme A music licensor relies on fun package designs for the big sell.

icensing for movies and television is one of the few bright spots of today’s music industry. Consequently, the cost of securing a hit song typically is cost-prohibitive to entertainment producers. Enter music libraries, which charge a blanket fee to users who may choose from diverse collections of genres and styles. In 1997, Extreme Music launched in London with a clear mandate to differentiate itself from other music libraries. From the beginning, the company placed a lot of emphasis on imaginative promotional packages sent to targeted music supervisors at production companies and advertising agencies. “Packaging is our schtick; it’s a byproduct of what we do,” says Russell Emanuel, co-founder/co-CEO of Extreme Music, which became a worldwide unit of Sony/ATV Music Publishing in 2005. Music supervisors typically are inundated with CDs hawking music catalogs. Extreme felt the music had a better chance of getting attention—and a listen—packaged as a hubcap (for rapper Snoop Dogg) or a mini replica of an old-fashioned record player (for an easy-listening collection). Another memorable package was a plastic film slate clapboard, a facsimile of the kind used on movie and TV production sets. Emanuel, who moved to Los Angeles from London in 2008, says he always viewed the cost of these deluxe packages as a necessary marketing expense, a drop in the bucket if it’ll result in a $50,000 sale. The packages themselves are not that costly, Emanuel notes. “It’s more the tooling, development, and prototyping,” he says. The items are usually produced in volumes up to 5,000 units several times a year and are not available to the public. U.K.-based packaging vendors include Mark Hipgrave Patterns, responsible for the film slate design, DVD flight cases, and other custom CD cases, and Samurai Productions for Urban Ammo Tins and other custom promos, lunchboxes, and bags. For Tina Diep, a music supervisor with Los Angeles ad agency 180 LA, the most memorable Extreme package was a lunch pail full of kids’ stuff that she found “real goofy.” Inside was a flash drive containing music. “The packaging helps them stand out,” Diep says. – Larry Jaffee 10

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rgentinean designer Adrián Pierini, who successfully updated the image of the Beck’s beer brand last year, recently transformed Kamenitza, a 130-year-old beer brand in Bulgaria. This brand renewal was carefully considered, and Pierini immediately found areas where improvement was needed. The existing layout had a basic white side band that functioned as a support for an extremely rigid logotype, and there was no integration between the shield, the brand, the medals, and all the product information. With this diagnosis, Pierini decided to generate a much more personal, attractive, and memorable identity. The first step was to update the shield, making it more stylized and elegant— and magnifying its most emblematic figure, the lion. Then, he gave the logo the value it deserves by improving the aesthetic of the white band with curves at each end and incorporating rounded shapes in the font to give it more personality and appeal.

BEFORE

after

The original green remained because of its important historical value, but Pierini added subtones in the background to create depth. The lion emblem is now tied together with “Since 1881,” and the medals rise off the background with added reflections and shadows. View an online design gallery with 13 detailed illustrations showing the redesign process at www.PackageDesignMag.com/Pierini.

www» packagedesignmag.com Our format and features provide easy access to more solutions

• The latest news and trends from across the marketplace • Expanded project galleries with more images • Reports on technology and product developments • Spotlights on intriguing industry developments • Improved navigation and search capabilities • Lively commenting and other social-networking tools Plus: Buyers’ Guide, Toolbox, Industry Calendar, Free Classifieds and much more!

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SNAPSHOTS

A Brand Out of Africa Tridimage translates African sensibilities for U.S. consumers.

daunting directive, indeed: Take away the mystery and apprehension associated with cooking African cuisine through sauce packaging for U.S. consumers. Buenos Aires-based package design agency Tridimage was equal to the task, creating a clean and modern brand and package design for startup Kitchens of Africa. The brief asked for a brand visually strong and impactful but also approachable and inviting for the simmer sauces and jerk marinades, with ingredients sourced from different African countries. The client didn’t want a design that was too ethnic, but instead one that would fit into mainstream America. The brief asked for a brand that would spark curiosity and compel shoppers to pick it up off the shelf because it’s different—but not “alien”—and also exotic, gourmet, and premium.

Tridimage’s design solution pays homage to African women as the center of the continent’s wide array of authentic cuisines, and textile art motifs represent the richness of the native cultures. The result is a collection of five elegant labels that suggest flavors that will entice the senses. The off-white, pale cream background offsets the bright colors and gold foil, creating colorful and inviting labels. “We chose patterns based on the spiciness of each product,” says Hernán Braberman, principal at Tridimage. “It’s a very open system because we can play with textures and there are many options with colors.” The brand logo has an Islamic script feel, pulling influences of northern Africa, and the small “mask” icon accent is in the shape of Africa and holds another spot for the gold foil. Braberman admits it was a challenge to have a large block of descriptive text on the front label, but necessary because of the newness of the product concept. He believes that the text box is balanced well with white space and the other branding elements, and its informative tone reassures shoppers that the product is authentic. 12

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Brighter Competition on Shelf A private-label brand finds success with foil on cereal boxes.

hen David Hutchison, founder of BrightMARKS, Lenexa, KS, met Scott Richey, executive director, AWG Brands, Kansas City, MO, he pegged Richey as the type of person who doesn’t believe he knows everything. Hutchison had also long felt that private-label brands was an under-tapped market for foil effects. AWG (Associated Wholesale Grocers) is a retailer-owned cooperative serving over 2,500 retail member stores, and Richey was responsible for approximately $1.1 billion in annual grocery sales. Hutchison convinced the cautious Richey to try adding gold foil stamping on AWG’s store brand olive oil label. AWG retailers who stocked the new package reported a 30% jump in sales velocity for the brand, and retention of 10% to 15% thereafter. Over time, other AWG packages received a makeover— including window cleaner, coffee, and cereal. AWG’s Best Choice cereals now use the holographic effects in different ways, depending on the package graphics. For Frosted Berry O’s, the holographic effects are arranged in bands around the logo, and are repeated in the word “Berry,” where they enhance the words as well as the eyes of the cartoon rhinoceros on the box. “Next to the national brand on the store shelf, it really pops,” says Richey. PD

advertorial

Wellness Options

Digital print quality gets a healthy nod from Nature’s Sunshine. When Nature’s Sunshine, Spanish Fork, UT, decided

to update its labels and packaging, their detailed evaluation of the quality they wanted to achieve led them to the HP Indigo WS6000 at FlexTech, a label and packaging printer in Orem, UT. As a company offering nutritional, dietary, and herbal supplements—some 600 different products—it was vital to the health of their business to get the right look and feel. Indigo Digital printing was the answer. Blake Christensen, director of product marketing, Nature’s Sunshine, explains that the company produces a full line of products to support independent distributors who help their customers achieve “wellness through natural health.” “We’re unique among direct sales organizations in that we allow our distributors to set up retail outlets and sell over the Internet,” Christensen says, “so you will see our products in health food stores.” It’s also a public company with 1,000 employees, founded in 1972 as a small family business by the Hughes family of Spanish Fork. Today, Nature’s Sunshine Products (NSP) can be found in 42 countries, represented by nearly 700,000 distributors, 200,000 in the U.S. alone.

Time to Refresh

According to Christensen, the impetus for a branding update came from a new CEO who took the reins last year and new board members who believed their brand needed a fresh look. After three independent worldwide surveys, they decided to group their products into brand categories and identify each by color. “Since we’re an almost 40-year old company, our logo was very complex. We simplified it a few years ago. In

the past, our labels also had a lot of text. For the update, we’ve reduced the scripted text from the front panel so that the main focus is on the product name and our logo,” Christensen says. “For the brand color image, we chose gradients of color on white. We wanted the look to be clean, clear, and crisp. “We developed the image we wanted on the computer and tried different printing processes with CMYK and six colors. Nothing came close to the specific look we wanted except the HP Indigo WS6000 results. We introduced the new look for our most popular products in each brand in March at our convention. We’re now in the process of converting the entire line.” “They made major changes to their labels which required a more robust printing technology,” notes Maui Chai, FlexTech president. “Digital printing was the only method to generate the ‘pop’ they wanted. We were able to hit just what they wanted for each branding color. We produced smooth vignettes. And, they were blown away by the registration.” FlexTech was a pioneer in digital printing, opening as a digital business. Chai explains that over the years they have upgraded from the HP Indigo 2000, through the WS 4000, WS 4050, and now the HP Indigo WS6000 models. “HP continues to improve its technology and the Indigo line,” he says. The HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press is the most technically advanced rollfed digital solution, targeting high-volume, medium-run labels and packaging mainstream production. Its exclusive HP ElectroInk liquid ink delivers color quality that surpasses conventional printing. It offers the choice of using mixed spot inks and four-, six-, or sevencolor Pantone simulations. The extensive color gamut lets printers address the most demanding brand and color requirements for labels and packaging. “We’re really sold on digital printing,” Christensen concludes. “Once we approved the images, FlexTech saved the settings and they achieve the look on every order. That’s a huge selling point. We also save time by not having to do press checks. And, it’s now cost effective to make changes as needed because we don’t have plate charges. It’s a big change for us after so many years.”

DESIGNER’S CORNER

BY KATE BRADFORD

Leading by Tiering New strategies in the U.K. are expanding the reach of private-label retail brands.

ike any brand manager, private-label retailers are developing package designs that create a strong sense of brand through the emotional connections they make with shoppers. As retailers have developed consistent and relevant privatelabel brand signatures that are immediately identifiable, they have learned that clear and simple design makes a brand easy to find and choose. But a retail brand that spans many product categories also needs the design flexibility to adapt and change across its packaging range. Too regimented an approach can be counterproductive. Rigid design platforms that try to cross categories from fresh produce to confectionery or from toothpaste to tableware, for instance, can make individual products hard to spot. Furthermore, rigidity also destroys the notions of choice, innovation, and expertise that the retailer puts into producing the best products for their customers. And what of the shopper? Today’s shoppers might approach each aisle with different expectations and considerations, and use different decision criteria. Retailers have responded to this

Waitrose discovered that shoppers are not averse to putting both value-tier and premium-tier products into the same shopping cart, as the sophisticated packages of both hit the right quality notes.

JULY/ AUGUST 2011

with very effective tiering systems that offer different value choices.

