July 11, 2007 · Number 13
 

DESIGN: Pearlfisher Crafts a New Identity for Kromland Farm's Organic Rooibos Tea

Pearlfisher has created the identity and packaging for the original Rooibos Tea from Kromland Farm, who are imported and distributed in the U.K. by Only Natural Products. The story of Kromland Farm is synonymous with that of rooibos, a perfect foundation to create the benchmark for this niche product.

The design brief focused on creating a premium pack that conveyed a rich heritage, rooted in the natural and the medicinal. The identity is a bold and expressive use of Kromland conveying a simplicity and a naivety through the typeface. The graphics create a look and a feel for the brand that is quirky, edgy, and contemporary, giving a new dimension to South Africa today. At the same time, the graphics allow the brand the flexibility through its visual equities, to move into the future and potentially extend its range/portfolio.

The essence of the design is an embodiment of the soul and spirit of the country, using its rich land, passionate people and unique culture. Pearlfisher designer Natalie Chung and illustrator Jean Jullien were instrumental in the final result. "This is a simple but beautiful piece of design that has enormous shelf standout," says Chung. "We wanted to capture the magic and energy of South Africa and this fresh youthful design perfectly fits the bill."

DESIGN: Edelmann Adds Vitality to Zoé Revital Products for Mature Skin

Edelmann has designed the packaging for the Zoé Revital skincare series "for mature skin" in white iriodin gravure. It was possible to highlight the decorative colors in UV offset print with the Zoé logo in gold foil stamping.

The metabolism slows down with age. The skin looses its elasticity, glow and density and doesn't feel smooth and supple anymore. Wrinkles, age spots and uneven skin structure are the results. Furthermore, it is prone to be dry and sensitive. What the skin now needs is energy, moisture and effective active ingredients, which help the skin to support its natural repair mechanism. ZOÉ Revital, the skin care series for mature and very mature skin from Mibelle AG Cosmetics, meets just these needs.

When extending the series to include "very mature skin," Edelmann will once again be responsible for packaging production. The plan is to create a metallic look using silver film lamination and foil stamping.

EXPO: Luxe Pack New York Attracts Record Number of Visitors

Industrial design expert Karim Rashid inspires the Luxe Pack attendees.

Luxe Pack New York attracted 1793 visitors to its fifth edition last week, a 21% increase over last year. The event, held May 23 and 24 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, showcased nearly 100 packaging manufacturers (also more than ever before) and featured the newest innovations. In addition, Luxe Pack unveiled a new look for the event — complete with fresh white and navy booths.

"Our fifth anniversary was marked by the best Luxe Pack New York to date, according to feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike," said Nathalie Grosdidier, general manager, Luxe Pack. "The event has grown steadily without losing its soul, as a very special gathering for innovation in an intimate, convivial, and lounge-like atmosphere."

Nearly 100 exhibitors from around the globe presented the best in innovative packaging. Exhibitors are showing the newest bags, bottles, boxes/cartons, caps, collars, cosmetic accessories, decoration/finishes, dispensers/pumps/sprayers/valves, jars/containers, green/sustainable packaging, labels, POP displays, raw materials, ribbons, samples, textiles, tubes, vials/mono-doses, and more, in an array of materials.

Luxe Pack New York's ongoing seminars were well attended. Among the notable events presented were by industrial design star Karim Rashid, a seminar on green packaging, and panel discussions conducted by designer Marc Rosen as well as Chris Lyons of Package Design Magazine.

This year, three special exhibits were on display at Luxe Pack New York. The Fragrance Foundation's FiFi Nominees, packaging designs from four recipients of the "Marc Rosen Scholarship for Graduate Package Design" at Pratt Institute and CPC Packaging Magazine "Editors' Choice Awards" winners, which were presented during a cocktail reception at 5:30pm on opening day.

UPCOMING LUXE PACK EXPOS
Luxe Pack Sao Paulo - October 3 and 4 - Centro Fecomercio de Eventos, Brazil
Luxe Pack Monaco - October 23 to 26 - Grimaldi Forum, Monaco
Luxe Pack Shanghai - November 19 to 21 - Shanghai International Convention Center

STRUCTURE: Yorker Packaging Offers New Lip Balm Stick Production Option

Yorker Packaging, a division of Jarden Plastic Solutions and leading specialty packaging provider, announces a new lip balm stick design that uses high-quality custom injection-molded technology. Developed exclusively by Yorker Packaging, the new stick has design features that make manufacturing easier, as well as ensure reliable, consistent operation from cap to knurl.

