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Crave Calvin Klein typifies a modern approach to fragrance packaging.
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The U.S. fine fragrance market today is one of contradictions. Depending on the source, it is headed into a time of fewer launches and tighter budgets or it is about to rebound. Some say retail is promoting fragrance in new and better ways; others report stores cutting back on launches and support. And, packaging is just as diverse.
Fashion-wise, bottles and caps that are unique and fun contrast with tailored or classic looks. The only sure thing is that in such a mature and saturated market, a product must be a distinctive combination of fragrance, packaging and marketing to make a lasting impression.
The Business of the Business
While fragrance marketers are still launching some new products for the two major gift-giving seasons—spring for Mother’s Day and fall for holiday shoppers—most designers and packaging suppliers report that brand new projects were in short supply during the closing days of 2002.
“The market in 2002 has been soft,” said Xavier Adnet, president of sales and marketing for Bormioli Rocco Glass USA, perfumery and cosmetic division, based in New York City. Adnet explained that the perfumery market has been more affected than the cosmetic side of the business, as seen in a significantly smaller number of launches in 2002.
In the U.S. in 2002, there were 78 launches of women’s fragrances, compared to 97 in 2001, according to The Fragrance Foundation. For men’s fragrances, there were actually more launches—41—in 2002, compared to 32 launches in 2001. In 2000, there were 83 women’s fragrance introductions and 31 men’s rollouts.
The size of the launch programs has also decreased, Adnet said, concluding, “These two factors alone have slowed the market significantly. In our estimation, the market will have an overall decrease of 12% to 15% compared to the previous year’s (2001) numbers. The 2003 fiscal year will most likely begin in a soft market. We expect a rebound (by the) second part of 2003.”
Compare and Contrast: Europe and the U.S.
There are more customized projects and more luxury products in the European market than in the U.S., according to Andrea Vollmer, marketing manager, fragrance and cosmetics for Pfeiffer GmbH, a supplier of spray pumps and dispensing systems headquartered in Radolfzell, Germany. Vollmer observed that the U.S. market, served by Pfeiffer of America, Princeton, NJ, seems to be more price sensitive, motivating it to turn to stock components with decoration techniques used for differentiation, versus custom design, which requires higher investment capital and longer time frames for package development.
Worldwide, there are two distinct trends in the perfume business at present, according to François Gassion, specialties business unit manager for Cebal Aerosols Division. “Some brands, mostly the French ones, seem to have made cost-cutting the major target for the next three years,” Gassion said. “They are looking more and more to Asian countries for packaging providers and are not making creativity a priority for the time being.”
The appearance of new brands, mainly from small to mid-size companies, is the other contrasting trend, according to Gassion. He noted, “Many of these are launches in which quality, innovation and product personality are key success factors. These brands are growing and, because their small size allows them to keep some costs low, also increasing profits and return on investments.”
Taken together, the two categories still add up to a fairly flat market worldwide, except for the U.K., where the fragrance category seems to be particularly dynamic and creative, Gassion said.
Another reason for fewer launches in the U.S. is that retailers are not as willing to commit to supporting as many introductions in their stores, theorized Eric Bigotte, president of Axilone, a division of the Ileos Group (formerly known as Niob-Armep and Chapon Alu). Bigotte explained that the life span of most new fragrances has become so short that some retailers simply do not think it’s worth the cost to unveil a new product that may be gone in a year or two.
“The retailers are regrouping to concentrate on their existing lines,” Bigotte proposed, adding, “The consumer has gotten lost because there are too many launches. And, whereas five or six years ago there were a lot of entrepreneurial/designer type launches, now most are from very large companies. Fragrance is beginning to be seen as a commodity by many consumers because they can find name brands at mass outlets. Distribution is not being closely controlled by many brands and so the product is not seen as special anymore.”
Others are more optimistic. Peter Philip of Eyelematic Manufacturing Co. Inc., Watertown, CT, has seen an increase in fragrance projects that will launch in 2003. Philip said, “We are seeing interest returning for using metal for fragrance closures and expect, overall, a dramatically better year in 2003 compared to 2002, which has been okay but very conservative.”