IS THERE A LIMIT TO TIERS? When private label grew up and expanded out of a strictly value proposition, many retailers didn’t have an overarching strategy to manage new product lines. As the market has matured, most retailers have organized their offerings into value-, premium-, and mid-tier ranges. But those labels are being stretched again. In the U.K., some major supermarkets have introduced “better-plus” offerings sitting just beneath the top premium tier. In whatever product category, effective package design needs to signal and explain these differences and deliver them in a brand-relevant way. Tiered sub-brands must have their own well-developed design strategies and tool kits to act as signposts—both across and within product categories. Modern shoppers are well practiced at shopping across tiers, not just within one. In 2009, premium U.K. retailer Waitrose introduced its Essentials range to offer good quality everyday foods at entry-

Sainsbury’s CleanHome brand had to convey efficacy to satisfy eco consumers’ expectations.

level prices. The value tier now has 1,400 SKUs, and the strategy has significantly boosted the retailer’s market share, as almost three-quarters of Waitrose shoppers buy items in the Essentials range. Far from alienating the more affluent shopper, this increased number of options means more Waitrose customers are doing more of their weekly shop in Waitrose. Shoppers are very comfortable putting everyday Essentials products in their basket alongside a super premium dessert from Waitrose’s Seriously premium range. The packaging for both has the style, sophistication, and attention to detail that are the hallmarks of the Waitrose brand but the color palettes, imagery, and fonts are very different. The white background, the simple fonts, and the illustrative style of Essentials perfectly reflects the everyday sub-brand proposition. Likewise, the rich blacks, handwritten script, and sumptuous photography set the proper tone for the top end range, Seriously. While value ranges suit the mood of recessionary times, the premium tier in the U.K. is weathering the storm well, too. Home dining is still more affordable than eating out, and foodies learned that they could create restaurant-quality meals at home. Premium retailers such as Marks & Spencer were well placed to match this desire for affordable luxury. M&S’s “£10 Dine in for 2” concept—premium products with packaging that helped shoppers craft a full, quality meal within a budget—was copied quickly by others. This strategy creates value reference points that are both inside the store and in consumers’ homes. To make experiences like this complete for the consumer, the package design needs to evoke the quality and experience of the product and reflect the visual packaging codes of premium brands across categories.

Shoppers need options Historically in the U.K., premium and value tiers have been linked through a sub-brand name and consistent identity, but mid-tier ranges have not. U.K. retailer ASDA tried something different this year by relaunching an expansive mid-tier program with the name “Chosen by You,” based on a massive program of customer taste testing and quality benchmarking of their products. The challenges facing the retail brand designer do not stop with creating relevant difference and appeal between the tiering sub-brands. Retailers also use proposition-driven sub-brands to offer more choice to their customers, unified either by a distinct category, such as organic, or by the customer target, such as kids. Design needs to build understanding and create the emotional connection that will drive appeal and purchase. When Parker Williams worked on the creation of a new sub-brand for Sainsbury’s range of more environmentally friendly household cleaning products, customer insights were very important in helping develop the design direction. Parker Williams learned that while many of Sainsbury’s customers were keen to do their bit to protect the environment, this couldn’t be at the expense of cleaning efficacy. Their homes and families were very important to them. The name created for the range, CleanHome, and the package design both reflect that thought. The brand mark of a grass-outlined house represents a better environment both inside and outside the home. Effectiveness and performance is conveyed by a positive injection of red creating a sense of power without overwhelming the environmentally friendly communication. And the use of pings, whooshes, and sparkles (which are symbols » continued on page 51 PACKAGEDESIGNMAG.COM

SUSTAINABLY SPEAKING

by Wendy Jedlicka, CPP

Design for Recovery It’s vitally important to understand the finer points of the bigger picture.

n July 6, the nonprofit GreenBlue released four “Design for Recovery: Guidelines” reports (one each for aluminum, steel, glass, and paper packaging; available free at www.greenblue. org/publications). This very useful suite of reports details common recovery challenges for the four major packaging materials used today, in addition to offering insights on attachments, inks, coatings, and colorants and how they impact recyclability and compostability. GreenBlue notes that the guidelines were inspired by the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers Design for Recyclability Guidelines, which outline which plastic bottles are compatible with today’s recycling technologies. As we move forward in remaking everything we do, being willing to address issues in the whole of the supply and recovery chain is a key to real progress.

A bellwether case One of the “it” beverages at the 79th Academy Awards in 2007, and a sponsor for the Hollywood premiere of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, Biota Spring Water hit the market many years ago as an Earth-friendly, compostable answer to PET bottles. A pioneer in the category, Biota bottles were made with corn-based PLA. The core selling point was that they gave the consumer the impression the package would just go away. The real problem though, was that PLA isn’t designed to just “go away.” It was created to be a viable alternative to some petroleum-based substrates using current solar “income” (a term used in systems thinking to describe annual resources versus ancient, irreplaceable resources). If handled well, at the end of the product’s useful life, including many rounds of recycling, the bottle could “go away” in the controlled setting of an industrial composter. Here’s the catch: There are still only a few facilities in the U.S. ready to compost PLA products, and not all recyclers are ready to take in PLA-based PET lookalikes that might affect the purity of their recycled material. Concern for maintaining the quality of their recovered plastic products became

such an issue that the Plastics Redesign Project, one of seven petitioning groups, asked PLA manufacturer NatureWorks to suspend use of PLA for making bottles until a good part of the supply and recovery chain could figure out how to deal with their impact on recycling. The Plastic Redesign Project explained at the time: “The PLA bottle poses significant problems for PET recyclers and could significantly undermine recycling’s economics by disrupting successful PET recovery programs and by losing the high value in the PET bottles it displaces.” Recycled PET that’s contaminated with significant amounts of PLA has undesirable characteristics and is less profitable.

Still moving forward Even though Biota had to halt production due to legal issues not connected to PLA, Biota became an important case study about when good ecointentions meet difficult waste stream realities. Since then—perhaps taking a lesson from Biota— both Coca-Cola and Pepsico have introduced plant-based bottles that can be recycled in current PET recycling systems. No special sorting required. Here really is the heart of the story. The recyclers asking for a moratorium on PLA bottles had no problem with PLA as an alternative material per se. All they asked was that producers first direct its use toward applications that aren’t commonly recycled across the U.S., like clamshells and foodservice containers, while they worked toward ways of setting up recovery systems for it, or find ways of producing products that don’t disrupt current recycling streams in the first place. Design for recovery is the core of this idea, and it’s finally catching on in the U.S. as part of production strategies for packaging, products, and even buildings. Helping expand materials options for a more holistic packaging approach, the Naked Juice brand looked for ways to help increase demand for recovered materials, a key element in moving past one-way materials use (cradle-to-grave), by using 100% recycled plastic (rPET) in its bottles (cradleto-cradle). As the company recently finished » continued on page 51

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For 17 years, PakTech has served all major brands and processors with the most innovative technology in the marketplace. In fact, it’s our mission to supply clients with tomorrow’s solutions, today. From our premium packaging handle appeal and comfort to our state-of-the-art application machinery, we provide turn-key systems that streamline operations, and create added value. Our green advantage? Low-waste 100% recyclable packaging and clean manufacturing. It’s how we roll. Perception of value begins with quality. Exceptional quality and great brands go hand and hand. PakTech – providing you the ultimate packaging solution.

Handle & Applicator Solutions

By Ron Romanik

SIMPLE

Can Be Co

There’s a lot to learn from iconic boutique brands that are maximally minimalistic.

e’re all familiar with brands that can be represented by the most basic of forms. They represent an elusive goal of package design where all the quality expectations and consumer aspirations of a brand are contained in one wordless icon. Imagine a paperboard box with a bow on it. Now imagine the box is pale blue with a white bow, or tan plaid with a red bow, or reflective gold with a brown bow. The brands immediately come to mind: Tiffany’s, Burberry, Godiva. The questions that pop to mind: How did they get to that iconic place? Is it possible today to develop a brand from scratch with that ideal end goal in mind? Can a “mass-tige” brand transition into an iconic form? Certainly, the brands mentioned above have decades of history and heritage that helped mold the brand into its present-day form. Nevertheless, there are some eternal lessons of iconic luxury brands that can be applied at any time, if implemented with purpose and care.

Cultivating a luxurious appeal through minimal branding can convey that the brand is not more important than the product, though brand confirms the quality of the product.

JULY/ AUGUST 2011

Getting down to basics Robert Bergman, founder of Bergman Associates design firm, believes that if you want to make any brand successful, complication is always selfdestructive. “It’s a precise recipe combining consistency, cleanliness, and simplicity that reinforces any brand’s strength,” Bergman says. “And in the prestige market, it’s in large part the branding that you’re actually selling.” Marc Rosen, principal of the Marc Rosen Associates design firm, holds up Chanel as the timeless standard. “The black with the gold band is iconic,” Rosen says. “The outer packaging is very important, even critical. A woman in the know, she doesn’t have to be told what the brand is.” It’s impossible to say how much consumer preferences guided the evolution of the most iconic packages, but there must be some latitude to experiment, explore, and evolve. Rosen explains that iconic brands carry with them many consumer expectations, but small package surprises can keep loyal consumers engaged. A plain white box interior where a pattern is expected can create a fresh, clean brand experience. Jana Reichle, principal at the Berard Associates design firm, says common mistakes in attempting to create or maintain an iconic brand are overcomplicating the packaging and paying too little attention to the quality of the packaging materials and structure. “It’s always the little details that make great design,” says Reichle, “and there’s a fine line between elegant and over-packaged.” In focus groups, she says, consumers may tell you that they want six different things in their product and package, but they really want only one thing—a unique brand experience. Didier Saco of Didier Saco Design in Paris also sees “less and less” as a trend as brand owners try to reduce the number of colors, varnishes, and, if possible, packaging components. Consumers

mplicated

Though Godiva’s identity relies on gold primarily, the brand has been able to build a library of design assets that complement each other when used in the right contexts.

expect an immediate payoff for the investment of time, money, and commitment to the brand. “The boutique package perspective is to try to create packages that tell stories, to build stories like fairy tales,” Saco says.

Banking on a color By telling a story through packaging with fewer words, the shape and color then carry more psychological weight with the viewer. “We’re always trying to make things a little more minimal,” Reichle emphasizes, “and having a signature color really makes a big difference.” Luxury brands in particular are capable of owning a color, such as the quick success of the Frederic Fekkai brand, which started with common shapes but committed from the outset to a single signature shade of “Provencal” blue. The story of the Laura Mercier brand illustrates how colors (shimmery brown and beige, in this case) can help the launch of a successful product transition into an iconic form. Berard Associates recently simplified the logo and packaging for Mercier, but it certainly helped that the brand had

a singular strength in consumers’ minds, both in the brand colors and in the company philosophy. Its foundation was in foundations, as it were. “Laura Mercier’s mission of ‘flawless finish’ really stands for something,” Reichle says. For Godiva, the color gold stands for the entire brand, as even the stores are often gilded, compact boutique spaces. The Godiva gold box is the anchor for the entire brand, conveying richness and romance, and the brand name often has a secondary role on the package. Reichle explains, though, that Godiva is exceptional because it has a remarkably large number of valuable brand assets, such as a solo “G,” a chocolate-brown bow, or “depuis 1926” that are interchangeable on products and packages. Of course, Godiva has also created extensive guidelines on how those assets are used for both internal designers and external agencies. “You can use a combination of those assets, and the brand is equally strong,” Reichle explains.

