Sticking to the POS

The adhesive even holds rockets together. The most renowned technology companies in the aerospace sector rely on the qualities of Araldite industrial adhesive. This two-component adhesive was invented back in the 1930s in a small laboratory in Zurich. The patent later ended up with the Basel-based chemical company Ciba. However, the invention gathered quite a bit of dust there until the product was finally discovered by the aluminum industry and many years later was also used in the construction of electrical systems. An important boost to commercialization was the emergence of "fiberglass" for sporting goods such as skis and tennis rackets. At the same time, the almost magical powers of Araldite were also discovered for DIY and household applications. The brand was then marketed by the US company Huntsman. Until a few weeks ago, this company also offered Araldite in various countries in a wide variety of packaging. In some cases with great success. In France, Araldite has a 90 percent market share. In Switzerland, the label is synonymous with "all-purpose adhesive".

Despite this, "Araldite had no brand management until now", as Martin Tuch, Project Manager & Design Director at Ramstein Ehinger Associates explains. This Zurich agency for branding & corporate identity won the contract for the first internationally binding branding in a pitch in January 2011. This also involved developing a comprehensive redesign for a line extension for the client Huntsman. "Our task was to reposition Araldite as a product for professionals and DIY enthusiasts and to make the packaging uniform for the whole of Europe," says Managing Account Director Manuela Brunner, summarizing the briefing.

Black & White

As a first step, the designers carried out an extensive analysis of the competition. Glue was purchased "by the crate" from all of the employees' travels throughout Europe. This revealed a wide variety of colors. Yellow, black and red, for example, on the packaging of main competitor Henkel. However, there was no black and white in any of the designs. "A glue is hardly ever bought because of its brand - except by enthusiasts. The most important decision for the choice is made at the POS. This is where we have to stand out from the crowd," was the final argument for why the new packaging for Araldite is now being offered in this color combination, which has never been used for this type of product before. Another new feature is the symbols, which can be understood across all language barriers. Four on each pack indicate what can be best glued with the respective extensions such as "Rapid" or "Crystal Fix". In addition, there are three characteristics per pack that stand out in a colored square. A key condition was that the shapes for the cardboard packaging had to be the same internationally. The set also had to be able to be opened without scissors. Ramstein Ehinger Associates has been working in the field of branding and corporate identity for around 20 years. The Zurich-based company was founded by former executives from the "school" of Interbrand Zintzmeyer & Lux and today employs an interdisciplinary team of 14 specialists. The agency is primarily active in the B2B sector. Other clients include Sika, Eternit, Sympany, Vigier, Pax and Nationale Suisse, for example.

Andreas Panzeri