Features

Luxe Pack New York Breaks Records

July 29, 2011

Editor-in-Chief

Luxe Pack New York Breaks Records

The 9th edition of the popular packaging show draws rave reviews as exhibitors and attendees exceed previous years’ numbers.

Written by Jamie Matusow, Editor

The 9th edition of Luxe Pack New York, the luxury packaging trade exhibition held May 18-19 at The Altman Building and Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan, once again drew record-breaking attendance with 2,370 visitors, an increase of 11% over 2010. The two-day event spotlighted 131 international exhibitors and featured a number of educational seminars. Exhibitors and attendees alike expressed satisfaction with the continued quality of the boutique-like show.

For the first time, Luxe Pack implemented three specific tracks—Beauty, Wine & Sprits, and Fine Foods—to help visitors easily locate the suppliers that specialized in their market. Beauty predominated as always, but there was a large crossover evident, especially between Beauty (in particular, fragrance) and Wine & Sprits. Several exhibitors pointed out similarities between the two channels, commenting that with wines and spirits utilizing increased decorating techniques, “bottles for spirits have essentially developed as large fragrance bottles.”

Increased use of decorative techniques was a trend noted throughout the show. In addition to adding to the allure of liquor bottles, use of multiple layers, shiny materials, textural elements and the like continue to lend a prestige look to mass-market cosmetic products, as well as sparking a desire to purchase at the high-end fragrance counter.

Also new this year, Luxe Pack introduced the Innovation Forum as a means for exhibitors to showcase new products and techniques. Nathalie Grosdidier, executive director, Luxe Pack New York, explained that this feature was an expansion of last year’s Luxe Pack in Green display—which showcased manufacturers’ sustainable products. The presentation, she said, also serves to promote the cross-pollination of ideas among luxury segments—a feature that Luxe Pack prides itself on building.

Grosdidier stressed the industry’s continued focus on sustainable packaging development. “Sustainability is now integrated into all product launches,” she said, adding, “Brands and manufacturers also want to better understand consumers’ thinking in this area.”

Airless in the Aisles

MWV is one supplier that focuses on figuring out what consumers are looking for in their packaging. Liz Ludwig, senior manager, marketing communications, told Beauty Packaging, “Consumer behavior and consumer insight are driving package development—enabling us to develop specifically for the market.”

Earl Trout, director of marketing, MWV, added that research has shown that “consumers want to be empowered to make more sustainable choices with fragrance packaging.”

With this in mind, the manufacturer created a threaded ferrule adapted to its popular low-profile Melodie pump, which enables the consumer to unscrew the pump and either refill—or easily separate it for recycling. The threaded ferrule pump is available with or without a ferrule cover.

Trout said they’ve noticed lots of activity with the use of airless for cosmetics as well as for skin care. “There’s now a cosmeceutical approach to hair care,” he said—“ ‘anti-aging’ hair care with the good to the last drop benefit of airless.”

MWV also follows another growing trend of packaging suppliers—offering multiple capabilities for one-stop shopping. On display were a number of elegant folding cartons the manufacturer has developed, along with its new Adagio all-plastic pump, the Aria and Prelude airless products, and the Mark VII Max fine mist sprayer.

Also in line with consumers’ increased interest in sustainable packaging, Nathalie Nowak, Rexam’s global marketing and innovation director-plastic packaging, personal care division, demonstrated the manufacturer’s popular XD11 twist—the first TCS (The Crimpless System) pump on the market that can be easily separated from the bottle once the fragrance is used, which facilitates component recycling.

Rexam was also highlighting its makeup and personal care products—and also its wide array of services. Rexam can provide a complete solution including pump and cap. Also on display were new tips for its Glossy Days line of lip applicators and a number of stock items for quick turnaround.

Small sizes were also big news at Rexam–with applications from samples to mini products—including mini spray sampling and glass for high-end fragrance sampling. Mini—5- to 10ml—glass sprays are also being used for retail, not just sampling, said Nowak. There’s also a selection of caps available.

Airless was of course top of mind at Fusion Packaging, which featured a number of “family” ranges ideal for cosmetics and personal care. One knockout was a new line of polypropylene (PP) airless bottles, which premiered at the show. The line is available in a full-range of sizes including 5-, 8-, 10-, 15-, 30- and 50ml, and includes jars in 3-, 5- and 10ml to complement the collection.The simple, clean design is customizable and can be decorated with custom colors, silk-screening, hot stamping, heat transfer labels and UV metallizing.

Elcos offered an innovative airless package: a refillable design that looks like a syringe—complete with an airless pump.

