09.02.09
Prestige PAckaging
By Ava Caridad, Editor
Luxury packaging for cosmetics and personal care adds that certain
something to high-end products looking to make their mark.
PPrestige Packaging for the beauty industry has to echo brand identity while also emphasizing the luxury indicative of high-end distribution. Some of the best examples of high quality beauty packaging were represented by the 2006 IPDA Award winners and finalists, showcased this year at HBA (Health & Beauty America). Beauty Packaging takes a look at some of the offerings for an illustration of how limited distribution beauty products are developed.
Cosmetics
Dior’s Diorshow Powder: Category Leader (Tie)
This is a convenient, portable and elegant package for loose powders. According to Caroline Defrance, operational marketing manager, Alcan Packaging Beauty, the couture-inspired, silver cap (custom) and built-in puff (stock) enables DiorShow Powder to showcase a unique, cutting-edge design.
“This concept already existed as a stock item. A custom cover was developed especially for Dior, based on a design by Dior,” says Defrance.
The innovative and stylish powder puff pot has a built-in applicator for easy powder application. The powder is housed in the base and flows with precision through a custom-designed and patented system directly onto the puff. The ring around the base and the custom cap are made through an online process, comprised of injection and metalization followed by silkscreening and assembly of the washable latex sponge. The powders have an engraved “CD” logo feature on a glossy silver metallic finish.
Elizabeth Arden’s Eyeshadow Quads: Category Leader (Tie)
According to Laura Hawboldt, senior design director, Elizabeth Arden, Qualipac offered a film transfer process that would allow designs to “float” on compacts.
“Our marketing EVP was very excited at the idea and insisted we use it right away on quad compacts that were already in development,” she explained. “She wanted the theme to relate to Arden in some way. I remembered a mural that had been used in the lobby of our office when we were on Sixth Avenue. It had been commissioned in the 1930’s by Miss Arden herself and was called The Pageant of Beauty. It depicted female beauty through the ages, in fourteen panels painted on wood. I chose details from the eight surviving panels, which we dug out of storage and photographed. All represent ideals of feminine beauty in their times. I thought that using these images would be a good way to connect modern Arden with our heritage. We further emphasized that by using an Arden logotype from the archives, which had been used at the time the mural was painted.”
Because the project was started so late the designers only had one shot at getting it right. They had to approve the first proof they saw, no changes possible. While the figures are opaque, they made the backgrounds vignette and create a softness that helps transition the design on the very hard-edged compact.
Pout’s Pout Plump: Finalist
According to Anika Betz, Pout’s head of PR, the Pout team was inspired by packaging used to protect fragile mobile phone chips. The challenge was applying this idea to the outer packaging of Pout Plump. To embellish the airbag with Pout lace designs, Chantal Laren, creative director, worked with French designers to devise a new, striking colorway of black lace imposed on a clear plastic, so the lip gloss tube could be seen suspended in the middle of the airbag. The tube was also adorned with the lace pattern, and with the chisel tube application of the gloss, and a sleek black cap to match the black lace, it is a beautiful product both with and without the outer airbag component.
“We wanted to find a suitable outer packaging to reflect the ‘inflatable’ aspect of this lip plumping product,” says Betz. “We have attempted to make an ordinary industrial pack into an extraordinary beautiful pack. The airbag and lip gloss tube work beautifully together in displaying our best selling product without the need to open the outer packaging to see the actual product component or shade of lip gloss. As the tubes are clear, the shade of the lip gloss can be seen from the outside, aiding the consumer with their choice of color.” The airbag consists of four panels—two external and two internal. Between the two inner panels the lip plumping gloss tube is suspended in the center.
Explained Betz, “The whole concept of the inflated aspect of the packaging infers to the customer that the product also has an inflatable benefit. With lip plumpers still maintaining a huge lip gloss market share, the target market broadly reaches from young teenagers to the older generations, all influenced by the surge in plastic-surgery-enhanced lips, which are becoming the norm for more and more women.”
Fragrance
Missoni’s Eau de Parfum: Category Leader; Package of the Year
The bottle was designed by Stephen Burks, and both the concept and the overall direction for the line were a collaboration between the Missoni family and their in-house design team.
Diane Kim, vice president, global marketing, Missoni Profumi, explains “We set out to create a packaging concept that represented the Missoni family way of life, or the Italian lifestyle that is so aspirational and an inspiration for many people. All of the packaging components have a hand-touched quality and feature the vibrant colors that Missoni is so renowned for. We added the fabric skirt at the neck of the bottle with Missoni’s signature zig zag print to really bring together the worlds of fragrance and fashion.”