The molded cap has a smooth flat top and small radius edge, giving it a sharp, detailed appearance. In addition, the cap's "snap retention" design not only assures a secure fit, but also allows cap removal and replacement in a quick, easy-off/easy-on motion. On the barrel surface, the lip balm stick features a high-gloss finish that has a pleasing appearance and promotes better label retention.

Inside, the stick's improved elevator locking mechanism assures a down-elevator position that helps improve filling efficiency and reduces costly downtime. There is also a new thread design on both the screw and elevator that provides a positive propel/repel function and prevents slippage, spinning, and cross threading. It's carefully calculated volume accepts lip balm recipes from 4.25 to 4.35 grams.

Yorker Packaging's new lip balm stick designs are available in custom sizes, colors, and heights. Custom color matching is also offered on any of the components by request. In addition, a larger diameter screw knurl is available, which allows the use of top-loaded, heat-shrink labels.

MATERIAL: Toray Plastics Introduces New Cast Polypropylene Films

Toray Plastics America Inc. introduces to consumer product goods companies and converters two new precision-performance FDA-approved cast polypropylene (CPP) sealant films for retort pouch and lidding applications.

New CPP ZK100 film for retort pouch constructions offers exceptional clarity, low haze, non-whitening, and stress-crack resistance. New CPP CF9501 sealant film for retort lidding creates a secure, easy-to-peel lamination which can be used on polypropylene containers. The new cast polypropylene films demonstrate proven superior performance under aggressive retort sterilization conditions. Their consistent quality and ability to handle microwave reheating make the new retort pouch and lidding cast polypropylene films ideal for cooked rice, chili, soups, stews, sauces, seafood, chicken, vegetables, baby food, ice cream, and wet pet food applications.

"Consumer confidence in convenient retort packaging continues to grow," says John Holovach, director, strategic alliances. "Toray's new CPP sealant films offer a wide range of retort applications making them extremely desirable to end users and converters who want to generate business with new market opportunities."

New ZK100 and CF9501 films withstand sterilization temperatures up to 275° F (135° C), and therefore require less time for the sterilization process. They also exhibit good heat seal strength and impact strength. Both can be combined with polyester films, such as Toray's Barrialox aluminum oxide-coated films, to create an excellent lamination for microwave retort pouch and lidding applications.

MATERIAL: Sleever Employs a Mirror Solution Metallic Decorative Effect

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Corporate wine and spirits brands are looking for a distinctive shape, attractive special effects, and a variety of surface finishings to invite the hand to reach out and touch the product. Its latest innovation in the Sleever palette range to satisfy the need for metallic decorative effects, Sleever International has debuted the Mirror solution.

The first application of the Mirror decor in the spirits sector is a limited series of the Dita bottle, a litchi-based alcoholic drink, designed exclusively by Nathalie Rykiel for the highly demanding Japanese market. The result was hailed by European professional experts who awarded it a Prestige Pro Hélio at the end of 2006.

This solution is founded on the combination of two new technologies. First, a highly specific mono-oriented film, SI-PET-TG / 050-Z, developed by Sleever Technologies has a transparency factor so good that it reinforces the reflective character of the film. Formulated for cello-enamel printing, it possesses a transversal shrink factor higher than 75% which makes it particularly well suited to complex shaped bottles while offering a high level of scratch resistance.

Second, there is a helio-engraving transformation technology, based on the use of cutting-edge metallic varnishes. The special grade of this process means that the mirror effect is perfectly maintained during the steam-shrink phase.

MATERIAL: MeadWestvaco Raises the Bar for SBS and Coated Cover With Tango

MeadWestvaco announced it has redesigned its popular Tango® coated cover line to offer even better performance and enhanced styling. The new line, called Tango Advantage, creates a competitive edge for merchants, printers, and end-customers who value outstanding reliability and exceptional performance.

Tango Advantage's unique styling was selected based on an extensive global study on styling preferences completed in early 2007. The study indicated that printers and end-users clearly prefer styling that is described by many as being "clean white" in appearance, compared to competitive cover grades that were ranked lower because they were too blue, yellow, or grey.

Before finalizing the new styling targets, Tango Advantage samples were tested for ease of getting to color, accurate color reproduction on press, and fade resistance over an extended shelf life. Tango Advantage performed superbly through all of these tests, indicating that the clean-white styling would serve to enhance the products' performance.

"Tango Advantage is about more than improved styling," says Barry Calvert, MeadWestvaco's commercial print technical manager. "Our market research continues to show that what our customers value most is outstanding runnability and consistency, and that's why we've responded with further expansion of a Six Sigma® production methodology that has significantly increased the consistency of our Tango Advantage products from run to run."