In addition to a variety of new airless packaging, Kaufman Container premiered two packages ideal for dry ingredients. With the rise in popularity of dry shampoo, a new squeeze bottle for powder allows for a directional application and the top can be turned to open and close. A bottle with a grinder top does the trick for releasing products such as bath salts.

Tubes to Shout About

CTL Packaging offered what Anna Soden, sales and marketing manager for Spain and France, described as a breakthrough technology in plastic tubes. Attributes include sustainability (single material—all PP [sleeve, head, cap and label]); reduced carbon footprint via a clean process with no varnish or inks; cost-effectiveness (speed to market, reduced inventory, flexible run size); superior quality (no extrusion marks high-definition, same quality globally); and high-end decoration (state-of-the-art flexo printing, metallic effects, full print beyond the shoulder).

A high-end printing technique allows for digital printing, and there’s flexibility for doing smaller runs. Because CTL holds the label stock, Soden said it’s a whole new concept that eases the supply chain, while increasing flexibility for brand manufacturers.

Pushing the Decorative Borders

As mentioned previously, Luxe Pack prides itself on the cross-pollination of ideas from one luxe packaging discipline to another. In this vein, attendees saw how high-end decorating techniques used in categories such as golf, DVD gift sets and automotive could be translated to make a big impact in beauty.

At LaFrance Corporation, marketing associate Amanda Kalbrosky provided a comprehensive look at electroform design options for a luxe way to stand out from competitors. Electroform is LaFrance’s premium process for product branding. No secondary buffing, polishing, or diamond milling is required as all finishes and textures are applied directly to the tool. A wide variety of plating, PVD, paint colors, and finishes are available. Enhanced decorative embellishments from metallic letters, to snakeskin and mother of pearl effects can be used for compacts and other components. The metal can be manipulated in any way to create multiple textures. Really premium pieces can be engraved and polished.

AGI Print & Packaging links its origins back to 1960 when the company shone as designers and producers of LP packaging. Olivier Trevidic, director of sales, beauty & personal care, explained that the company had evolved with the industry, from creating elaborate album covers to packaging CDs and DVDs. In the ’90s, AGI put a spin on packaging when it saw similarities in set up boxes for beauty and personal care. About 5-10% of their business is now in personal care—with about 40% in injection molding and the rest, other packaging. AGI has plants in the U.S. and Europe, and offers all production services, graphics and design.

At Preco, Ayu Kambayashi welcomed Beauty Packaging to a world of one-stop decoration, geared especially for teen products, with fun and young designs, and limited edition versions. Decorative film applied to plastic containers can be combined with hot stamping to produce a multitude of patterns ranging from animal prints to floral motifs—all produced in Japan.

Looking at Glass

Glass was clearly a top priority at Luxe Pack, with many manufacturers displaying their latest and most popular offerings.

Anisa International’s gold metallic brushes.

New High Glass revealed several new bottles at the show, including David Diamond and Blake. Blake, named after the artist, has a very organic look and feel resembling a smooth stone. The Zignago Vitro bottle also has an organic feel. The Duchamp has the feel of an iPhone. All are stock lines with interchangeable collars, caps and pumps.

Pavisa specializes in high-end glass packaging as well as a wide range of secondary decorating options, which include embossing, silk screening, hot stamping, acid frosting, and multi-colored decaling. All secondary processes such as spraying are done in house. At the Pavisa booth at Luxe Pack, attendees were also treated to examples of the Mexico City-based manufacturer’s ultra-premium line of glass packaging for “special occasions” and limited edition lines. The ultra-premium products are mostly made of crystal, and are low-quantity orders.

David Ades, market and business development, Pavisa, emphasized that they are focused on high-end and ultra-premium hand-blown crystal bottles: “We love a challenge,” he said, “and welcome customers to come play in our factory and experiment.” They use proprietary patented technologies, to produce unique objects, such as a crystal hand-blown bottle fused with silver that he showed us. While the manufacturer specializes in high-end, Pavisa’s capabilities are wide-ranging, said Ades, with everything from one-of-a-kind pieces to 100,000 pieces of low-end commercial glass bottles.

Thinking outside of the glass box led to one project Ades told Beauty Packaging about, in which rustic glass with intentional bubbles—controlled imperfections in the glass—was used for a Don Julio tequila bottle, again showing the crossover between fragrance and spirits.

