 A metallic coating delivers the visual sizzle that supports the marketing message for Fusion ProGlide, and also brings sustainability and security benefits, and cost savings.
The trifecta in package design today is a package that delivers sales results for a brand while also being environmentally friendly and reducing materials use and costs. Gillette scores on all three accounts in launching its premium Fusion ProGlide razor.
- Gillette meets the design objective of a package with pickup power on the store shelf by achieving a metalized holographic effect through a special coating that offers increased shelf impact of the packaging graphics.
- The package components as a whole are recyclable. The coating, cut precisely to reduce waste, replaces film and foil laminates, which are difficult to recycle. The process of applying it to the razor cartons reduces energy use.
- Costs were reduced through efforts such as shortening material lead times of up to 12 weeks and introducing production efficiencies, including the printer’s elimination of multiple steps with other vendors.
“The package is out there and it looks great,” says Michael Marcinkowski, senior engineer R&D, in Gillette’s Global Package Development area. “The darker colors are more premium-looking. The package has a definite ‘wow’ factor.”
Holographic effect
From a marketing perspective, the foremost objective was achieving a metalized holographic effect so shoppers could easily distinguish Fusion ProGlide from competitors on shelf. Fusion ProGlide is Gillette’s most technologically advanced razor, and the carton graphics’ hologram-like appearance enhances perceptions of shaving comfort and performance.
Gillette achieved this visual effect with MiraFoil®, a UV metallic coating that provides the decorative effect of hot-foil stamping. The coating is supplied by Henkel Corp. (www.henkelna.com/mirafoil). Several aspects attracted Marcinkowski’s interest in the coating. It can be put anywhere on a package, and it is helps optimize colors such as copper on the razor carton’s package graphics. Yet, Marcinkowski initially remained a bit skeptical about selecting the new coating.
“I was familiar with silver inks and what they could do, but was hesitant to pursue anything because of the costs of the products,” he says. “Still, the potential advantages were appealing, because Henkel’s MiraFoil coating could eliminate the entire production step of hot-foil stamping.”
Further investigating the possibilities with Dennis Drummond, Henkel senior key account manager, Marcinkowski says the overall benefits of using the special UV coating came into clearer focus.
“At that time, Gillette had an SBS board stock that was wet bond foil-laminated in the Northeast and then sent to their converters for printing, Drummond explains. “This took 10 to 12 weeks, where as MiraFoil coating can be on the shelf for the printer at any time.”
Those benefits became even more amplified in conversations with Diamond Packaging (www.diamondpackaging.com). During package printing, Diamond implemented a process that combined the metallic coating with its own proprietary cast-and-cure holography technology, which is performed inline.
The inks are printed on paperboard cartons (Gillette also has reported success in printing MiraFoil on plastic packaging). Marcinkowski explains that board selection was important during Gillette’s trials to optimize the package’s smooth appearance.
“We found that the smoother the board, the better,” he says. “A smooth board gives a more mirror-like finish with better light reflection off the surface. Once we ironed out those issues, we put together production-like comps and presented them to the marketing people, who were satisfied with what they saw.”
Sustainability Benefits
Beyond on-pack presentation benefits, Gillette also noted sustainability advantages. Drummond explains that the metallic coating replaces film- and foil-laminated board stock, which is difficult to recycle. In creating package graphics, the MiraFoil coating can be applied to specific areas only, to avoid waste. After a ProGlide carton has been discarded for recycling, for example, the metallic coating can be removed during de-inking.
“The old technology could be recycled, but it had a different recover value,” Marcinkowski says. “Plus, it’s harder on the carbon footprint because you have to send the board out to be laminated and then ship it back to the converter. With MiraFoil, you eliminate that entire process because you can print all in one pass, all on one station on one machine.
“The product life cycle with associated carbon dioxide release is much better. When you do an analysis, such as with the Walmart scorecard, the MiraFoil process gives you some wins.”
Peter Cecere, director of business development at Diamond, describes his company’s holographic technology as an extension of the company’s greenbox sustainability initiative (www.diamondpackaging.com/green). “The ProGlide Packaging meets very high standards for innovation and sustainability,” Cecere adds. “It reduces packaging, reuses material, and promotes recyclability.”
Lower Costs
The combination of technologies at Diamond Packaging supports shorter lead times and lower costs. Cecere explains that the extent of the savings depends on many variables. However, in the case of the ProGlide razor packages, Gillette reduced material lead-time by six to 12 weeks.
ProGlide was the first product Diamond produced with the new holographic process. “Visibility was huge,” Cecere says, “and the margin for error was minute. We had to learn a lot in a very short period of time. We were up and ready to go and produced production-ready sheets on the very first press proofing that Gillette attended.”
“It was a win/win/win,” Marcinkowski concludes. “The package is sustainable, the costs are lower, and there are marketing benefits. And all of this was done at no loss to the consumer.”
For more information on MiraFoil and Cast and Cure holographic effects visit Diamond's sustainability website at www.diamondpackaging.com/green.
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Diamond Packaging was recognized by Procter & Gamble as one of its top performing external business partners during an awards ceremony last night as the conclusion of the P&G Supplier and Agency Summit. The objective of the annual summit is to recognize and celebrate those key contributors who have demonstrated partner excellence. This year more than 350 companies and agencies partners were represented at the awards dinner.