There’s been a bit of a lull in the fragrance end of the market in this country but it continues to be strong in other countries, according to Charles Marchese, vice president of marketing and sales for ABA Packaging Corp., Holtsville, NY. Marchese predicts that the fragrance sector is beginning to come back to where it was five or ten years ago. Part of the fragrance renaissance, according to Marchese, is that some retailers are presenting fragrances in a specialized area rather than being included in the vast array of cosmetic products on counter.
A Tale of Two Styles
Fine fragrance fashion in the U.S. has a split personality this season.With many variations in between, most new launches have either fun, funky packages that don’t necessarily even look like fragrances containers, or have the elegant look of classic bottles.
‘Different’ Looks Draw Attention
Crave from Calvin Klein is a great example of unique packaging with a very specific audience in mind. According to Calvin Klein Cosmetics, division of Unilever Cosmetics International, the accessories of the modern young man, such as his cell phone or beeper, inspired the packaging. Engineered by Calvin Klein and Fabien Baron of New York City-based Baron & Baron Inc., the package has a look that is mobile and sleek. It was designed to feel good in the hand, while its side trigger delivery system features a unique technology. The total look clearly says “this is something different.”
Crave is also a good example of how collaborative an effort a fragrance package can be. The outer bottle and the mechanism that lifts the bottle to the actuator are made by Risdon-AMS, Watertown, CT. The spray dispenser is made by Rexam Dispensing Systems, Purchase, NY. The outer shell of the bottle is molded by Risdon-AMS of Eastar AN004, a copolyester manufactured by Eastman Chemical, and the inner bottle is extrusion blow molded of polypropylene by Qualipac America, Whippany, NJ.
Risdon-AMS, which developed the complete package for Crave and supplies all the components except the pump and the blow molded inner bottle from its facilities in Danbury, CT and Mazzate, Italy, describes the product as a “total, self-contained system spray package with no pull-off top or external moving parts.”
The inner bottle marks a first in the industry, according to Eric Vanin, vice president of sales and marketing for Qualipac of America, who explained that the engineering feat of creating a bottle in polypropylene that is strong enough to hold a fragrance juice and accommodate a crimpless pump without leakage was extremely difficult.
| Boss in Motion for men uses a package that symbolizes speed and energy. |
Form Follows Fashion
Diesel Green, overall winner at this year’s IPDA competition held in conjunction with HBA/Health & Beauty America (formerly HBA Global Expo), is another fragrance package that breaks the mold. Aiming to appeal to a youthful audience with “Green” movement sympathies, the packages for both the men’s and women’s fragrances look more like gardening products than EDTs (eau de toilettes). The Diesel Green bottle is supplied by Heinz Glas and the very unique trigger actuator and spray mechanism is supplied by Pfieffer.
Boss in Motion, the latest fragrance for active young men (or those who would like to be) from Hugo Boss, is contained in a white aluminum ball, immediately evocative of sports and speed. The container, which is actually two hemispheres, hides the dispenser, activated by pressing the base of the sphere. According to Hugo Boss, “…The Boss in Motion design expresses energy and masculinity.” The design very deliberately hides all extraneous elements to maintain the purity of the sphere.
U.K. designer Chris Levine created the design concept for Boss in Motion, and Simon Hill of Procter & Gamble designed the package. SGD manufactures the glass bottle held within the two aluminum hemispheres that are supplied by Seidel GmbH of Marburg, Germany, with offices in New York City.
| Donna Karan Black Cashmere |
Donna Karan Black Cashmere launched in September 2002. According to Donna Karan, the designer, the bottle was designed to look and feel like a black river rock. “My husband Stephan sculpted it to fit in the hand,” said Karan. “Rocks for me are both sensual and secure. There’s a groundedness to them. You want to hold them, feel their history and soul—a natural object of desire.”
Lombardi Design and Manufacturing, Freeport, NY, made the caps for Black Cashmere’s 50ml and the 100ml bottles. The bottles are made by Vitro and the pump spray by Risdon-AMS. Lombardi also made the base and cap, both of thick wall Surlyn by DuPont, for the purse spray package. The base holds a replaceable glass vial spray.
Return to the Classics
Elegant, traditional styling is still in demand as seen in the packaging of the Kate Spade and Vera Wang fragrances launched in 2002. New fragrance packaging with a timeless look has been joined by the relaunch of classic fragrances.
| Givenchy’s L’Interdit was relaunched in September. |
In September, Parfums Givenchy partnered with Lord & Taylor for the relaunch of L’Interdit, the signature scent of Audrey Hepburn. The bottle has a simple silhouette with rounded shoulders accented with a matte gold cap and collar and a plain square red label with an in-set white border and simple text.