High-Spirited Design

Piramal, too, creates glass bottles for products across the board. One of the largest specialty glass manufacturers in the world, Piramal, also offers a wide variety of glass decorating techniques. According to Bill Reed, vice president sales and marketing, the company continues to invest in U.S. manufacturing. Currently, Piramal Glass USA, part of Wheaton Glass founded in 1888, maintains two furnaces in Missouri and provides decorating services in New Jersey. Reed says that one out of two nail treatment/polish bottles is manufactured by Piramal, which is also expanding its fragrance and wines and spirits business. A plant in India specializes in high-end makeup and fragrance bottles.

Dapy also does a lot in the spirits world, as well as in fragrance and cosmetics. Their booth at Luxe Pack New York provided an overview of some of their latest achievements from an award-winning display for Mariah Carey’s Lollipop Bling for Elizabeth Arden, to innovative snap-closed clear polystyrene Christmas balls with miniature samplers inside. Cream jars in the shape of olives, and refillable aluminum bottles for perfume—with screw-off tops, were also on display. David Jacquet showed Beauty Packaging an unusual offering in the fragrance packaging realm: Azzarro men’s and women’s boxes were magnetized to fit together—gold for the women’s half, silver for the men’s.

Metals Show Polish

Metals were more prominent than ever at Luxe Pack New York, with options ranging from applied plaques to metallized lipstick tubes to bottles used for skin care or fragrance.

At Saco Ltd., a specialist in anodizing from the UK, Vicky Moody, sales and commercial manager, told Beauty Packaging they produce 5 million parts per week. Pressing, anodizing and assembling are all done in-house. A large, standard range for caps includes 1,000 caps and collars. Moody said the all-aluminum, anodized fragrance caps and collars are especially popular with mass market brands striving for a prestige look. Saco handles everything from 3D design to specialist tooling, and offers mockup models. Every year they bring out new standards.

A number of metallic options made a splash at Luxe Pack via Condensa, a 40-year old company based in Chile. Matias Levit, director of marketing, had planned the official “relaunching” of its 20mm aluminum bottles at Luxe Pack NY. He told Beauty Packaging, “We´ve seen that the high-end brands regard the bottles as a great alternative to differentiate from glass or plastic bottles.”

Condensa’s new line of products—Aluminum Specialties—focuses on aluminum packaging for premium products. Products can be embellished with a fully colored 360-degree decoration, and can also ensure the content’s inviolability to external conditions, such as UV, heat and leakage, among others. The bottles are 100% recyclable; protect against foreign elements, UV and heat; allow for 360-degree decoration; and are safe, durable, lightweight and rust-resistant.

A variety of shapes are offered. The one-piece aluminum rigid containers are made of 99.7% pure aluminum, coated with a protective internal lacquer layer. Containers can be printed with up to six colors and a protective external lacquer.

Whereas aluminum crimp bottles used to be popular as aerosol containers, Condensa now works with personal care companies such as Estée Lauder and Clinique. Levit explained: “The bottles can compete with high-end glass with decorating capabilities not possible with glass. With a variety of coatings that can be used inside the metal bottles, compatibility can be assured with skin care and fragrance. And it’s unbreakable and recyclable and can use the same crimp caps as perfume bottles.”

Tools and Techniques

Before producing and launching a package, it’s helpful to know exactly what it will look like. With this objective in mind, Whip Smart expanded into 3D prototyping and installed a comp studio this year. The company can produce models and prototypes using a wide variety of materials to closely simulate the look and feel of a manufactured part, in order to produce an accurate result. These prototypes can be used simultaneously with WhipSmart’s in-house engineering team or client-supplied engineering files.

Bill Armstrong, WhipSmart’s founder, noted, “3D models are great tools that help our clients visualize their package during the pre-production phase. They can also be used in conjunction with our comp studio to create true-to-life comps that can be used for photography and presentation.”

At James Alexander, as well as many other exhibitors, tools and applicators were a hot topic. Carol Gamsby, director of sales, showed Beauty Packaging the company’s new laminated foam heads—available in round or square. They can also be angled, and are great for scrubbing applications. They are available in sizes up to one-half inch across.

Brushes created a whirl of activity at Anisa International’s booth, with a broad array of choices including several new designs. Rachel Pickett, creative marketing director, demonstrated the Swirl line, in which a swirl goes all the way through the brush. “It’s not just dyed on the top,” she explained, “so there are no bleeding issues.” An all-synthetic brush—available from small to large head shapes—the Swirl is recommended for powder foundations and mineral products. Gold and silver also played a role in brushes at Anisa International with synthetic fiber brushes infused with gold or silver filaments. Silver, explained Pickett, has antibacterial properties, and can be used to enhance skin care.