Less is always less Just as Target is able to drop the word “Target” from its logo and still be instantly recognized, many PACKAGEDESIGNMAG.COM

Precise execution supports highend, iconic brand propositions. This dramatic “aura” effect was created with four passes of transparent titanium white ink.

Bionée is a new brand that has a head start on creating a minimalistic, iconic appeal. Disc Graphics produced the Bionée folding carton that requires no glue but creates a lotus flower on top when assembled.

brands would love to believe they’ve cultivated a standalone image in branding or packaging. Levi’s, for example, has begun to drop its name from its red logo shape, which mimics the stitching on the back pockets of its jeans. However, Bergman stresses that the visual languages of each segment—mass, mass-tige, and prestige—are very different. For example, a mid-tier personal care brand cannot suddenly decide it wants to put forward a minimalist mystique without consumers noticing the inappropriate stretch. Nevertheless, Bergman believes that, across the board, consumer taste is evolving rapidly toward modern, beautiful packaging that says: “This is a quality product.” Quality today also often means being more responsible, and the green movement has definitely moved into luxury. Many luxury brands have begun their more sustainable journey by supporting causes and doing good by association. But Reichle sees opportunities for designers and suppliers to partner together to push innovation for better recycled materials, more eco finishes, packaging reduction, and new solutions for refills. “Increasingly, the significance of packaging will include what it does not do,” she says. Bergman explains that the luxury consumer is usually also the more informed consumer. This segment is demanding more recycled materials, and brand owners that use more sustainable materials can add value to the selling proposition. Rosen agrees, but only to a point. “The luxury consumer still wants a beautiful package,” he says, “and she is willing to look the other way for the most part.” Curtis Packaging, Sandy Hook, CT, is a carbon

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neutral site that offers many options for recycled content paperboard for the luxury and boutique markets. Don Droppo, Jr., CEO of Curtis, has noticed that brand owners are increasingly asking about a wide range of packaging attributes in addition to price and quality—including sustainability. “Some of our proprietary innovations achieve traditional effects with enhanced recyclability,” says Droppo. He notes that one Kenneth Cole Black project transitioned the brand’s signature minimalist-but-reflective black carton from film lamination to a Curtis’ PianoBlack process. The company used deep, rich black ink from Japan and brilliant, high-gloss coating to actually enhance the clean presentation, save money, and make the package more sustainable than the previous Kenneth Cole package. Bionée founder Ewa Asmar chose the lotus symbol to represent her brand for several reasons, one of which was planning for an international retail presence. The lotus’ meaning of rebirth fit perfectly with her products, which are personal care formulas for pregnancy, maternity, and babies. Bionée keeps the Ecocert organic-certified, child-safe brand mission consistent with sustainable packaging solutions, such as recyclable bottles and FSC-certified folding cartons that require no glue. With the help of Lebanese designer Nayla Yehia, the lotus came to life as illustrations on the bottles and as a simple and elegant lotus-topped folding carton. “The lotus flower is a very strong symbol all around the world,” says Asmar. “Everybody sees the link between the product, its benefits, and the branding.” PD

MAKE YOUR VOICE

HEARD

Vote for the team with the best redesigned package in Package Designâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2011 Makeover Challenge

Four design teams took the Makeover Challenge:

CIULLA ASSOC Chicago, IL

LeeReedy/Xylem Digital Denver, CO

Little Big Brands White Plains, NY

Murray Brand Communications San Francisco, CA

See page 30 for makeover project details.

Online voting is open! Visit packagedesignmag.com/makeoverchallenge The deadline for voting is September 30.

By Larry Jaffee

Attitude Adjustments

The Summer’s Eve makeover hopes to redefine the brand—and the entire retail subcategory.

ummer’s Eve introduced its feminine hygiene products as a personal care subcategory in 1972, employing modern-era marketing to bring a turn-of-the-century product to the mainstream. As bold as the company has been, though, the brand has been updated only rarely, with the last significant effort in the mid-’80s. Hitting store shelves in June and July, however, is a complete overhaul of the Summer’s Eve product line, which now includes seven different types of products, 32 SKUs, and 17 scent or formula varieties. Claiming the No. 1 brand in feminine hygiene, Summer’s Eve has evolved from its initial product to offer a complete line of external cleansing and freshening products, such as washes, sprays, and cloths, which were added to the line in the 1980s. The redesign team, led by Steve Ruhf, v.p. of U.S. marketing and business development, and Angela Bryant, director of U.S. marketing, feminine care, for brand owner Fleet Laboratories, Lynchburg, VA, admits that the redesign was long overdue. “Our business has been doing well and growing, but through research we knew we—and in turn the category—were out of step with the younger women of today,” Bryant explains. “Each year that went by, we were getting further from her 22

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consideration set. So it was time to refocus and expand the women we were talking to. Even if business is doing well, you have to think long-term viability of a brand.”

Changes in attitudes To make sure they did it right, Fleet tapped a number of creative partners (see sidebar) to overhaul the brand’s identity, completely and collectively. At the outset, Bryant says, “We knew we wanted radically different, but we didn’t know just how far to go.” Though the brand largely dominates the category, with about 40% share, Fleet felt the heat of competition from private-label alternatives. “When you’re the leader, private label tends to get as close to what the branded player looks like without infringing on trademarks and copyrights,” says Bryant. “This makes package design, graphics, and uniqueness even more important. You want not only to design a beautiful package but also to try to make it as ownable and unique as possible.” No matter how you package it, fem-hy remains something of a taboo category, even in the 21st century. Fleet found after extensive research that women are embarrassed by the subject, even if they’re consumers of the category. Pamela Long,

director of client services for the design firm Little Big Brands, White Plains, NY, notes that Summer’s Eve is a true heritage brand with an extremely loyal consumer base. “It was exciting to be working with clients who were truly committed to doing what was right for the brand and for women,” says Long, “to help break the category paradigm and stigmas, uncovering new opportunities along the way.” Fundamentally, fem-hy is perceived as a problem/solution category, Long explains, and the package design needed to bridge the gap between perception and reality. “The reality is that women view Summer’s Eve as part of their overall hygiene ritual,” says Long, “but the old packaging wasn’t helping women reconcile the category stigmas. Women we spoke to wanted the products, but felt the brand image was more suited for grandma than them.” The new package design platform is the first step to giving women a product that makes it easier for them to feel comfortable. Rhonda Zahnen, principal, brand management, for The Richards Group, Dallas, TX, agrees that the project faced as many category-wide as well as product-specific challenges. “The category has long been one that talks in code when it comes to female

anatomy and feminine care, and breaking free from that societal norm posed a challenge,” Zahnen says. She adds that the Summer’s Eve nationwide “listening tour” of women discovered that women are ready to learn more and talk more openly and directly about their bodies, thus reassuring the marketing team that it needed to face stigmas of the past head on and ignite a dialogue among women.

The Redesign Team • L ittle Big Brands, which led the package design effort • The Richards Group, Fleet’s new advertising agency of record • Product Ventures, which created structural designs for several of the packages • Erin Kanter Consulting, which led the research effort • Stevenson Color, which provided prepress and color management services • Hammer Packaging, which was among seven printers of the new packages

PACKAGEDESIGNMAG.COM

HITTING ALL THE TOUCH POINTS

u v w x y

Shapely and muted Fleet next brought in Product Ventures, Fairfield, CT, to focus on structural design strategies for the brand’s wash, powder, spray, and wipes packages. Gail Ritacco, v.p. of strategy and insight at Product Ventures, explains that ethnographic digital blogging, where consumers chronicle in detail their interaction with products, was a cornerstone for identifying opportunities for structural innovation. For the in-person consumer studies, Product Ventures brought in bathroom fixtures to its facility so that participants could demonstrate how they

RESEARCH BY THE NUMBERS The Summer’s Eve team spent a lot of time asking a lot of women what they wanted in the new packaging: • A total of 2,732 women consulted for Summer’s Eve strategy and redesign • 30 ethnographies and blog diaries • 31 focus groups in six geographies • Typical focus group: 12 users, 10 nonusers • Segmentation quantitative study of 1,764 U.S. women • Package testing quantitative study among 718 U.S. women

JULY/ AUGUST 2011

Custom floral illustrations at the top of the packages extend an accessible feminine appeal.

The more-subdued brand name may help shoppers feel less intimidated in the aisle and at checkout.

An ancient female genitalia symbol, the Yoni, is now a central graphic element that helps shoppers differentiate between the external and internal products.

The variety indicator is now easy to find and color-coded, so shoppers can more easily navigate the dozens of SKUs.

The bottom color panel provides a holding place for detailed and organized product information.

use the products in their daily routine, thus better indicating what shoppers look for in package functionality. The company took what it learned and developed prototype structures with feminine, curvaceous shapes and proposed packages that could be stored inverted. “The new bottles allow the user to efficiently use all of the product, without any waste,” says Peter Clarke, Product Ventures CEO. “The integrated cap and bottle are also very cohesive and interact as one unified shape. Additionally, the arched curve on the sides enhances the squeezability of the bottle, creating a spring-back effect. Finally, the vaulted base is reminiscent of a formal dress, creating a premium look and feel to elevate the overall form.” Little Big Brands also brought in Erin Kanter Consulting, New York, NY, to help create the strategic underpinning, insights, and direction for the redesign. Kanter remained involved through all three rounds of research (ethnographic, focus groups, and quantitative) and assisted in informing retailers of what was in store for Summer’s Eve. Some focus groups were revealing about how women shopped the category, with particular insight into their preference for package structure, shape, and color. “We discovered that the coloring as it had been traditionally executed was misleading to women,”

The goal of all the brand explorations was to take the entire product category into a new, stigma-free era.