Also in the prestige category, Ombre Rose is being relaunched by its original creator Jean-Charles Brosseau, who recently regained the ownership rights to the name and fragrance from Groupe Inter Parfums, which had acquired the worldwide rights to the license from Alfin Inc. in 1993.
| Ombre Rose L’Original has been introduced in the same style bottles as the original. |
Brosseau had Givaudan rework the fragrance to return it to the original formula. It is being marketed as Ombre Rose L’Original in bottles that replicate the original Art Deco-style containers: black with shiny and matte patterns for the perfume, and clear or frosted glass for the eau de toilette.
Relaunched Mass Classics
New Dana Perfumes Corp., owned by investment group Dimeling, Schreiber and Park, was created when the group purchased the fragrance brands portfolio of bankrupt Renaissance Cosmetics in 1999.
| The new Canoe package is a direct descendant of the original. |
According to Carla Ferber, vice president of marketing for the company, New Dana is working to relaunch several of its classics. Canoe became popular as a men’s fragrance in the U.S. in the 60s and 70s. Ferber explained that through the years, the packaging had been adjusted slightly but the carton always featured five sailing flags that spell out Canoe in nautical symbols. The bottle and cap also remained basically the same. Then, in 1996, Renaissance attempted a restaging in which the primary and secondary packaging changed completely. “It didn’t work,” Ferber said, adding, “In 2000, New Dana went back to the original bottle and cap. Now, the box has been updated using a lighter blue with metallic accents and the flags are now embossed. But the identity is back. It’s doing very well.”
New Dana is currently working on redesigns for Tabu, which first appeared in 1932, and Chantilly, originally introduced in 1941.
| The Deauville bottle has classic and contemporary features. |
Hybrid Launches Are
Classic and Contemporary
The packaging for the latest fragrance from Michel Germain, Deauville for women and men, has elements of both major trends. The bottles, designed by Pierre Dinand and custom made by Luigi Bormoli, have the heavy walls and beautiful lines of classic perfume bottles. However, the bottle and cap are clearly symbolic of a ship—a unique model for a fine fragrance.
“Deauville’s bottle captures the taste of the seaside resort with its crystal and silver elements. Inspired by the invigorating lifestyle of sailing and inhaling fresh ocean air, the bottle was designed to resemble a luxurious yacht,” explained Michel Germain. Deauville launched exclusively at The Bay and Bloomingdale’s for Holiday 2002.
In Search of a Model
The relaunch of a fragrance including a perfume SKU is an exception to today’s custom of offering only EDTs, according to Marc A. Rosen, president of New York City-based Marc Rosen Associates, Prête-À-Porter and ACCESSmr. Rosen explained that in the past, at least one perfume SKU was created for every new fragrance launch, thereby establishing a clear image for the line. “The perfume bottle became the icon for the fragrance,” Rosen said, “and also established a price point for the brand. But, in the last 10 years, generic-type fragrances have become popular and perfumes have dropped out of the equation with the exception of a few such as Michael Kors.”
If there’s to be a true return to classic fragrances with “real” presence, “there should be a trend to packaging that is glamorous and includes a perfume bottle,” Rosen concluded.
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Classic with a Twist
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Beth Terry, founder of Creative Universe, decided to follow her passion in 1995 and began working with Victor Rouchou, a perfumer based in New York City. She turned to Brad-Pak for help in developing packaging for her fragrances when Creative Universe was ready to launch Té its first scent in 1996.