With travel sizes on everyone’s agenda, Aptar’s Sylvie Darensbourg was highlighting Easy Cosm—an eco-friendly mini-product that uses seven components versus a traditional 14; all are exclusively recyclable materials. Adding to its eco-friendly qualities, the spring does not come in contact with the bulk. Various decoration solutions are offered. Easy Cosm features a resealable closure so it can be used more than once. A slanted opening allows the consumer to release and wipe in one gesture—creating a new gesture. Bulk is protected away from the air because a valve shuts off so there’s no drying out. Available in 5- and 10ml for gift sets and treatments, the design features a pharmaceutical look.

Jamie Matusow and Marc Rosen with Cosmogen’s Denis Richard-Oliange and Serene Seebol

Defining Innovation at Luxe Pack NY

Written by Jamie Matusow, Editor

My trends walk around the Luxe Pack show floor with international packaging designer Marc Rosen has become such a tradition (both in New York and Monaco) that exhibitors now see us approaching and anticipate our questions.

Our theme this year, thanks to Rosen, was Defining Innovation. What is the perfect pairing of creativity and technical invention? What techniques are created to aid and enhance the creative process?

We looked at a variety of materials and components, starting with metals.

At Metal Dynamics, Richard Huff, vice president of sales, and Ross DePietro, executive vice president, explained the role of complicated tooling in creating some of their most innovative projects. For instance, the cap for Usher’s fragrance spins just like the ring he plays with on his finger. It’s a four-part cap that spins—with no parting lines. For Dirty English from Juicy Couture Men, the secret lies with a cap with many undercuts. The eye-popping effect of La Prairie-Silver Rain’s numbered series of 500 pieces required thousands of rhinestones to be meticulously applied by hand.

Eric Firmin, president HCP, pointed out that many of his company’s innovations are apparent in surface treatments. Decorating is on the rise, he said, as there’s been a trend toward raising the bar in prestige as the bar is raised in mass. A recent Cover Girl compact, for example, which uses metallization and injection molding, shows that the mass market is spending more on packaging.

However, increased decoration can be at odds with sustainability. “We’re seeing a reverse of sustainability in prestige,” commented Firmin, “with brands adding decoration, foil, metallization, sprays…”

Bang presented a real production challenge.

At Bormioli Luigi, Olga Bursac showed us the Britney Spears bottle—now two years old—and explained the challenges of its small base and flat shoulder. She said they needed special tooling to get “zero degree flat.” In another example, decoration around the shoulder for Tease, she said, required a special mask to apply the shape. “Bormioli makes new tools, etc.—whatever is required,” said Bursac.

The dazzling silver plates on a factice of Bang from Marc Jacobs drew us into Qualipac’s booth. Herve Robine, president, told us that Bang presented a real challenge—namely the ability to make a million plaques for a million bottles. “The tolerances were very different,” he said, “which made it difficult.” A trial-and-error method resulted in the development of two different plaques, different sizes, for front and back. Robine said the project was a real collaboration between Qualipac and Pochet, in assembling the metal to the glass, and attaching the metal without gluing. Obviously the project was a success—the package would go on to win a 2011 FiFi the following week for Best Packaging of the Year-Men’s Luxe.

Gucci Guilty, another Qualipac/Pochet project, also won a 2011 FiFi the week following Luxe Pack NY—for Best Packaging of the Year-Women’s Luxe. Here, Robine said the challenge was in the height of the cap, which varied from one to another. The innovation came in that it was a fully automated process—in which nobody touched anything. “Huge launches from Coty and P&G Prestige,” he said, “require automation to this degree.”

The array of applicators at Cosmogen caught Rosen’s eye. Cosmogen’s applicator for skin care formulas, the Pump’n Triball, ensures a controlled dose and offers a new gesture—the distribution through two independent balls combined for a cooling and massaging effect, along with its superior ball (ceramic or stainless steel), which enhances the formula’s penetration. The applicator features an ergonomic design and is also refillable.

In general, Rosen and I noticed a new push toward innovation through cleverly designed components and skilled decorating techniques. We are looking forward to what we will discover at Luxe Pack Monaco in October.

The Far East and The New Paradigm

Written by Steve Katz, Associate Editor

A highlight of Luxe Pack New York is always its conferences and educational sessions. And this edition’s panelists and speakers spoke candidly, sharing their insights and knowledge of the trends and challenges that face the global luxury packaging industry today.

Selling to a Global Market

During Beauty Packaging’s educational seminar titled “Selling to a Global Market: How Cultural and Regional Relevance Affect Product and Package,” LPK Beauty’s creative director Alan Kastner shared his thoughts on the Asian beauty market, and the mindset needed for beauty companies to capitalize on the region’s growth. (See more from Alan Kastner in this issue.)