Kanter says. She advised that there was an opportunity to move from the packaging’s muted pastels to a colorful palette reflecting the wide fragrance range. Color became a key element in creating an ownable design platform, and every color chosen was custom to further differentiate the brand. Creating brand consistency through accurate and consistent color reproduction was a key objective, notes Lynn Westendorf, account executive for Stevenson Color Inc., which has provided Fleet with color management, production artwork, and prepress since 2006. For Summer’s Eve, Stevenson was brought in during the conceptual stage to provide technical support toward printability. Color decisions were a collaborative effort between Fleet’s marketing group, Little Big Brands, and Stevenson. “Because of the large number of varietal colors,” Westendorf explains, “we established brand standards on our litho press to provide approved color standards for each of the printers to match to. One of our roles on the project was to assure brand standards were maintained by color managing ink drawdowns submitted by each of the print vendors.” Westendorf says that color management between vendors and print processes was a challenge. Seven printers were involved, with print processes that include flexo, metal decoration, and offset, and seven vastly different substrates were used, including shrink film, carton stock, metal, in-

mold labeling, and flexible film. There is also a custom white background printed on every item that was challenging to control. In addition, Westendorf notes, “The varying bottle shapes created a challenge in creating distorted graphics for the shrink sleeves that provided consistent reproduction of the Summer’s Eve brand mark.” Hammer Packaging, one of the printers, worked very closely with Stevenson to match the colors, especially since the label required a matte overcoat, says Charlene McNeil, marketing communications specialist with Hammer. She says that Stevenson was very thorough in reviewing the drawdowns with the matte overcoat to help in the color selection. “Comps of shrink samples shrunk on the bottle gave Fleet a good idea of the final look,” says McNeil. “This was extremely helpful for Fleet to see final graphics after they were shrunk, and before we went to press.” With each scent or formula variety requiring a different custom color, it was a challenge for Hammer to satisfy brand owner Fleet’s expectations. The colors are not PMS matches, McNeil explains, but instead were matched to swatches provided by Little Big Brands. And one of the two white inks that make up the background is a special tinted white to achieve a very precise custom color. Fleet’s Bryant concludes: “The end result is a product that looks even better on shelf than on paper.” PD PACKAGEDESIGNMAG.COM

By Patrick Henry

ailed

Coty sends a unique nail product to market in an equally creative package.

eghan Casserly, the “Girl Friday” blogger at Forbes.com, recently posted about a new product from Coty that she described as being nothing short of a “miracle.” The source of her epiphany, she wrote, was Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips, a do-ityourself nail treatment that gave her fingers the look of a professional manicure and cost her less than 10 bucks. So enthusiastic was Casserly that she nominated Salon Effects as a “Name You Need to Know”—a Forbes designation for items poised to become central to the global conversation. The distinctive container should have no difficulty in provoking conversations of its own among package designers and brand managers in the innovationdriven cosmetics space. The development of the Salon Effects package tells a story of unusual creative demands met through close cooperation between the brand owner and its manufacturing service providers, with meticulous execution at every stage of production.

Minus the glass bottle The nail strips, sold by Coty under the Sally Hansen brand, are the creation of Incoco Products, Clifton, NJ, which began developing what it calls “the 26

july/ august 2011

world’s only flexible nail polish” more than 20 years ago. Produced on a special press, the strips are laminar combinations of a bottom adhesive layer overprinted with lacquer-based polish and a clear top coat. Incoco had begun marketing the strips itself as “dry nail appliqué” in a mostly opaque sleeve pouch, but under the media radar until Coty introduced Salon Effects. The strips, which last about 10 days, sell for $8 to $10 in sets of 16. Users apply them by removing the backing, pressing the strip to the fingernail, and then shaping for a precise fit with tools that come in the package. With names like Misbehaved, Collide-o-Scope and Teal with It, the Nail Polish Strips have every bit of the razzle-dazzle visual appeal that those fanciful phrases imply. Stick-on strips made of real nail polish are like nothing that most users of liquid nail treatments have tried before, and that novelty gave Coty a broad objective for the design of the packaging—but also a specific imperative. Says Soo Hyun Kang, the Coty senior designer who directed the creative development of the package design, “Because this is a new product for Coty, it’s important for consumers to see instantly what it is and what it’s for.”

An age of transparency One glance at the package tells you everything you need to know. A nailshaped, see-through window in the front panel of the PET package presents the strips directly to shoppers, who can also see the rest of the contents—a cuticle stick, a combination emery board and buffer, and printed instructions—through the clear PET on the other panels. Although the product isn’t completely new in the market, notes Coty’s Gabriel Dume, the project’s package engineer, the strategy for the Salon Effects packaging is a marked departure from the original. The path to the new packaging concept began about one year ago in meetings between Coty and the primary contractor, Transparent Container Corp., a provider of visual packaging solutions including blister packaging, clear folding cartons, custom thermoformed packaging, and clamshells. It was Transparent Container’s first assignment for Coty. “They knew what they wanted,” recalls Steve Close, the vendor’s business manager for printing and fabrication. The challenge was to create a package that would scrupulously color-match the shades and designs of the product inside, including tough-to-replicate fluorescent neon and glitter effects.

The deliverable for the initial Strips rollout was four million pieces spanning 24 different SKUs, each unit representing a different nail strip color or pattern, which now hovers near 100 variations. All of the package design graphics are provided by Coty creatives under Kang’s direction. Every time a new variation is proposed, says Dume, Coty sends it to Transparent Container to match the designs and the colors. It was known from the beginning that the look of the box would have to replicate—not just simulate—the look of the product. But it was also understood, says Kang, that a tight visual correspondence wouldn’t be easy to achieve on a plastic substrate, especially with bright neon fluorescents. Neither would simulating nail-polish sparkle on holographic film. Even Coty didn’t know exactly what the reproduction targets would look like, Kang says, until Incoco sent production samples that could be turned over to Transparent Container for color matching. Steve Close, business manager at Transparent Container, says that getting

from design to printing and finishing involved repeated rounds of proofing not just on PET, but also on gloss silver and holographic foils. Because consumers would see the nail strips and their color clearly through transparent windows, there couldn’t be any compromises in color fidelity between them and the corresponding decorations on the package.

Good things in small packages The compact packages (3-1/4" x 1-1/4" x 1-1/4") are made of clear, 12-mil PET with 25% recycled content. The plastic contains a UV inhibitor that provides fade protection for the polish strip color showing though the fingernail-shaped window on the front panel. Each handassembled, hand-filled package contains two sealed-foil pods of eight nail strips each. The application tools and the printed instructions are kept separate from the pods within a glued inner wall. The printed and finished packages are sent as flats to a hand-assembly service, where dozens of workers erect, fill, and seal them. Hand assembly is unusual for Coty, according to Dume. But given the contents and the space PACKAGEDESIGNMAG.COM

constraints—particularly the narrow slot for the nail strips in the front of the inner chamber—the filling of the Salon Effects packages couldn’t be automated, he says. In every printing job, it’s essential to create press impositions that will permit the largest number of units to be produced in the smallest number of passes through the cylinders. Relationships among colors on press determine how efficiently the form can be set up, a task made no easier by the presence of fluorescent inks along with standard process colors. Close says that Transparent Container was able to impose the job in two 12-up forms that run in three ways, depending on what polish strip designs the packages have to match. The patterned colors print as a combination of process-color builds on either white ink or a combination of gloss silver foil and a base PMS color. For the neon colors, custom spot color ink with standard and fluorescent pigments is laid down over

Fifteen colors in two passes

white ink. The glitter effects are achieved by printing the aforementioned “noise” over holographic silver foil. But, notes Kang, it’s still necessary to conform to general Coty and Sally Hansen brand identity guidelines. This is accomplished by printing the logotype and the swoosh on the front panel in PMS 1585 orange, the brand’s signature color.

A particular challenge during this phase of production, says Close, was Coty’s insistence that there be no overwrap of the accent color from the side panels onto the front—a difficult separation to maintain, since the edges of the side-panel color and the white ink on the front panel are less than 1/64" apart. The requirement was met by making two dies. One die tested the

july/ august 2011

Lake County Press of Waukegan, IL, prints the packages on two UV-capable industrial Heidelberg presses, each consisting of eight printing units plus UV coater with interdeck UV drying. Tom Johnson, an account executive at Lake County Press, says that most of the forms print in eight colors of UV ink in a single pass, although one form is a much more complex layout requiring 15 colors and, as a result, two trips through the press. The typical printing sequence for Salon Effects is two hits of opaque white followed by CMYK, the Sally Hansen orange, and whatever additional spot color may be needed. Foils that have been prestamped on the substrate are overprinted. The arc-like silver foil accents on the front panel and the sides are stamped after printing. To finish the package off, MCD Inc., Madison, WI, foil-stamps the substrate and die-cuts the printed flats.

movement and twisting of the PET under the pressure of cutting, and a second die used these measurements to position the creases for zero wraparound precisely during the actual die stamping. Other finishing techniques helped to ensure that the packages could be squared up and hand-filled with as little manipulation as possible.

Nobody said it would be easy Close agrees that the Salon Effects project pushed Transparent Container and its production partners to the limits of their technical skill. Besides the fundamental difficulty of color-matching UV litho inks to nail polish colorants, there was the challenge of overprinting foil on some of the press forms and, for others, stamping foil on top of alreadyprinted UV inks and coatings. Trial-and-error testing of foils, inks, and coatings eventually yielded the right combination of graphic brilliance and scratch/scuff resistance, but it wasn’t easy. For example, says Close, it took five or six tries to properly formulate the UV coating that now protects the packages on their way to the stores. Other testing revealed, somewhat counterintuitively, that matte silver did a better job of accenting colors than gloss silver, which tended to darken them. But the care lavished on both product and package seems to have paid off handsomely. Casserly, the Forbes.com blogger, quoted Annette Devita, Sally Hansen’s v.p. of marketing, as saying that Salon effects boasts year-to-date sales of over $20 million and a 10% share of market in the nail-color category. Close says that Transparent Container and its production partners have delivered a total of about 20 million pieces—with more production expected as Coty expands the line with new colors, themes, and seasonal promotions— with no rest in sight. “We haven’t stopped thinking about how to improve this package,” says Close. PD

ve packaging i t a e r c r o f w sho T h e p re m i e r

- Photo : D. Combet

C R E AT E A U N I Q U E L I N K

M O N A C O

Grimaldi Forum / Monaco Under the Patronage of his Serene Highness the Sovereign Prince of Monaco

www.luxepack.com Information / FRANCE Idice T. +33 (0)4 74 73 42 33 - info@idice.fr USA KX Associates Inc T. + 1 212 274 8508 luxepackny@kxassociates.com

S H A N G H A I

N E W

Y O R K

Creation :

19 . 20. 21 OCTOBER 2011

THe submissions ARE IN! It’s time to review and vote for the best design Makeover.

