Venus Rising for Diamond Packaging

Gillette taps Diamond Packaging, and its Global Packaging Alliance partners, for consistency and quality in the international Venus shaving system launch.

by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor

WHEN A PRODUCT invokes the Roman goddess of love and beauty, its packaging had better be something special. The Gillette Company realized this early in the development of its Venus shaving system, and called on Rochester, NY-based Diamond Packaging to deliver an eye-catching yet cost-effective line of cartons and razor cards for the product launch. The 90-year-old independent folding carton converter worked with Gillette on its MACH3 launch two years ago, and lists such other notables as Eastman Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, and Xerox on its client list.

As a co-founder and member of the Global Packaging Alliance (GPA), Diamond also offered Gillette an extended international family which would be involved in the design, development, proofing, and printing of the carton throughout the world.

Carton collaboration

Recognizing a need for standardized, consistent packaging throughout the manufacturer's global market, Diamond Packaging President Harry Voss joined forces with German printers Colorpack and Leunisman to initiate the North Atlantic Packaging Alliance in 1991.

Over time, other international players joined, and the association was rechristened the Global Packaging Alliance (GPA). In addition to Diamond, Leunisman, and Colorpack, newer members Hale Packaging and Colorpak provide an Australian base for GPA operations. Soon, companies in both Russia and Brazil will be introduced formally as members, and Diamond management hopes to locate another Pacific Rim converter, perhaps based in Hong Kong, in the near future.

Diamond's family-run business philosophy has encouraged its board to seek out similarly managed international partners for the Alliance. As Director of Marketing Lisa Palvino notes, "We are all privately owned, with a focus on the long-term success of each of our businesses." She affirms member companies have dedicated themselves to investing in complementary technologies, personnel training, and aligned business systems, to maximize the Alliance's global presence and service capability. The family ethic permeates the GPA and has encouraged its growth, Palvino continues, because members share information, technologies, and business systems on a global basis. This level of partnership enables the exact same carton to be printed in Rochester, Berlin, or Sydney—a critical requirement for companies dependent on consistent brand recognition.

Pricing benefits are another direct result of the Alliance, because member companies can leverage their buying power to find the lowest cost materials and services. Lower consumables pricing often translates into reduced packaging costs for the product manufacturer. GPA members are also linked through a shared market focus. All the companies involved concentrate on the personal care, pharmaceutical, health and beauty aid, and high technology segments.

Putting it together

With German partner Leunisman involved from the earliest stages, Diamond recognized the mission it had in creating packaging for the Venus line. Palvino emphasizes, "In a product launch, the packaging needs to introduce, inform, and also sell the consumer on the new product." Specifically, the Venus packaging design had to convey the primary themes of the product itself: ovality, smoothness, and fluidity.

Palvino reports Diamond led the GPA in the Venus packaging creation process, providing packaging for both North America and Europe, in which the Venus line first premiered. Through two years in development stages, the packaging team went through dozens of design concepts and prototypes. An all digital workflow facilitated file sharing, and therefore faster concept turnaround, among the global partners.

After the construction details were finalized, the cartridge pack was printed with UV offset inks and in-line UV coating on .014 white clay-coated news paperboard. The razor crads were converted on .012 Apet utilizing UV inks and hot foil stamping, creating a unique transparent effect.

Several types of hot foil stamping enhanced the cartridge pack's visual appeal, including combination stamping to highlight individual blades within a multi-level embossed illustration of the razor. Capitalizing on its foil overprinting ability, Diamond also utilized color-graduated foil lines from just above the razor image to the top of the carton.

Ultimately, the printing techniques used in forming the Venus carton help to attract and communicate to the consumer. As Palvino maintains, the sale of a new product is a much more complicated process than that of a repeat purchase. Through its participation in the GPA, Diamond ensures the precise look created to achieve that product's sale is found on retail shelves worldwide.