Kastner, who spent extensive time in eight Asian countries over the course of six months, said, “If you want to understand the future, you need to understand Asia.” He specifically keyed in on the male beauty market. According to Kastner, the male skin care market in China is expected to grow more than 29% through 2014. In comparison, the same market in the U.S. is only expected to experience 5% growth over that time.

(L-R): Beauty Packaging panelists Scott Widro, Jamie Matusow, Alan Kastner and Allan Hafkin

Kastner described a single type of Asian consumer that is having a profound impact on the market—the “Flower Boy.”This consumer, who has emerged as a result of the one child policy, he said, spends money on beauty products, and cares about what is fashionable. Kastner emphasized the importance of catering to this consumer in the region, and urged companies to synthesize their marketing programs to align with him, as opposed to a “trickle down” strategy.

“Asia is not a passive vessel of Western trends,” Kastner said.

Scott Widro, executive VP of operations and supply chain, Gurwitch Products, also talked about the Far East’s impact on the global market, specifically, China’s relationship with fragrance. “Culture and history play a tremendous role,” he said of beauty’s role in the region. He also added that with the onset of China’s Cultural Revolution, the use of Western products has disappeared.

“In China,” Widro said, “the fragrance marketplace is small, but designer brands are now having a huge impact. Perfume—as we know it—is a relatively new introduction, but women are now starting to wear fragrance.” Widro attributed the growth to a booming middle class, with women taking on a more social role in society.

Widro pointed out that when it comes to the juice, the Chinese prefer scents that are not too strong, but long lasting. And in regard to the packaging, he said, “Chinese women are dazzled by packaging. The more ornate, the more appreciated. And perfume gifting is a huge phenomenon, as here, fragrance is associated with luxury and cost.”

The expanding global beauty market has also led to growth in the travel retail sector, said Allan Hafkin, VP global package development, Estée Lauder. “Travel retail products are now catering to the culturally diverse consumer. Information technology and the Internet have changed the way we communicate, with customers able to travel the world, virtually, within an hour. So cultural understanding has also changed,” Hafkin said.

So how does this cultural perspective affect the packaging? “Packaging is changing dynamically,” said Hafkin. “Brands need to assess the needs of the consumer, and use packaging to command newness. And every launch should have some type of innovation.”

The New Packaging Paradigm

“Beauty faces a challenge in the next decade,” declared designer Marc Rosen, as he introduced a panel tasked with presenting to the audience views on the topic “The New Packaging Paradigm.” Rosen said, “Style with substance is the new reality,” and he asked, “How can we be creative and responsible at the same time?”

Karen Young, CEO, The Young Group, stated, “Packaging is working incredibly hard,” noting that 80% of purchase decisions are made in-store. She asked, “Are we forced to choose between bling vs. crunchy? There is enormous confusion on the consumer side, as well as the packaging side,” she said. Conceding that it’s not easy, Young declared that sustainability can partner with great design. In fact, she said, companies can save 2-5% in supply chain costs by adopting green packaging.

Green is the key trend in luxury packaging, Young added, pointing out that beauty has a 20.8% share of the $12 billion dollar global luxury packaging industry. “Green starts with design,” she said, encouraging those who would like to succeed to put together a green task force within their company. “Unless we’re making a collectible work of art, one that’s being passed down from generation to generation, it’s important to make products that stay away from the landfill,” she said.

Linda Levy, VP marketing-cosmetics and fragrances, Macy’s Inc., shared a retailer’s perspective on today’s trends. Relating packaging to art and sculpture, Levy emphasized that the details, like innovative textures, can bring excitement to a beauty product’s packaging. “These are works of art, and that’s how consumers perceive it,” she said, adding that well thought-out components such as magnetic caps, iconic logo usage and lifestyle branding are making for successful packages.

Levy also stressed the importance of communicating through packaging as a means of taking on some of today’s important themes. Social responsibility and eco-friendliness open doors for cross-marketing, and show consumers that your brand is “giving back,” she said, adding, “If this can be communicated through packaging, it’s a big plus.”

Nick Gavrelis, VP global development for M.A.C. Cosmetics, discussed the importance of newness, and how it plays into the company’s packaging design concepts. He said, “New is the trigger that pulls people in.”

Gavrelis touched on a few of the ways that M.A.C. uses packaging to engage the consumer. One such concept uses the idea of “Tabloid Beauty.” He said, “Customers like it when you call out what the product can do for the consumer.”