Distribution for the line is also unconventional. Currently, the products are sold in upscale stores and boutiques including Barney’s New York and Barney’s Japan, Colette in Paris and Maxfields in Los Angeles. But the line is also available at Lydia Mongairdo, a furniture design store in Lennox, MA, and at Storm Mortensen, a florist shop in Brooklyn, NY. “The fragrances don’t get lost and stand out at these stores,” said Terry, adding, “We sell one bottle at a time and by word of mouth. My advice is to stay focused and please your customer.” Beth Terry’s are the only bottled fragrances available at Storm Mortensen, an upscale floral boutique where the owner Xavier Morales has created what he describes as a “gallery setting for flowers.” Morales said, “What’s great about Beth’s fragrances is that men and women are equally drawn to the package. While it’s minimal, it’s not cold. And because each scent is in the same bottle with a similar label, many customers buy more than one and display them together in their homes.” |
Technology Makes Design-on-a Dime Possible
The trend to “integrated packages,” for fine fragrance—those in which the parts aren’t seen as separate components—has had consequences for suppliers, said Gerald Martines, Risdon-AMS’ director of sales and marketing for Beauty Europe. “Suppliers must work more closely with other partners,” Martines said, adding, “The customers are requiring one project leader from the three main suppliers (bottle, cap and dispensing system) to take the lead and coordinate the project.” That project leader is usually the injection molder, according to Martines, which in the Crave project was Risdon-AMS.
In the past, the development of such complex packages took considerable time, but new computer technology enables suppliers to accomplish more in less time, providing the speed to market so critical in today’s business environment. Martines explained, “CAD technology allows us to integrate the different elements into the Risdon system and be able to coordinate the whole project. In one case, we started with almost no design at all and were able to develop and finalize a design in a matter of days. The system allows us to create a three-dimensional model from the computer image, so the client can see how the pieces fit together and how it feels in the hand within hours. Once the geometry is completed, the mold maker can also make the mold directly from the CAD model program. It can save as much as 30 percent of the time.”
| DieterBakicEnterprises offers rectangular stock bottles with sharp corners. |
Stock Components for Unique Looks
Jenifer Brady, vice president of sales and marketing for Brad-Pak Enterprises, Garwood, NJ, said that Brad-Pak’s fragrance packaging customers generally buy classically styled bottles and then decorate them in a way to make a distinctive statement. “Our customer usually needs between 1,000 and 5,000 pieces and they usually want a better glass bottle. Some also source their caps through us, tending to choose a metallicized overcap or a cap in clear plastic. They can achieve a very upscale look,” Brady said.
“Stock packaging design has to fulfill many conditions: its design has to be pronounced and beautiful—but also adaptable, modern, original, outstanding, and be able to be integrated into the respective brand,” stated Dieter Bakic, of DieterBakicEnterprises and DieterBakicDesign, Germany.
Bakic has noted a trend toward rectangular, severe geometric forms in fragrance bottles, crowned by rectangular caps. DB has created bottles in such rectangular shapes. “The bottles can be customized by special finishes of the glass bottle, collars, caps,” Bakic said.
| ABA’s menu contains a wide variety of stock bottles and caps. |
ABA Packaging Corp., Holtsville, NY, offers a wide variety of stock products for the cosmetic, fragrance and personal care packaging markets. The company is constantly adding new items to be able to offer fresh solutions for marketers, large and small. “ABA has always had and continues to stock, a wide variety of stock cosmetic fragrance glass so we can react quickly to our customers various needs,” said Marchese. “Whether the need is for 1,000 or a million pieces, ABA has bottles, caps and pumps available, usually direct from its warehouse.”
Bormioli Rocco launches a minimum of eight new standard bottles each year to meet the demand, according to Adnet. Marketers can then customize these stock bottles through decoration. “The trend is really to move toward colorful bottles, frit color (the glass is colored when it is in a molten state) or spray (full or partial spray finishes add color to the outside of the bottle) with different finishing effects and/or texture such as soft touch,” said Adnet.
| Prête-À-Porter is offering new caps from C+N Packaging as well as new bottles. |
Understanding that totally custom fragrance packaging is too pricey for limited budgets and smaller volumes, Prête-À-Porter offers “custom standard” caps and bottles that feature the same details—heavy glass, sharp corners, classic lines—as custom packaging, according to Marc Rosen, the company’s founder. New caps and bottles have recently been added to the line including Rondel and Aviator, two heavy caps manufactured by C+N Packaging Inc., Wyandanch, NY.