SOFTWARE: Markzware Announces Universal Binary Version for ID2Q7

Markzware is pleased to announce its Universal Binary version of InDesign to QuarkXPress 7 (ID2Q7). ID2Q7 is Markzware's conversion tool that allows users to easily convert InDesign content into a new QuarkXPress document. The Universal Binary version of ID2Q7 now performs faster taking advantage of the Intel processor-based Macintosh.

Patrick Marchese, founder and CEO of Markzware Software Inc, explains: "ID2Q7 is the data conversion tool that creative professionals depend on to migrate their content into a different work environment that may be more convenient. This XTension for Quark provides a very efficient way to do that while saving countless hours of rescanning, rekeying and formatting. I'm sure that Macintosh users will appreciate the optimized performance of this great utility."

ID2Q7 is available for immediate download or on CD-ROM, starting at $199 MSRP for new users. Registered users of previous versions of ID2Q7 v.2.x can upgrade for free, and educational pricing and volume discounts are available.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Crown Holdings Announces New North American President

Crown Holdings Inc. announced today that Raymond L. McGowan Jr. has been promoted to president of its North American Packaging business. He will be responsible for marketing, sales, production, and planning in the region, which accounted for 34% of the Company's $7.0 billion in 2006 net sales. McGowan, 55, was previously president of Crown's North American Food Packaging business.

In this new capacity, McGowan will also oversee North American Beverage Packaging and North American Aerosol Packaging. McGowan will continue to report to Frank J. Mechura, president of Crown's Americas Division.

Commenting on McGowan's promotion, Mechura says: "We are delighted to have someone of Ray's caliber in this important senior level position for the Company. Ray has proven himself as highly qualified to manage these diverse businesses from both the operational and customer service standpoints."

Mr. McGowan joined the Company five-and-a-half years ago as vice president and assistant to the president of the U.S. food can business and later was promoted to president of that division. He then served as president, Crown Food Can Packaging USA. Prior to joining Crown, he was group vice president of Global Consumer Products at Sonoco Products Company.

ANNOUNCEMENT: FiberMark Seeks Entries for 15th Annual Specifier Awards

FiberMark is now accepting entries for the Inspiration at Work 15th Annual Specifier Awards program. Projects that incorporate FiberMark's specialty cover materials and have been produced in 2007 are eligible for submission. Entries are judged on design, decoration/printing quality, construction quality, and the relationship of the material to the project.

In addition to the traditional publishing, packaging, menu and presentation categories, the program has been expanded for the second year in a row to include graphic design collateral, including annual reports, brochures, calendars, posters, invitations, and more.

Deadline for entries is December 31, 2007. After judging by a distinguished peer review committee, the winning projects will be displayed on FiberMark's website Showcase and featured in the annual award-winners brochure. Entry forms are available on the company's website, www.fibermark.com, along with a collection of previous award winners. For further information on FiberMark's Inspiration at Work 15th Annual Specifier Awards Program, please contact Stella Alstede at FiberMark at 413-539-5273 or salstede@fibermark.com.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Dieter Bakic Wins Two 2007 iF Product Design Awards

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Two compelling designs of Dieter Bakic have been selected to receive the coveted iF product design award 2007. The projects honored in the packaging category are Nivea Beauté, the color range of NIVEA, and Joico, the salon hair care line. Both projects concern relaunches of very extensive and complex brand families.

The international jury of experts has honored the exceptional and trendsetting designs of both Nivea BeautÉ and Joico. A delighted Dieter Bakic says: "We have developed two outstanding products whose array of materials is distinguished by a smooth texture, iridescent colors and soft translucence. By combining innovative technology and our expert knowledge of the cosmetic market, we created truly significant products."

The designer is particularly pleased that a custom design (Nivea) and a solution based on a standard design (Joico) have won a prize at the same time.

The iF product design award is one of the world's best-known design competitions, with a long tradition of excellence. For the iF product design award 2007, 2293 products from 35 different countries competed in twelve different categories.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Multi-Product Packaging Concept Launched by Berry Plastics

"Put it all together" is the new concept from Berry Plastics. With a burst of sunflower adorned packages, Berry is demonstrating its versatility and adaptability with a full-line packaging approach for manufacturers of personal care or bath and beauty products.

Berry Plastics Marketing Department has developed the "common theme" sunflower design treatment to illustrate its capability of creating a coordinated design treatment for a variety of related packages and components. The sunflower collection is representative of a line launch that includes plastic bottles, jars, tubes, containers, plus overcaps and closures for aerosol products.

Berry's decorating services encompass offset printing, silk-screening, labeling, hot stamping and secondary decoration for any of the packaging products which it produces. The full service packaging concept has recently been enhanced by Berry's new Global Service ability to supply competitively priced imported packaging products.