Sourcing packaging is a key reason to visit HBA. SPC takes a look at highlights from this year’s event (28-30 June 2011)
The HBA Grand Award winner at this year’s International Package Design Awards (IPDA), announced at the end of the afternoon of the first day of the show, was the Stila Color Wheel Palette.
The IPDA awards are designed to showcase and recognise innovative packaging in the cosmetic, skin care, fragrance and personal care industries and are judged by a 100-strong committee of designers, marketing companies and trade media. Judging criteria are originality, design concept, creative use of new materials, components and decorating processes, technical competency and effective brand messaging.
Meanwhile plenty of other companies were on the show floor looking to attract both existing and new clients with new package concepts and designs.
Global One Pak officially launched its Puro Pump at Easyfairs in the UK earlier this year and says it was told to go to the US as they hadn’t seen anything like it there. The company was displaying its different and stylish looking pump container featuring an ultra clear actuator made from a special acrylic-based compound. Another feature of the pack is that the spring is external to the path of the liquid, so the liquid doesn’t touch the spring. Basically this means there is no opportunity for the stainless steel spring to taint the scent of the product and over time there’s no opportunity for the steel to degrade and taint the product’s colour.
The pump’s plated aluminium closure can also be custom made for brand requirements as it can be extended with a wide range of metalised colours and finishes for maximum on-shelf impact. Going beyond simply chrome and gold, Puro means brands can coordinate the closure with any pantone colour.
But at HBA, Global One Pak was also featuring a new development – a range of decoration options for the pack collars, from silkscreen printing and acid etching to more complex designs.
“The whole thing becomes a branding opportunity – we can match a design through to the whole product,” commented Clive Broadbent, co-director of the company. “A lot of people make the mistake of spending all that money on the label but neglect the bottle and the top or actuator. This is a combination of shape, colour and decoration and I think the market needs something different.”
“We often get customers who say ‘we want something that looks like this’, which is quite frustrating,” added co-director Bharat Mistry. “We’re quite happy to put ourselves out there and innovate. People now want innovation but they’re not really prepared to pay too much for it. This is quite a small premium for a brand to add real value.” The premium is said to be a maximum of 10%.
Stila’s Color Wheel Palette was triumphant at the IPDA Awards
2011 IPDA winners
HBA Grand Award
Stila Color Wheel Palette by Stila
Cosmetics mass
Super Stay 24 Color by Maybelline New York
Cosmetics prestige
Stila Color Wheel Palette by Stila
Fragrance mass
Flight by Michael Jordan by Five Star Fragrance
Fragrance prestige
Happ & Stahns Rosa Alba by Anthropologie
Personal care mass
L’Oréal Paris Root Rescue 10 Minute Root Coloring Kit by L’Oréal Paris
Personal care prestige
Ojon Volume Advance: Volumizing Brush on Mousse by Ojon
Skin care mass
tn [teen’s nature] by Yuhan-Kimberly
Skin care prestige
b.right! Radiant Skincare by Benefit Cosmetics
Green Packaging
Artisan Botanical Perfume by Pacific Perfumes Ltd
Sampling/travel size packaging
Obagi Travel Size by Obagi Medical Products
Tools/at home devices packaging
Brush with Genius Set by Bare Escentuals
Always a company to have something novel to introduce at exhibitions, Anisa International was showing cosmetic brushes with scented handles in a choice of vanilla, chocolate and raspberry. It was really a way of showcasing the result of a partnership with Rotuba. Rotuba created the resin which can be injection moulded and Anisa partnered with them to produce the brushes. “People like it. It’s a case of finding the right brand – for example you could match it to a body range. With product development it’s always a learning experience from a show,” commented Anisa Telwar, president of Anisa International.
RPC Bramlage’s latest packaging concepts have been used by Nivea but are also now available as standard pieces on the market
Other brushes featured on the Anisa stand included the Swirl Brush with a patent pending on the manufacturing process on the swirl. “There are others out there but they’re dyed,” said Telwar. The company’s gold, silver and pearl range boast certain active ingredients. “Ingredient activation of the product is better in combination with the brush but we’re not making a claim, though it’s something we may work on with a client.”