Steven J. Nussbaum, director of marketing for Cosmetic Packaging Group, a division of O. Berk Company, Union, NJ, agreed, “Another trend is more glamorous styling in which bottles are frosted or sprayed for a unique color,” he added. Cosmetic Packaging Group supplies stock bottles and also has some custom molds as well as closures and various dispensing systems for fragrance products.
| The Cosmetic Packaging Group, a division of O.Berk Company, offers a wide array of decorative caps and closures for fragrance bottles. |
Arrowpak Inc., Richmond Hill, NY, can supply overcaps and bottles for fragrances as well as spray or otherwise decorate the bottles, according to Ron Swift, executive vice president of the company. “We serve a lot of small manufacturers that sell to boutiques and gift shops. We offer bottles that accept a variety of decorating techniques. Frosting never goes out of style. Silkscreening with gold and silver in frost is a great look. For caps, there is more clear plastic with the look of glass.”
Color/Decoration Enhances Glass Bottles For the past year or two, the trend has been to flint glass—pure and transparent, according to Daniel Saksik, president of Saint-Gobain Desjonqueres Inc. (SGD). But, Saksik noted, “Colored glass seems to be the new trend. SGD has created bottles for many new fragrances that follow the new, more colorful fashion including Yves-Saint Laurent M7 in dark yellow glass, Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy For Her and Very Sexy For Him in red or gray glass, Dior Addict with lacquered glass and Carolina Herrera Chic with partial lacquering.”
| The bright red bottle of Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy For Her fragrance is a trendsetting approach. |
Iridescence is also increasing in popularity, according to Saksik, as seen in such products as Gloria by Cacharel and Bora Bora by Liz Claiborne. SGD accomplishes the look through Thermo luster, a special treatment during the glass production.
Innovative technology is allowing SGD to create bottles it was unable to produce even one or two years ago, noted Saksik. “The company is currently working on some new shades of glass, impossible to match as of today. And it is developing a new process of decoration. Some of these advances will be available in the near future,” he promised.
Innovative packaging and new manufacturing processes are key to the future of fine fragrance packaging, according to Doug Thompson, chief commercial officer for Heinz Glas USA Inc. “Designers are hungry for any type of innovation in decorating, design or manufacturing,” Thompson said. “New shapes, textures and decorating looks enable the designers to create a package that will individualize the marketing direction of the package.”
Paul DeBiasse, Heinz’ director of engineering, meets with the top designers in the industry to review the latest innovations from Heinz Glas, which recently have included a manufacturing process that allows for the production of glass bottles where the shoulders of the bottles are equal and sometimes higher than the finish of the bottles.
Thompson explained that for most glass bottles the shoulders of the bottle are lower than the place in the bottle where the neck of the bottle meets the top of the shoulder because it is difficult to blow glass with good distribution to fill high corners. “Heinz presented a sample technology bottle many years ago to the industry where the outside shoulder of the bottle was higher than the finish of the bottle (the finish sits on top of the neck),” said Thompson. Cosmopolitan Fragrances used Heinz’s technology to create the butterfly shape for its Anna Sui Love bottle. Thompson said that Heinz is able to manufacture these bottles with excellent inside glass distribution (no thin glass areas).
The innovative shape was further enhanced by a partial organic pink spray.
| Heinz Glas manufactured and decorated the Anna Sui Love bottle. |
Heinz Glas has perfected a new decorating process that is a laser guided sandblasting that can either frost the surface of the bottle or deeply etch a name or design into a bottle. The company started to display this technology early in 2002 and is using it in the creation of the bottle for First Love by Rasasi. Heinz has also developed an inside the glass bottle metallization process, which creates an effect that looks like a liquid metal product.
“Heavy glass weights are still very important to our upscale customers,” stated Thompson, “and we are constantly pushing the limit on the amount of glass weight that is possible per capacity bottle. We produced the Vera Wang bottle for Unilever Prestige.”
Plastics Expand Role
Various plastics are playing a more important role in fragrance packaging from outer shells, to inner containers, caps and bases.
Eastman’s AN004 copolyester can be used to create very different effects. In the Crave package, the shell is a translucent white, revealing the inner workings of the dispensing system in a mysterious half-light. But AN004 is also the material used for the glossy, opaque black base of Mont Blanc’s Presence fragrance. Marketed by Cosmopolitan Cosmetics, the Presence bottle is manufactured by Bormioli Luigi, the cap is from Rexam and the applicator and valve are by Valois.
The industry is looking at new co-polyesters such as those from Eastman Chemical to replace plastics used traditionally, according to John M. Lamie, executive vice president of ATP Health & Beauty Care, an international supplier of injection molded components based in Stratford, CT. “The co-polyester resins offer advantages in cost and process, being easier to use for injection molding and requiring less complicated tooling than some other materials,” he explained.