Thierry Mugler’s Alien Light 60mL: Finalist
Alien 60mL was designed by Thierry Mugler. The button is made of PP and its cover of ABS. The inner cap is in white POM on the non-refillable model and, taking harmony and refinement to the smallest details, in pale gold POM on the refillable versions. To harmonize the product range, the appearance and size of the spray cap and base are identical for all models—the refillable 30 and 60ml and non-refillable 30ml. Only the internal fastening system changes. On the reusable bottles, the spray cap unclips to give access to the screw-on pump. For the non-refillable version (30ml), the spray cap is permanently snapped onto the bottle-pump assembly.
According to Sophie Gaspin, product manager, fragrance and skin care, Alcan Packaging Beauty, the unique pale gold color, “sunlight and radiance,” of the ABS spray cap, is obtained through a specific formula for the electroplating bath. The base is produced with the same bath, and then glued to the bottle. The bottle’s shoulders are made from surlyn in a slightly lighter shade of violet than the glass, bringing even more light to the deep amethyst color that symbolizes meditation and serenity. To make the spray cap and base, Alcan Packaging Beauty drew on its expertise to design features such as the pale gold claws that bring out the fragrance’s “sun-like, almost divine power.” The bottle that holds the “elixir” is reminiscent of a sacred stone; a talisman charged with energy. Its deep amethyst color surrounded with pale gold claws reflects the solar power of the fragrance within, says Gaspin.
Thierry Mugler’s Angel Refillable Purse Spray: Finalist
Thierry Mugler launched the portable Angel Refillable Purse Spray to fulfill the Angel fragrance consumer’s desire to have a precious and luxurious purse spray. It is compact with an assembled spray cap and a clasp that allows an easy opening for the consumer to refill it.
Designed by Thierry Mugler, Alcan Packaging Beauty developed the invisible parts that ensure the purse spray’s functionality. The two inner parts in POM are fitted together with a hinge and fixed to the stamped brass outer shells by a hot-melt gluing process, which allows a perfect joining of the two shells as well as a mechanical open/close system that allows the glass to be refilled. A spring, united to the POM inner parts, allows the actuator and its cover to remain in their upper position, maintaining the harmony of the shell design. An adhesive silver label fixed to one of the shells helps the light go through the glass bottle and creates a light refraction effect. Real pieces of Swarovski crystal are integrated into the shell, while the actuator cover and the clasp are made of electroplated ABS.
According to Gaspin, the purse spray’s ergonomic shape makes its use easier. The refillable spray also recalls the codes that embody the Angel line: the silver metal, the shape of the stars and the fragrance’s blue color.
Personal Care
Sponge Tech’s Spongellé Beyond Cleansing: Category Leader
Elaine Binder, executive vice president and founder, Sponge Tech developed the concept and Barbara Chan, Design Studio B, designed the box. Explained Binder, “Barbara is a very skilled designer and understands that in our case, product packaging must fill a multitude of requirements. It has to be attractive, and because our product really is like no other, we don’t want our packing to look like that of other products. We have to have packaging that tells the consumer that this is not the bath sponge they’re used to, but a four-in-one product that can exfoliate, massage, cleanse and moisturize and is also fun and exciting. It’s a beauty product as much as it is a bath product, and Barbara was able to help translate this rather complex message into our packaging design.”
Binder continues to explain that the packaging is a way of saying “You deserve something special.” The clear gift box lets buyers see the product. However, unlike shrink-wrap, it strongly conveys the message that this is a special gift. The box itself is almost old-fashioned looking in its shape, but the clear, hard plastic composition gives it a contemporary aspect as well. It’s tied together with a chocolate-colored ribbon, which further emphasizes the “treat” concept.
“The innovative qualities of the Spongellé product forced us to consider a new concept in packaging as well: affordable, practical, sensuous and pampering,” says Binder. “It enhances the overall product experience, instead of merely providing a container. The buyer has an opportunity to see the product, understand its philosophy, preview some of its benefits, and envision how she can make use of it.”
Just In Case’s Just In Case: Finalist; Special Award for Originality
According to Rachael Sudul, co-founder of Just In Case Inc., the concept started with her mother, Marsha Graham. In the 1980s, her attorney laughed her out of the office and said that no woman would carry condoms in her purse. Now with the AIDS crisis, a myriad of Hepatitis viruses and high teen pregnancy rates, Sudul and her mother thought it was time for Just In Case to hit the market.