Anisa does a lot of its research through its retail brand. “We do a lot of R&D and testing with this and it’s sold online primarily to professionals and we get feedback from them.”
RPC Bramlage featured two packs new to market. Beiersdorf’s Nivea has launched in both but both are now available to the market as standards. The first was an addition to the RPC Bramlage-Wiko standard range of airless dispensers in the form of Twist Up, a new concept with an action promising both speed of convenience for consumers and enhanced marketing opportunities for personal care brands. Twist Up works by turning the upper part of the container to reveal the dispensing head. As a result, the overall pack can mimic the appearance of a conventional overcapped dispenser to match product range branding while offering fast, convenient access to the product.
The second package was the Empress Jar, a thick-walled cream jar combining elegance with a distinctive shape designed to convey a new ideal in luxury cosmetic packaging.
RPC Bramlage had taken a space in the New Product Showcase area of the show. “The display is good and has brought some genuine people over,” said the company.
Airless packaging solutions were popular at the show with Fusion Packaging (above) and Qosmedix (below) both showcasing concepts at HBA Global
Also featuring in the New Product Showcase area was Fusion Packaging with its Ameristar award winning Square twist-up STU airless bottle. Engineered to include a new square design with a twist to open mechanism and pop-up actuator, this patented bottle design was created to eliminate the need for an overcap and to prevent spills and leaks when in closed and locked position. “You also get 99% evacuation and you can see there is no residue on the walls,” said Jamie Moore, director of marketing for Fusion.
The company was also promoting its Truline polypropylene range of 5-50ml packs with interchangeable actuators and pump engines. First introduced at Luxe Pack New York earlier this year, Moore promised they would be big news later this year.
Fusion also supplies pump packs featuring swirl products. Moore agreed “there are a lot of these on the market” but promised that “this pump ensures consistency of product mix”.
Airless was a popular theme at the show and Qosmedix had also chosen to take advantage of the New Product Showcase area to introduce its new Platinum airless jars. Expanding the company’s 
family of platinum coloured airless packaging, the jars have silver trim and a clear cap, and are available in 15ml and 30ml sizes. Formula can be dispensed without the danger of air entering inside the pack by gently pushing down on the round pump. The airless mechanism also helps ensure that the contents are entirely evacuated.
McKernan introduced a new foamer – PureFoam. “The quality is comparable to Rexam and MWV but we just got a patent,” said Elaine King, sales manager for the company. The foamer features clear path technology so the product avoids contact with any metal, said King. “The uniqueness with us is that it’s on the floor, ready to ship, plus we have a $500 minimum order so customers can buy pieces. On price comparison it’s very inexpensive and we always give great discounts on big orders.” King says the company is supplying to clients of all sizes. “One client switched from a major on price and the lead time was very quick.” The company can also provide the foamer in custom colours.
Seacliff Packaging commented that everyone was looking for something new, and founder and president Vonda Simon was at HBA determined to provide it. “Packaging is number one,” she said. “It’s the first thing you see and if you don’t like the packaging and do like the product you may not buy it again.” Seacliff promises to manage a client’s beauty needs from start to finish, offering packaging, laboratory services, manufacturing and custom and turnkey solutions.
“I’m engrossed in the industry. I love this business and I love beauty,” continued Simon. She said clients like that she’s a bit of a fashion diva as they like the idea of hiring a fashion forecaster as well.
“The majority of supply today is stock. People aren’t building moulds, but they are taking stock items and customising, for example with a shell or a fabric insert,” she said. But she believes marketing people in the US are very visual so need to be given a prototype, while in Europe she thinks they can visualise more.
Seacliff currently supplies for Taesung and Eurovetrcap and is looking for more exclusives. Clients include Laura Mercier, Dermalogica and Bliss. “We can provide the whole service but we can also do one bottle or fill a line,” said Simon.
- Companies:
- Qosmedix
- Global One-Pak Limited GOP
- Berry M and H
- Anisa International
- Fusion Packaging
- SeaCliff Beauty Packaging and Laboratories