VOTE NOW Cast your vote now at www.packagedesignmag. com/makeoverchallenge. The firm with the most popular redesign—determined by reader votes online and input from the Package Design Advisory Board—wins the challenge and will be featured in the November 2011 issue of Package Design.

BEFORE

ith this issue of Package Design, the eighth edition of the Makeover Challenge, sponsored by Brushfoil, enters the peer review stage. This year’s four design firms have stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park. Now it’s your turn to pick the all-star firm that best repositioned the brand to take it to the next level. The Makeover Challenge asks four design firms to reimagine an existing brand and redesign its packaging. This year’s subject brand is Brazil Gourmet—all-natural beverages featuring juices, nectars, and smoothies. By agreeing to participate in the Makeover Challenge, the design firms also agreed to provide their designs to the brand owner after the contest is over. The brand owner of Brazil Gourmet, Liberty Imports, was founded in 1983 as a mail

order business serving the Brazilian community, dedicated to bringing superior quality Brazilian products to the U.S. In 2000, Liberty Imports decided to discontinue the many exclusive Brazilian products it offered and focus solely on bringing the authentic taste of South America’s tropical fruit to the U.S. juice market. The design firms had seven weeks to redesign four Brazil Gourmet packages in this largely blue-sky challenge. The toucan icon was the only visual element of the current branding and packaging system that the brand owner believed had equity with loyal customers, but even that was open to reinterpretation. Each firm took a different tack on realizing the company’s vision for growth into mainstream grocery channels in the U.S. Liberty Imports thought a key element of expanding distribution would be package designs that both targeted upscale consumers who sought out all-natural products and preserved Brazil Gourmet’s unique heritage and authentic point of difference. Package Design would like to thank Brushfoil, a division of Interfilm Holdings Inc., for sponsoring the 2011 Makeover Challenge. Brushfoil is a world leader in graphic brushed label face stocks, laminating films, and paper stocks for the converting industry. Founded in 1982 by businessmen involved in the initial 1960s development of brushed films as an alternative to stainless steel, Brushfoil embraces the newest technology for metallic-looking films and papers.

july/ August 2011

Final Good Reflection Ad:Mech 3525 PkgPrint Half Ad

3/16/09

4:16 PM

Page 1

Good Reflections

Nothing on retail shelves matches the exceptional appearance of packages and labels with the unique sheen of Brushfoil. And in today’s challenging marketplace, Brushfoil is a brilliant performer – commanding attention, projecting quality and reflecting the value of what’s inside every package. Give your next package or label the look of quality it deserves.

Success begins with the finish.

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ciulla assoc | Chicago, IL www.ciulla-assoc.com

The Brazilian flag yellow is both disruptive and ownable, connoting vibrancy and sunshine.

july/ August 2011

CIULLA ASSOC defined the primary target audience for Brazil Gourmet as the mainstream premium beverage consumer who is health-conscious and active. The firm’s approach centered on creating a highly intriguing brand while ensuring the package design was still approachable and inviting. In probing the essence of the brand, CIULLA decided that authentic taste and quality were the points of differentiation that it wanted to focus on. Unlike many competitors, the firm noted, Brazil Gourmet does not use juice blends, providing a premium juice beverage that allows customers to experience a true “taste of the tropics.” CIULLA conducted an audit of the competitive landscape. Because many new players have entered the market, consumers have become educated about the health benefits of what were formerly considered exotic and unusual ingredients (e.g., acai, aloe, cashew fruit, goji, etc.). Choosing products with these ingredients makes consumers feel good

about their decision and lifestyle. CIULLA felt that the package graphics could reinforce that good feeling while reflecting vibrancy and liveliness. Through the CIULLA Brand Manifesto process, the firm was able to identify visual territories where the brand could live and thrive, including color, typography, imagery, composition, and overall tonality. The firm meshed the brand’s values of healthy and authentic with Brazil’s strong sense of national pride, their indigenous cultures, their colorful crafts, and their passionate and vibrant outlook on life. “The final, mostly yellow design picks up on the Brazilian heritage and the pride of Brazil,” says Sandy Summerbell, account executive. Besides the fact that yellow would be a disruptive and ownable color in the juice category, it also plays off the yellow in the Brazilian flag and connotes vibrancy and sunshine. The woven background pattern, inspired by the baskets and headdresses of the indige-

1 Ciulla’s redesign refers to the Brazilian flag in several ways —the dominant yellow hue, the green diamond frame, and the blue central “a.” 2 The background pattern is a modern interpretation of common Brazilian basket and headdress patterns.

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3 The profile shape of this package mimics traditional percussion instruments of the tropics. 4 Seemingly hand-drawn circles and hand written product descriptions create an accessible appeal.

nous peoples of Brazil, reinforces the authentic aspect of the product. All these cues reinforce that the contents are real juice, sourced from Brazil, and project a simple, unadulterated brand mission. Structurally, the goal was to liven things up and achieve an upbeat look by adding dimension and curves. The glass and plastic bottle structures were inspired by native percussion instruments (drums and rattles) used in Brazilian music. Full shrink labels create the maximum real estate for branding and maximize shelf impact next to competitors on shelf. The firm believes the structure and graphics build off each other, bridging a gap between handcrafted quality and contemporary execution. The diamond shape that holds the new logo is reminiscent of the yellow diamond of the Brazilian flag, and the word mark exudes an exotic, playful brand personality. The blue “a” in “Brazil” is even a nod to the blue circle at the center of the Brazilian flag. Because

the toucan is such an important component of Brazil Gourmet’s brand equity, CIULLA felt a significant makeover was in order to present a more premium image. The firm opted for a realistic, painted toucan that leans forward out of the diamond logo frame. The new design hierarchy solidifies the brand and orders the information for the shopper new to the product line down the indicators of brand, product, and flavor. The overall layout also allows for strong subbranding in the future, bolstered by the broad “Taste is our Passion” tagline. CEO Sam Ciulla says the energy conveyed by the package is a cumulative effect of many small design details. “When we revitalize a brand,” he says, “we try to go beyond just the package and create a visual language for the potential of the brand.” When done artfully and subtly, consumers get the connections intuitively and appreciate the authentic, consistent brand message.

PACKAGEDESIGNMAG.COM

LEEREEDY | Denver, CO www.lrxd.com

Brazilian traditions of geometric art and floral colors translate well to a U.S. audience.

JULY/ AUGUST 2011

The LeeReedy/Xylem Digital design firm wanted to embrace the fact that the Brazil Gourmet brand is 100% Brazilian. The ingredients are grown, picked fresh, and packaged entirely in Brazil, and the flavors are exotic and authentic to Brazil. So the firm’s consensus was: “Let’s not shy away from it; let’s own Brazil, through and through.” No need to Americanize it. The firm’s first reaction to the existing package designs was that the brand had become terribly disconnected. In unifying the brand under a single platform, LeeReedy/ Xylem Digital created a look that’s mainstream yet stays true to the company’s authentic roots. Whereas the current package designs for Brazil Gourmet present the brand’s exotic flavors in a disjointed way, LeeReedy’s goal was to embrace the exotic in a consistent manner. The design is aimed at attracting consumers willing to experiment with unfamiliar tastes. The word “Flipside” was chosen to

suggest the far-off Southern hemisphere, similar to Australia’s nickname, “Down Under.” LeeReedy/Xylem Digital believes that turning the type upside down on the label quickly communicates that Brazil Gourmet is both playful and authentically from the “flipside” of the world. It’s also a quirky element that invites closer inspection on shelf. One fun aspect of the upside-down logo is that as the consumer uses it, friends, family, and nearby observers will read “Flipside” right-side-up. “It works as a name, but it also becomes part of the tagline,” says principal Jamie Reedy. The complete tagline text is: “100% Juice from the Flipside; Made in Brazil.” The firm also added “Premium” under the brand name to remind consumers of the quality of the product inside. Reedy admits that reaching a mass audience of mainstream America might be difficult with these unusual flavors. “It’s going to have to start with that person who likes to try

w u 1 LeeReedy translated geometric traditions of Brazilian art into watercolor interpretations of plants and fruit. 2 The upside-down “Flipside” branding element was chosen to convey quickly that the product is truly from South America.

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3 Though geometrically formed, the toucan seems actively turning its head to look at the viewer. 4 The distressed logotype treatment and the word “Premium” support a brand proposition based on authentically sourced juice.

new stuff, and then blossom from there,” Reedy says. The firm believes this design has both intriguing and approachable qualities that would prompt such experimentation. When delving into Brazilian culture, the firm noticed that there’s a tradition of geometric-based art that they could translate for the U.S. audience. The graphics suggest leaves, flowers, and fruit for natural and organic cues without being too literal. Reedy explains that the watercolor textures and the rich, fruity colors are appropriate for beverage packaging, and the handcrafted presentation conveys quality. “The colors aren’t so neon that they’re artificial,” says Reedy, “but they’re not so weak that it doesn’t mean ‘refreshing.’” All the type is slightly “distressed,” further emphasizing small-batch quality. Geometric tendencies came into play again when developing a modern toucan for the logo. The designers rearranged quadrants of a circle to create a toucan that seems to be actively twisting

around to look at the viewer. One of the goals of Brazil Gourmet that LeeReedy/Xylem Digital concentrated on was expanding the retail presence and gaining entry into a wide range of retail environments. The firm believes this design platform would create a blocking effect at shelf and also create recognition for repeat purchases. The eye-catching “Flipside” element, the playful graphics, and the white background would also help cross-sell in different parts of a store. “If you saw one and liked it, and saw another one, you’d want to try it,” says Reedy. Could “Flipside” be a new sub-brand name for the products under the Brazil Gourmet company umbrella? LeeReedy/Xylem Digital checked with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and it appears to be available. The firm is confident that promoting the flipside attitude in advertising, promotions, and collateral would strengthen the brand’s presence and the ability to grow distribution even further. PACKAGEDESIGNMAG.COM

LITTLE BIG BRANDS | White Plains, NY www.littlebigbrands.com

Multiple overlapping elements and crisscross patterns communicate energy in an exotic manner.