“We started designing the product together and through the expertise of World Wide Packaging, Just In Case leapt off the paper to become a reality,” explains Sudul. “We started with a crude drawing and kept working from there. The basic concept that we wanted to base the product on, was that there was a hidden compartment for the condoms, and that when you open the compact, it is still functional as a great mirror.”
The acrylic gives a gem-like feel to the compact. The hidden compartment keeps personal business discreet. According to Kimyon Holmes, World Wide Packaging, the clear, thick wall acrylic compact offers the consumer the upscale design, which falls within the trends of today. In addition, the compact’s inner components come in various colors and finishes from molded pink to metalized gun-metal gray to varnish/red paint. All of these show through the acrylic beautifully, and can be enhanced with a custom design of crystals over the cover.
Tommy Hilfiger’s Tommy Girl Summer Body Lotion and Wash: Finalist
According to Kristina Christensen, director of marketing, Alcan Packaging Beauty, the Tommy tube was designed by the in house Tommy design group.
“Typically we will receive a rendering of a concept that shows the graphic effect that the customer is looking to achieve,” she explained. “We will then review with our graphic experts and start the ink matching process, which is followed by running samples on a proof press with the actual artwork so that the colors can be reviewed, modified if necessary, and then approved for final production.
“Our use of computer to plate technology allows a fine dot structure so that the transition from color to color is seamless. The Tommy Summer tubes use of color and the unique multi hued vignettesreally make the package pop.”
Skin Care
Hugo Boss’ Boss Skin: Finalist
Boss Skin is a high performance skin care range designed to help men “look healthier, feel confident and achieve success.” Product manufacturer Procter & Gamble required a 50ml container, incorporating aluminum parts, for three products within the range, Revitalising Moisture Cream, Instant Moisture Gel and Perfecting Skin Serum. RPC Bramlage-Wiko’s solution combines the technology of RPC Wiko’s airless Magic Star dispenser with a bespoke design that emphasizes the premium nature of the brand. The eye-catching appearance features a transparent outer layer, which is attached to an aluminum band embossed with the Hugo Boss logo, and a silver inner layer visible underneath.
''The dispensing mechanism is adapted from the Magic Star system, which ensures the controlled dosing and hygienic application of the products.
RPC created a new dedicated assembly line for the production of the complex pack, which comprises fourteen individual components and requires accurate orientation of the inner, outer and metal parts during manufacture and filling.
“This pack is the ‘Hero’ pack for the Boss Skin lineup, and had to be both aesthetically and functionally exceptional to carry the image of the brand. RPC is a company that is clearly comfortable producing parts that will fit together well. This is an area that is essential to the correct operation of an airless pump system, and when this precision is applied to the external components of the pack the overall finish is fantastic,” comments Paul Stabler of P&G.
Elizabeth Arden’s Prevage Anti-Aging Treatment: Finalist
Laura Hawboldt, senior design director, Elizabeth Arden, was responsible for the design of the Prevage packaging.
The creative process on this project was unusual for three reasons:Elizabeth Arden was partnering with another company, Allergan; they had a much higher retail than usual; and they had an extremely tight timeline.
Says Hawboldt, “Our key ingredient, idebenone, is light and oxygen sensitive. So we knew from the start that an airless pump was a given. The challenge was to make the stock component look as luxurious as possible. By encasing in an outer shell, with a custom cap, I sought to make the primary package into a silver bullet. I wanted to communicate that this product represented cutting edge skin care technology. Also, by making it sleek and modern vs. feminine, we felt that men would also be attracted to it.”
Idebenone presented another challenge. The ingredient is bright orange and, even when encapsulated in the formula, tinted the lotion a creamy yellow/orange previously unseen in upscale skin care products.
“It was startling at first but the more I thought about it the more I wanted to celebrate that point of difference,” continued Hawboldt. “It’s the ‘good stuff’ that makes the product yellow/orange, which is why I used it as the accent color for the actuator and on the secondary packaging.”
According to Hawboldt, management loved the idea of a see-through secondary. The trick was to make it transparent enough to see the primary and translucent enough to make the copy read well. An engineer at Maticplast, who produced the primary shell and cap as well as the secondary, came up with the idea of creating a well on the underside of the cap on the secondary to hold the product insert, allowing for an uncluttered package. Also clever is the pin in the bottom of the secondary, which orients the primary to always face forward.