Plastic containers, either injected or blow-molded bottles that actually contain the fragrance, are less bulky than traditional glass bottles and are the preferred choice in the development of travel lines with advantages of space and weight, according to Nicolas Bellan, vice president sales and marketing, fragrance and skin care at Techpack. “The first launch based on this concept was achieved by Techpack for Issey Miyake,” Bellan said. “Then Gucci went a step further and adapted this travel format to their first perfume launch Rush.”
Bellan noted that there is a very limited choice of materials, saying, “In the injected versions, the materials selected must be able to bear ultrasonic welding and pass leak tests. In the injected and blow-molded versions, olfactory controls are systematically performed to guarantee the fragrance’s stability. Thanks to our expertise, Techpack is now able to select all the materials usable within these constraints.”
Techpack has also developed expertise in transparent gluing. Bellan explained, “We ensure a perfect glass/plastic bonding (which could also be plastic/plastic), that is resistant to strong separating forces and is perfectly invisible.”
Dieter Bakic ageed that many resins are approaching the weight and the feel of glass. “Their handling and adaptation during the production phase is much easier,” Bakic said. “In addition, plastics open many more opportunities for design, especially in designing unconventional forms. Even in prestige fragrance packaging, plastics fulfill decoration tasks (caps, collars...), adding aesthetical value to the core bottle, or even replacing it.”
| Angel Men by Thierry Mugler features an aluminum case with a glass star. |
Metals for Fragrance Bottles
Aluminum has been used to make a strong, clean statement, often for men’s fragrance. According to Cebal’s Gassion, the material has both fashionable and functional qualities that make it a good choice. “Aluminum is solid, thereby preventing light rays from penetrating the container and helping to preserve the purity of the fragrance,” Gassion said. “It is also recyclable and leakproof. It also accepts a high range of printing and decorating effects including hot stamping, matte, gloss, soft touch, satin, super glitter metallic or simply high tech brushed metal.”
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| Axilone supplies aluminum components—top and bottom—for Swiss Army for Her. |
In metal, Bigotte of Axilone said marketers are seeking simple, pure looks, such as that used in The Swiss Army for Her fragrance line from Wenger North America. It is completed, top and bottom, with components manufactured by Axilone. The shiny two-piece, spray-through cap features an aluminum shell with a debossed logo. Designed for orientation, the cap is delivered completely assembled.
Caps: The Crowning Touch
The right cap can turn an ordinary bottle into something exceptional, making the design and manufacture of closures a critical part of the creative process.
Eyelematic has seen an increase in demand for its metal caps. Philip said, “The new caps are mostly gold, silver or black in either matte or shiny finishes. They can have various kinds of decoration such as embossing or debossing.”
Eyelematic has injection molding capabilities as well as metal fabrication operations. “We have also seen companies using clear plastic to create fragrance caps,” Philip said.
The company works from its clients’ designs, making whatever adjustments necessary to be able to actually manufacture the item. Philip said, “Once we have final approval, Eyelematic builds the tools and handles all aspects of the manufacturing.” Custom projects generally take 16 to 18 weeks to begin production on runs that are generally in excess of a million parts. “Runs that are less than a million are usually a stock item,” Philip added.
“ATP Stratford is our center of excellence for heavy-wall copolyester injection molding, running in excess of 100 million components per year,” said Lamie. “But, depending on the size of a project, ATP may also call on ATP HBC Asia, where there are additional manufacturing facilities mainly in Hong Kong and Kaipang, Guang Dong province.”
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| Chanel’s Chance employs a bright metal band around the bottle and a clear, diamond-shaped cap, supplied by Axilone. | Spadafora’s plastic and metal cap is made by Inca. | The Susan Lucci Invitation bottle has a resevoir system. | Pfeiffer created the dispensing system for Diesel Green disguised beneath a trigger spray handle. |
The American consumer’s love affair with what’s new has helped shorten the life cycle of most fragrance products, making fine fragrance a launch business and increasing the importance of a quicker to market response, according to Lamie. “Marketers are demanding that suppliers come up with the most creative solutions for both fashion and budgetary challenges. There is an increasing trend to involve the molder early on in the process,” he explained. “Our product development is done in conjunction with the customer’s creative design staff to produce a solution that’s identical to the original design, but creatively engineered to be manufactured in a cost-effective way.”