JULY/ AUGUST 2011

“Our design is Brazil in a bottle,” says John Nunziato, creative director, Little Big Brands. “Vibrant, energetic and even a little sexy.” To get to the final design, Little Big started by spending some time with the Brazil Gourmet client to get a clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities, and its vision for the brand. The Brazil Gourmet team had a real passion and enthusiasm for the products and felt strongly about elevating the packaging. With the goal of bringing the brand mainstream without losing its Brazilian heritage, Little Big embarked on a deep dive into the category, into Latin-American products broadly, and into the target consumer mindset. Not surprisingly, the firm found that many competitive tropical heritage products rely on “cliché” packaging featuring basketfuls of fruit and a full rainbow’s worth of hues. But Brazil is a highly sophisticated country with a modern, chic aesthetic, and Little Big felt strongly that the brand’s DNA should reflect this. “More isn’t always more,” Nunzi-

ato says. “In the case of a pure, natural product, throwing the kitchen sink at design can really work against you and the brand promise. It opens the door for competitors that are doing it right.” Little Big kicked off the design exploratory with structural partner Sergio Gedanke of Charge ID, New York City. Gedanke’s structure expertise helped create an overall design that’s appealing and reproducible. Being a native of Brazil, his design sensibilities also helped keep the final product authentic. Little Big felt that both the graphics and structure could suggest the purity, color, smell, and flavor of the product. The colors are bold and the structure is pure in its form without silly gimmicks. “Overall, the new shape proudly presents the brand as a unique offering,” says Gedanke. “The embossed leaf in an asymmetrical layout transforms a simple bottle structure into something more like a trophy—precious and special. It represents the essence of the fruit itself.”

u v 1 The toucan lives on in the new design only by an elongated beak connecting the “B” and the “G” in the logo.

2 Little Big Brands felt that premium quality would be conveyed by the precise execution of bottle relief effects, tight shrink sleeve registration, and a stylized “BG” logo. 3 Thin leaves crisscross around the label to suggest tropical vegetation and authentic sourcing. 4 Strong, central variety names help shoppers navigate the category at retail.

The embossed leaves above the shoulders serve as a holding device for the Brazil Gourmet logo. They radiate and fan outward into the neck and shoulders to create ownable iconography for the brand. The Brazil Gourmet logo was distilled to its initials and drawn as an interlocking natural organic symbol. Like the juice itself, the logo now feels exotic. The toucan is near and dear to the Brazil Gourmet brand team—and it held strong equity for the brand. But Little Big knew it could find a more clever way to work the bird into the brand identity. In this case, a connected ligature occurs when the “G” interlocks with the “B” and forms the toucan beak. The graphics include a series of multiple overlapping elements that communicate energy in an exotic manner. Crisscross patterns suggesting thin tropical vegetation leaves radiate from the top of the bottles and expand as they flow toward the bottom. Little Big feels that this communicates “wildness” in a contemporary and ownable sequence. The

primary typography is iconic Brazilian—not stereotypical jungle, tribal, or carnival-ish— and fun accent typography creates a combination that feels both Brazilian and “Western.” For the liter, 11-oz, and 8-oz plastic bottles, Little Big took the shelf-stable requirement and employed a hot-fill PET bottle that has an expandable panel on the push-up area. This feature allows a clean bottle design on the outside, while pressure from the hot-fill disperses in the bottom of the bottle. The asymmetric 3D decoration near the top is achieved by an oriented shrink-sleeve operation, merging graphics and bottle geometry in an integrated way. The 10.14-oz glass bottle, meanwhile, features a metal cap with an opening sound cue for freshness check and tamper-evidence. The glass structure allows retort processes or hot-fill operations, and the upper embossed decoration matches the form cues of the other PET bottles.

PACKAGEDESIGNMAG.COM

Murray Brand Communications | San Francisco, CA www.murraybrand.com

The toucan is now integrated into the design architecture and into the story of the brand.

july/ August 2011

Murray Brand’s evaluation of Brazil Gourmet’s history compelled the firm to bring Brazil Gourmet back to the original vision of providing authentic tastes of South American tropical fruits to the U.S. juice market. To that end, the firm noted, Brazil Gourmet has always borrowed from the culture of Brazil— colorful, festive, and authentic—while the core essence of the brand overall is best represented by the concepts of fun, delicious, and healthy. Through analysis of competitive brands and packaging, Murray Brand noticed that other premium juice and nectar products targeting mainstream American consumers have lost their unique personalities and focus largely on strong communication of ingredients and “natural” visual cues. Murray Brand saw a distinct opportunity for Brazil Gourmet to communicate a unique brand positioning by leveraging its Brazilian heritage and its

specialization in tropical fruit juices. The firm felt the package design should immediately and intuitively communicate fresh, natural, and tropical associations through rich visual cues that told an engaging story in the consumer’s mind before she even read the first word on the package. The package tells this story with bright, tropical colors; tropical flora; and the brand’s toucan icon. The white space on the package maximizes the visual pop of the colors to improve shelf presence and also tells an unconscious story of purity that supports its “100% Natural” claim. Brad Berberich, design director, explains that the graphic motif promotes a sense of discovery for Brazil Gourmet, as if the viewer is exploring the jungle and pushing back thick vegetation as he or she happens upon the real fruit at its source. “But it’s doing it in more of an approachable way,” he says. “It’s not locked

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1 Murray Brand Communications created the handcrafted “store sign” logo to suggest the adventure of a safari outpost. 2 The toucan is separated from the logo to become a bigger part of the whole brand story. 3 The fruit is the most central element of the package, communicating that the product is 100% fruit.

4 Foliage up and down both sides of the package give the viewer the impression that he or she is pushing through jungle vegetation.

in the Amazon.” The firm believes the design charts a new direction for health and wellness products that promotes natural enjoyment and downplays any taste sacrifice. The casual logo typography looks like a handmade store sign over a consistent, centered information hierarchy that’s distinctive and memorable. Three color triggers indicate the variety, though the firm believes that the architecture is so strong that the color cues are not absolutely necessary. Murray Brand did add the “Taste the Tropics” tagline at the top and included the word “Tropical” in the “100% Natural” benefit statement at the bottom, once again emphasizing the products’ origins. The firm thought the toucan in the brand’s current logo lockup tends to get lost on small label sizes, and therefore loses a desirable iconic visual weight. Murray Brand’s solution was to incorporate the tou-

can icon into the architecture of the package design itself, and integrate the toucan into the story of the brand and product. In the new design architecture, the toucan has prominence even on smaller label sizes, helps visually tie the brand system together to assist with brand blocking. Whimsy casts a wider net demographically, according to Murray, because it can also bring in upscale adult consumers. Scott Knudsen, director, brand strategy and project management, says the visual brand story also promotes consumer engagement at retail, where there will be brand recognition from the 15- to 20-foot range. As the consumer gets closer, the brand’s core essence of delicious and healthy comes through in the beautiful photography of whole tropical fruits framed by the jungle illustration. “You get that message even before you read anything,” emphasizes Knudsen. PD PACKAGEDESIGNMAG.COM

Q& A

MICHAEL FERRARI

THE DIGITAL DIVIDE A digital printing expert explains brandowner resistance to the technology.

“M

ass customization” may be a clever catchphrase, but that doesn’t mean everyone “gets” it. The use of digital printing in large print run applications is still rare due to the push/ pull of print production logistics and— possibly—a lack of appreciation for the future of the digital promise. After a number of years at Procter & Gamble promoting the benefits of digi-

tal printing, Michael Ferrari struck out on his own with Ferrari Innovation Solutions, consulting with brand owners and production houses on implementing digital printing solutions. Ferrari believes that digital printing will be an indispensible enabler in consumer goods package design strategy as companies respond to changes in shopper behavior—moving from the first moment of truth to the “zero moment of truth.” However, it seems that it’s not so easy getting brand owners to look past the current myths and see the writing on the wall.

PD: What are the megatrends that will drive the expansion of digital printing for consumer product goods? Michael Ferrari: One undeniable trend is increased promotions that are driving print run lengths down. Also, there’s more complexity in package design requirements today, there’s more desire to have fast speed-to-market times, and there’s a need to keep package designs relevant to the target consumers.

How does social media fit into the picture?

At myextragum.com, mass customization takes another step toward reality. A variety of design elements can be layered and reordered for the consumer’s ideal custom package.

JULY/ AUGUST 2011

We’re at the beginning stages of tying social media in with packaging. The few companies that have made the leap speak to the future of packaging. The term “zero moment of truth” is reflective of new shopper behavior. Online engagement with products and packages has taken away some of shoppers’

Mike Ferrari, a 32year vet of Procter & Gamble as an R&D associate director, now runs his own consultancy business, Ferrari Innovation Solutions (mikeferrari.com).

impulsiveness, because they’re learning about products in a variety of ways before encountering them in the store. And because there are more brand touch points than ever before, the larger CPG companies are trying to figure e-commerce out so they don’t compete with themselves in store. The best way to do that is to change packages regularly rather than reengineer the product.

Why is there a resistance to change? It’s taken me over a year to understand the resistance to digital printing. Being so close to it, I was willing to take it on faith that I was missing something. The truth is, there are myths out there: “it’s too slow,” “the print quality is poor,” or “it’s for short runs only.”

What might be the core cause of these myths? The whole industry is just fixated on long runs. Consumer product goods companies and brand owners only see printing as a commodity. The industry doesn’t try to look at what new value digital printing can bring or what new ways it can be used. Companies are falling short of imagining new business models. These companies evaluate digital printing with the same printing metrics that they’ve always used, which are speed and volume. The metrics might not be the right metrics for the state of shopper behavior that we’re in today. It’s just a question of when will they wake up to realize that they could—and should—be doing things differently.

What are the supply chain advantages that brand owners might not appreciate? CPG companies that say they care about simplicity and reducing complexity should look at digital solutions for a number of reasons. A digital supply chain can also lower carbon footprints, for instance, by bringing press scrap waste down, reducing required storage space, and taking package obsolescence out of the equation.

Why don’t brand owners see these benefits? I think when you say “You have to change your supply chain” to CPG companies, those broad words can sometimes be paralyzing. Nevertheless, I believe that these companies need a plan soon, because their current supply

Customized Reports Karstedt Partners LLC (www.karstedt.com), a global leader in businessto-business consulting and market research solutions for the consumer product and packaging industries, recently partnered with Ferrari Innovation Solutions for a series of market reports. Their latest report, “Is Digital Printing Part of Your Brand or Operational Strategy?” is a specialized commercialization assessment designed to help brand owners evaluate digital printing technologies for packaging and labels. This report provides a critical view of what to expect from digital printing over the next several years across all segments of packaging. Wherever possible, it attempts to provide a road map—what the current capabilities are today, what the capabilities will be in the future, who the major players are, and what their position is regarding digital printing for packaging. Most importantly, the report recommends ways any company can begin to position and prepare itself to take advantage of digital printing opportunities. To order, visit www.karstedt.com.

chains won’t make it into the future. Maybe that’s a strong statement, but as I see the printing world, it still has dramatic change on the horizon. The goal is to get the right person in a company to admit: “My supply chain needs to change.” The reasons for the change could be just-in-time efficiencies, sustainability gains, or consumer relevancy

and engagement—but a plan is an essential first step.

Is the sustainability benefit alone enough to spur a CPG company to look at digital printing solutions for long runs? When I see that conversation happening, invariably, the important question is

always: “Is there a lifecycle analysis on that?” This is data that’s not easy to come by. There is certainly interest, but I’ve personally seen only one company that went digital with sustainability as the leading cause, but that’s because the whole company rides on the sustainability platform.

Are there successful consumer customization campaigns that you’ve seen?

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There are at least 10 companies I watch that seem to have achieved interesting consumer engagement campaigns by doing things differently. In the last 12 months alone, it’s become a wildfire, because these companies want to make connections. In Europe, Heineken let consumers design their own six packs, and Sprite had a contest for fun label designs. In the U.S., Heinz and Kleenex have offered personalized packaging online. Currently, an Extra Gum campaign (www.myextragum.com) offers a wide palette of design options for customized gum packages, and delivers in a matter of weeks—or days.

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The progression from labels to shrink sleeves and now to flexible film has been a steady expansion. Flexible packaging— even retort pouches—will continue to grow in applications because more products are moving out of glass bottles and jars. The natural evolution of disruptive technologies means we will continue to see increased digital printing capability that will continue to reduce the cost per unit and replace most, or all, of analog printing as we know it today. PD

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Visit www.okidata.com/procolor to learn about our customized financing options! For product information or to schedule a demo, call 847.669.6253 © 2011 Oki Data Americas, Inc. OKI, Reg. T.M., Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., Reg. T.M. Oki Data Corporation.

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NEW PRODUCT FOCUS

GLASS AND RIGID PLASTIC CONTAINERS

All Bottled Up! Here’s a sampling of the latest innovations in glass and rigid plastic containers.

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Fou-dre Vodka www.flow-design.com The ultra-premium glass bottle mimics a lightning bolt and has a plastic capper containing a bartop cork. The glass is sprayed with an organic purple transparent ink and screen-printed with silver metallic and black ink.

PermaSeal II Containers www.visipak.com

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JULY/ AUGUST 2011

These 360°-view plastic tube containers utilize Visipak’s standard high-clarity PETG material along with a durable rigid bottom welded into one end. The hard PETG plastic bottoms and shorter wall heights provide the increased rigidity necessary for packaging lighter items.

Bottle within a Bottle www.webbdevlam.com The “bottle within a bottle” creates a window into an elegant realization of the Bombay Sapphire brand. This project explored new technical possibilities by bringing together the expertise of jewelers, glass blowing, crystal cutting, and 3D laser-etching.

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Mother Nature has taught us that package design is just as important as what’s inside. 4

Twirl by Kate Spade

At xpedx, we extend design strategy beyond the physical package, by helping you find smarter ways to market your products and generate profitable sales — concept to production, distribution to consumption.

www.sgdgroup.com Twirl by Kate Spade resembles a disco ball with a simple, yet heavy, shape and screen-printed, real-gold dots. SGD Group designed the round bottle and decoration process to create perfectly round gold dots while wasting a minimal amount of gold. 5

Lightweight 187-ml Bottles www.amcor.com

We call it Packaging ExpertiseSM: Bundling together innovations in design, materials, equipment, workflow and logistics to lower costs, improve quality, promote sustainability and optimize the supply chain.

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This ultra thin (less than 100 nm) PET material is transparent and resists cracking, abrasion, and delamination. The KHS Plasmax Silicon Oxide barrier coating, a glasslike material, seals the container from the inside to protect the contents from oxidation.

Dream Bottle Cap www.newhigh.com The new DREAM bottle is designed to emulate the classic look of original stopper bottles with the advantages of a modern spray dispenser. The capacity is 100 ml with a 15 mm crimp finish, available in flint and frosted glass.

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NEW PRODUCT FOCUS

GLASS AND RIGID PLASTIC CONTAINERS

{

Gerber EasyScoop www.4sightinc.com Gerber introduced its new 32-oz EasyScoop plastic packaging with a contoured handle that is easy to grip and a wide-mouth opening for easy scooping. The scoop attaches to lid to keep it out of the powder.

} 8

La Tour Line www.tricorbraun.com

TricorBraun designed the patent-pending La Tour line to fill a market need for a new stock line of cosmetic quality, beautifully designed bottles for the prestige liquor market.

Toly Seoul Line www.toly.com The Seoul Line consists of a doublewalled airless container with side button actuation and includes a uniquely designed shutoff pump. Integrated into the cap is a sponge applicator that rotates out of the cap for easy use.

11 10

Cosmo Rounds www.alphap.com

JULY/ AUGUST 2011

Alpha Packaging has expanded its line of Cosmo Rounds made from highdensity polyethylene (HDPE). Now in 4-oz and 16-oz sizes, these bullet-style squeezable bottles are commonly used for shampoos, hair care products, body lotions, and pet care products.

11 Photochromatic Masterbatches www.americhem.com Americhem has introduced photochromatic masterbatches, which enable packages to change colors when exposed to ultraviolet light. The eyecatching masterbatches, available in a wide variety of colors, can either be used on portions of a package or on the entire package.

12 Ecosolution Nature www.packaging.promens.com Using Promens AirFree technology, Ecosolution is an ecological airless dispensing system protected by three patents. The airless bottle and airless dispensing system have fewer parts while retaining the protection and ecological advantages of airless.

13 Sapphire Summer www.IBCShell.com

Pitcher

This acrylic liquid pouring pitcher with detachable dispensing lid is 7-3/4" x 51/8" x 12-1/8". The package conveys the summer coolness of Bombay Sapphire, no matter where it’s found, along with a summery sustainable message.

14 Beveled Square www.oberk.com

Collection

This collection is a versatile family of square HDPE plastic bottles with distinctive beveled corners. Lightweight and virtually unbreakable, the stylish containers could be used for moisturizers, body lotions, sunscreen, and many other skin care products. PD

Use the JFX-1615plus in combination with the CF2 flatbed cutting plotter.

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Booth 4958 | Las Vegas • April 28-30 ATL

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888-530-3986

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888-530-3985 LA 888-530-3987 www.mimakiusa.com

SHOW PREVIEWS

Destination: Vegas Pack Expo Las Vegas offers numerous options to increase shelf impact and decrease Earth impact.

hether the product is fresh-cut produce, cat litter, baby food, or something entirely different, the packaging has to be impactful and functional. Recently introduced materials and containers show off their dexterity in meeting demands for sustainability, shelf appeal and convenience in the ever-changing retail environment. Examples of the diversity and ingenuity of welldesigned packaging, such as the ones detailed here, will be featured at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011, from September 26 to 28 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Some will be showcased in The Brand Zone, a special area of the show dedicated to materials and containers that shape winning brands, sponsored by Package Design magazine. In The Brand Zone, visitors will find innovations for consumer packaged goods companies, options for private label manufacturers, and inspirations for package designers looking for that crucial piece of the branding puzzle.

AN ECO BABY FOOD POUCH The reclosable stand-up retort pouch for Sprout Organic Baby Food delivers several user advantages. Produced by Ampac (Booth #5715), the retort pouch is a packaging format change for a category replete with rigid containers, both glass jars and plastic cups. Comparatively, the flexible package cuts space, weight, energy, and packaging component complexity—all attributes that factored into the packaging choice, according to Sprout Foods CEO Ron Davis. Sprout touts the multi-layer structure (PET/foil/OPA/PP) as using only BPA-free plastics. While a foil barrier protects the flavor and nutrients, it also means the pouch cannot be heated in the microwave. Sprout did this Ampac’s reclosable stand-up deliberately to minimize energy retort pouch for Sprout Organic usage in the home and make the Baby Food cuts space, weight, product more portable. The food energy, and packaging component complexity can be served anywhere at room compared to other formats in temperature or can be warmed by the product category. placing a sealed pouch in hot (not 48

JULY/ AUGUST 2011

boiling) water for a few minutes. With a bottom gusset and wide top opening, the package is also the serving dish, so consumers don’t waste energy washing dishes or bowls after use. It’s also easy to open and close thanks to Ampac’s Linear Tear technology, which guarantees a straight tear across the pouch every time, and ZIP-PAK Press-to-Close zipper. The film is gravure-printed in eight colors with graphics designed to showcase the product’s “freshness, quality, and flavor,” according to Davis, and is supplied to Sprout as a preformed pouch.

STEPPING UP FOR FELINE FRIENDS Fresh Step cat litter has replaced its familiar pail with a bag to reduce packaging materials by 77%. The premade, zipper-reclosable, side-gusseted FlexZiBox bag with slider reclosure from Nordenia USA (Booth #5640) boosts the shelf impact of Fresh Step Fresh Step cat litter has replaced its with its billboard and familiar pail with a premade, zipperall-around graphics. reclosable, side-gusseted FlexZiBox bag Converted at the compaoutfitted with a slider reclosure from ny’s plant in Jackson, Nordenia USA. The new packaging has MO, the three-layer reduced materials by 77%. adhesive-laminated barrier bag is designed to ship and display efficiently and effectively. Not only is the bag stable, even at 42 lbs, it’s easy to manage because of a sturdy handle and proprietary multilayer construction incorporated into the substrate in the back of the bag. Consumers also have an easier, more controlled pour from the bag into a litter box. The stability of the bag during distribution was another key benefit over the previous pail. The top folds down to create a cube-efficient pack and is held down by a clear, pressure-sensitive reclosable tape label. With this design, says Nordenia, Fresh Step brand owner Clorox reduced damage even though the protective packaging for outbound shipments was dramatically reduced. In addition, one pallet

of empty bags holds the same number of packages that before required 13 pallets of pails and lids. Nordenia measures sustainability improvements compared to the pail using the Walmart Packaging Scorecard. They report an 83% improvement in greenhouse gas scores and a 63% improvement across all metrics.

BAG-IN-BOX DRIVES SUSTAINABILITY A bag-in-box system for automotive chemicals and fluids allows manufacturers to satisfy their customers’ needs with an efficient, environmentally conscious package. Made by Scholle Packaging (Booth #5937), each six-gallon bag-in-box packaging system removes 24 one-liter bottles from the waste stream. Superior product evacuation saves money for suppliers and reduces the environmental impact of bottles in landfills. Bag-in-box systems use nearly 90% less plastic resin than rigid one-liter bottles, which makes manufacturing the packages easier on the environment. During shipping, more efficient cubes on trucks, in warehouses, and with the customer mean fewer greenhouse gasses resulting from transport. The outer carton of the packaging system is also fully recyclable.