Being able to supply metal and plastic components is an advantage for Axilone, which specializes in the manufacture of plastic and metal caps for fragrance containers. The company can take a project from concept, through design and molding, according to Bigotte. He noted that in plastic, the current trend seems to be to clear caps or an integrated look in which the cap is an extension of the bottle. Chanel’s Chance, designed to be symbolic of an engagement ring, is a good example. The round bottle is encircled by a bright metal band and the diamond-shaped cap, supplied by Axilone, is a bi-injected component molded of Surlyn with beveled edges to mimic the facets of a diamond and topped by a de-bossed Chanel logo.
Inca, a contract manufacturer and contract packager based in Italy with U.S. offices in New York City, offers a full line of stock and custom plastic and metal components used in fine fragrance.
A complex cap that Inca manufactured for Spadafora that is reminiscent of twining branches, was a particular challenge, according to Dutton. The cap consists of metallic and plastic parts. One side of the plastic is frosted, while the other is clear and all components must fit together perfectly. The metallic section is polished to a high sheen.
Dispensing Systems
Like fragrance packaging in general, the styling of dispensing systems is at two extremes. Either the actuator and pump are integrated and somewhat hidden in the packaging as in Calvin Klein’s Truth and Crave, Boss in Motion, Angel Men by Thierry Mugler, and Givenchy pour Homme, or the pump is not only visible but spotlighted by a clear cap as in Chanel Chance, Vera Wang or Bijan with a Twist.
Brightly colored pumps and colored dip tubes as seen in Paul Smith for women and for men also run counter to the integrated package look, according to Des McEttrick, global marketing director for pump supplier Emsar Inc., Stratford, CT.
Even more important than aesthetics, the function of the pump is obviously critical. McEttrick explained that the amount of juice dispensed with each depression of a pump is carefully controlled. The taller the bottle, the more depressions will be needed to prime the pump and bring juice up the dip tube to the dispenser. The final burst of spray is determined by the strength of the “engine’ and the size of the bottle.
Emsar has pumps available with dosages from 13mm to 20mm and an array of closure types: crimp, pushover, screw and snap-on. Pushover pumps provide three components (actuator, ferrule and module) in one piece, allowing for fewer inventory items at the manufacturing level. According to McEttrick, the pushover type is one of Emsar’s fastest growing closure types because it offers significant manufacturing efficiencies. The company recently added the NPP Pushover in 13mm and 15mm FEA neck finishes and available in dosages of 70 mcl and 100 mcl. Emsar also offers a very broad range of dosages from 60 to 200 mcl, as well as aesthetic options.
Pfeiffer’s Vollmer agreed that integrated dispensing systems are a major trend. She said, “The development of this type of pump unit necessities state-of-the art engineering and coordination to guarantee the tightness of the pump.” Pfeiffer created such a customized spray cap for Faconable from Bogard.
The type of customized dispensing system that Pfeiffer created for Diesel Green represents a different fashion direction. The pump is disguised behind other elements, in the case of Diesel, a trigger-like spray handle. “Both types of customized packaging offer a great latitude for both flexibility and differentiation possibilities,” Vollmer stated.
Pfeiffer also supplies stock components, such as the BestFit, a metal-covered system with an integrated outer shell, which not only ensures a secure fit but also means one less assembly step. The BestFit spray pump, available with a closure of 13mm and 15mm and a dose volume of 0.07 ml and 0/135 ml, is delivered as one unit, integrating the actuator, outer shell and standard pump.
Reservoir Eliminates Dip Tube
There are few new technologies in dispensing systems, according to Robert Du Grenier of Robert Du Grenier Associates, Townshend, VT. Du Grenier said, “There’s definitely a trend to dress up or disguise the pump but the way most of them work is essentially the same.”
In 1999, Du Grenier designed a unique package for Susan Lucci with a Valois dispensing system that eliminated the need for a dip tube entirely. Rather, a small cup reservoir, enough for five to six sprays, is filled when the bottle is turned up side down. The package itself is also unique, being two bottles that fit together. One is a daytime version of the scent, the other is a more concentrated version for evening. The bottle, manufactured by Pochet, was designed by Du Grenier so that it can stand on either the EDT or the parfum side.