A FRESH-CUT ABOVE FOR PRODUCE The Fresh N Tasty Produce Pouch for fresh-cut fruit and vegetables by Robbie Flexibles (Booth #358) offers multiple value-added benefits to consumers, processors, and retailers. The bottom-gusseted stand-up pouch—a proprietary multilayer lamination available as roll stock or pre-made packs—scores in technical, functional, economical, and sustainable aspects. Laser micro perforations control the package’s oxygen transmission rate to slow the ripening rate of the produce inside, extending shelf life and better preserving product quality. The size and number of micro holes are customized for the exact respiration needs of each product. What’s truly innovative, though, is that during material manufacturing, Robbie uses a patentThe Fresh N Tasty Produce Pouch, pending inspection process developed by Robbie Flexibles for where a camera analyzes the fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, scores micro perforations on each from technical, functional, economical pouch to maintain consistency and sustainable aspects.

and accuracy of the holes, which can be adjusted on the fly. The bottom gusset also creates a reservoir to catch and contain excess liquids—another way the package helps maintain product quality. Purging the liquid away from the product helps most fruits stay firm and fresh-looking longer. Other convenience features of the flexo-printed pouch include a built-in top hand hole that makes it easy for consumers to carry and handle at home; a press-to-close zipper; a bottom gusset that keeps the package upright, minimizing unwanted spills; and a wide top opening to make it easy to scoop out the product or snack right from the pouch. PD Learn more about PMMI and the PACK EXPO trade shows at www.PMMI.org and www.Packexpo.com.

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SHOW PREVIEWS

Monaco Means Luxury Luxe Pack Monaco 2011 showcases creative luxury packaging.

he importance of Luxe Pack Monaco to vendors is clear. Year after year, over 50% of exhibitors plan a product launch for this unique exhibition and conference program. The 24th edition of Luxe Pack Monaco will be held from October 19 to 21 at the Grimaldi Forum, providing luxury brand decision-makers with packaging solutions, material options, and inspiration.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE Preregister at info@idice.mc. Wednesday October 19th 10:15 am: “What’s Left of Luxury Codes?” Gauthier Boche, head of strategy and development, FutureBrand. 11:15 am: “The Luxury Sector Tax System in China: Steps to Access and Develop on the Chinese Market.” Sandra Hazan, of Salans. 1:30 pm: “And the Unconscious Mind Shall Create the Trend…” Ludivine and Delphine Sciarrino, founders of BY LUDE, an agency specializing in the psycho-anthropology of companies. 2:30 pm: “Ritual and Narratives within Luxury Design.” Luxury goods designer Kacper Hamilton, Luxe Pack Monaco’s special “guest designer.” 4:00 pm: “Sustainable Trend, Desirable Development” roundtable. Organized and moderated by Gilles Gauthier and Amandine Autier. 5:30 pm: 2011 Luxe Pack in Green Award presentation.

Thursday October 20th

The exhibition floor at Luxe Pack Monaco has once again sold out, with 340 exhibitors reserving space. More than half the visitors are expected to come from outside France. The three-day show has a full schedule of conferences and roundtable debates on current topics led by renowned experts. Themes that run through the sessions are inventive design, current luxury codes, future trends, the expansion of spirits packaging, sustainability, and the development of Asian markets. A dedicated space in the Atrium is reserved for the Innovation Forum. Innovative packaging solutions will be on display throughout the show, and exhibitors schedule presentations to explain the finer points of their innovations. The return of the Luxe Pack in Green exhibition space proves that luxury brand stakeholders are becoming increasingly interested in developing and embracing sustainable solutions. The Luxe Pack in Green Award will be awarded to the best innovative solution presented by exhibitors during a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19. Also returning is the Luxe Pack Trends Observer, which promises a deep, extensive analysis of the state of the industry, decoding the launches of the year to identify areas of future development. For more, visit www.luxepack.com. 50

july/ august 2011

10:15 am: “The Virtues of Non-Linear Thought…and Its Value to Brands through Packaging.” Alex Theodorou and Sav Savva, directors of SabotagePKG. 11:15 am: “Caviar in a Cosmetic Jar?” Panel discussion moderated by Ute Von Buch, editor-in-chief, Creativ Verpacken. 2:30 pm: “Innovation, Sustainability, Creativity: Buzzwords or Bywords?” Marc Rosen moderates a panel discussion that includes: Sumit Bhasin, global leader of innovation, P&G Prestige; Henry Renella, senior v.p. of global package development, Estée Lauder; Gus Bezas, president of global strategic development, Milbar Labs; Azzi Glasser, perfume designer, Family Three Ltd.; Arlette Palo, v.p. of global product innovation, Estée Lauder. 4:15 pm: “To Be or Not To Be…a Luxury Brand.” Donald Potard, founder of Agent de Luxe; Philippe Roblin, semiotician and cofounder of Bayadères; and Olivier Raymond, strategic planner for Bayadères Etoilethe.

Friday October 21st 10:00 am: “Luxe Pack Trends Observer” roundtable on packaging trends analyzed by experts. 11:15 am: “Olfactory Logo Preview” roundtable. Moderated by Susanna Bonati, creative director and founder of Comunicando Magazine. 1:30 pm: “Luxury Goods: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.” Monitored by Fflur Roberts, head of global luxury goods, Euromonitor International. 2:30 pm: “Top of the Range Champagne and Alcoholic Drinks: The Packaging Design Revolution.” Marie Mascré and Sylvain Dasdé, SOWINE. PD

DESIGNER’S CORNER « continued from page 15

commonly used in the cleaning category) boost the efficacy message as well as serving as a range navigation device. The pace of change in the retailers’ world affords a fantastic range of opportunities for intelligent packaging design that considers its audience and delivers effective solutions for everyday shopping. In a convention-busting move from Tesco, the retail giant is launching three of its own venture brands with no Tesco branding—and there is promise of more to come. These global brands are

very different from traditional private label and are intended to offer an alternative to other brands, boosting the overall category. These brands create an alternative direction and shift the brief paradigm yet again for the design agencies who work with the retailers. PD

Kate Bradford is managing director of Parker Williams Design, London (www.parkerwilliams.co.uk.).

SUSTAINABLY SPEAKING « continued from page 16

moving its whole line to this new bottle, Naked Juice’s virgin plastic consumption was expected to drop by 8.1 million pounds per year, saving 57,000 barrels of oil. In car terms, that’s like taking 3,460 cars off the road. Looking at materials as part of the bigger picture is critical, and not just how a material fits with a single product at that moment. Birth, life, and rebirth (cradle-to-cradle) are the action

words to guide us as we move forward in remaking everything we do. PD

Wendy Jedlicka, CPP, is principal of Jedlicka Design Ltd. (www.jedlicka.com), a founding faculty member of Minneapolis College of Art and Design’s Sustainable Design Program (www.mcad.edu/sustainable) and contributing editor of the book Packaging Sustainability (PackagingSustainability.info).

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PACKAGEDESIGNMAG.COM

GLOBESPOTTING

By Lynn Dornblaser

Look, Ma, One Hand! A lip balm package takes convenience to another level.

an a simple tube of lip balm be made even more functional and easier to use? Isn’t it already the epitome of portability and simplicity? Yes … except for one thing. That pesky cap. Here’s a package from Canada that eliminates that component.

Vital Statistics Contents

SPF 30 lip balm size

4.25g (0.15 oz) Goals

Apply lip balm with one hand Target

Extreme sports enthusiasts and wannabes Material

Plastic Decorative Process

Silkscreen

The Product

the innovations

K2 Endurance Lip Balm

There’s no standard cap on this tube of balm. Instead, when consumers give it a twist, an aperture at the top splits and opens, reminiscent of a camera lens. Further twisting brings the balm stick up through the aperture so that it can be applied. Twist the other way, and it retracts and recloses.

The Perspective We’ve seen companies expand and improve on the lip balm category, but it’s always been in regards to formulation. Burt’s Bees, for example, offers tinted varieties with all-natural ingredients such as honey. But the package form for any of these new formulas is exactly the same as every other—pull off the cap, twist up the balm, and apply. Now, a company called Outside Labs offers a fairly standard lip balm in a unique package that claims true onehand usability.

why we love it It’s simple, effective, and easy to use. The functionality is intuitive and likely to grab consumers’ interest. Though the impact of the functionality needs to be experienced in hand to be best understood, the package graphics do a good job of conveying how it works.

The market While this product is specifically positioned to athletes (especially extreme athletes), it has a much broader appeal. And that’s a good thing, as extreme sports are only engaged in by 5% to 6% of the U.S. population, according to Mintel’s research. There’s an opportunity here for companies with lip balms that offer other types of benefits (e.g., color, flavor, treatment) to enhance or expand their brands with a more convenient package. In addition, this type of package could work for some types of lipstick.

Future Prospects We have seen some one-handed lipsticks on the market in the past. One from Avon stands out in retrospect, but the mechanism on that one could be potentially activated while in a handbag (yikes!). This more rugged design seems to have a stronger future, either for more sports-focused products or quite simply for everyday convenience. PD

Lynn Dornblaser (lynnd@mintel.com) is the director of CPG Trend Insight at Mintel International.

july/august 2011

Packaging. Processing. Powerful.

Package design and branding, all wrapped up. At PACK EXPO Las Vegas you’ll find everything you need to put your idea into consumers’ hands. Don’t miss the expanded Brand Zone, featuring innovative containers, materials and package designs: • The latest advances in glass, plastic, metal and paperboard packaging, decorating, printing and re-sealable technologies. • The Showcase of Packaging Innovations®, sponsored by The Dow Chemical Company. • PACK EXPO Selects™ awards for best consumer packaging. Don’t miss the largest packaging and processing show in North America. Register Today! www.packexpo.com/brandzone

PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2011

September 26-28, 2011 Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, Nevada USA

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CEOS KNOW GLASS IS A GREAT DINNER GUEST. “S. Pellegrino® is the perfect companion to fine foods,” says Stefano Agostini, Chairman and CEO of Sanpellegrino S.p.A. “And glass is a perfect packaging for our brand. Our mineral water is sophisticated, the bottle is elegant—together, we add sparkle to the meal.” GlassIsLife.com makers of charming, tasteful, food-loving glass packaging