Glamorous appearances for a big impact at the POS

The interplay of smooth and matte surfaces conveys the unusual nature of the wine carton and emphasizes the brand character.BY SABINE FLACHSMANNFinishing is an issue in a large proportion of the packaging developed and manufactured by the Model Group. The classic finishing techniques such as hot foil printing, embossing and matt-gloss effects create visual highlights that are usually recognizable at first glance.The use of textured embossing, relief and soft-touch coatings support the effect of the packaging not only with a visual component, but also with an additional haptic component. The use of these finishing techniques, which offer consumers an additional haptic "experience," is a trend that can also be detected, shares Ronny Loher, Model ICC, Model PrimePac AG, Au (SG).Happy EasterOne example of attractive packaging that uses a variety of finishing techniques to great effect is the Bunny Nest developed and produced by Model PrimePac. This unusual packaging solution for Easter impresses with its smart appearance. Using cleverly coordinated components, it depicts the golden hare in a fenced-in meadow. A combination of soft-touch and UV gloss relief varnish gives the fence a wood-like feel. The construction has an elaborate double bottom, which is glued as a folding bottom. The advantages of this are easy handling, flat delivery form and very high quality appearance.Visible and tangibleThe bunny is placed in the insert and fixed by it. Under the insert, in the double bottom, there are chocolate eggs. The packaging solution makes a lot of visual impact and sets visible and tangible accents. The part with the fence consists of a bottom part that is automatically raised by folds. At the customer's request, the insert was designed in such a way that the bunny can be loaded from above. This allows for significantly faster packing. The basic dimensions of the packaging were chosen to achieve optimum use of space on the POS display.The packaging solution, which represents the home of two golden bunnies, has a design that tapers slightly towards the top. It has very large window cut-outs for maximum product visibility, which also simplify product removal. A small carrying handle allows for easy product removal and carry.Delivery is flat. The corresponding insert is glued and also delivered flat. Bending the insert creates a holder that slopes to either side, allowing the gold bunnies to protrude from the window cutouts while still keeping them securely from falling out. The flat delivery shape ensures optimal storage. Due to the construction features and design, the packaging represents a wooden hut in an open field, spreading a homey atmosphere. The packaging solution is made of mono-material, which allows easy recycling.Celebration bottleFinished packaging is also a regular topic at Bourquin SA. "In our company, digital printing is used - at least for the finishing of not too large order quantities, Gabi Ruetsch, Head of Administration, Bourquin SA, informs us. A successful example of eye-catching and attractive packaging is the Celebrations bottle. The customer was looking for a new Celebrations bottle in which they could store and present all their current products. The biggest challenge was the bottle's height of 1.60m. The goal was to use the bottle at customer meetings for product presentation.Surprises"A prototype was first created by Bourquin and presented to the customer. They liked the solution and in December 2013 we were allowed to produce six Celebrations bottles," Ruetsch says. The work was carried out by Bourquin's product development department: A plaster mold was made for the bottle neck, which was filled with rigid foam and then smoothed. The special feature is the 3D gold foil, which was then glued on. The lower part of the bottle as well as the trays are made of solid and corrugated cardboard and digitally printed in multiple colors. Also the loop made of plastic, which connects the two parts, is multicolored digitally printed.Attractive effects"For premium and luxury products, highly finished packaging is practically standard today. However, finishes are also increasingly being used for other products, e.g. in the food sector, in order to attract attention at the POS," says Erich Lerch, Sales Manager, Läser AG. "We develop and produce packaging for a wide variety of sectors. These include confectionery, food, cosmetics and beverages. The cosmetics and confectionery industries are not only leaders when it comes to finishing, they are also very innovative," Lerch knows.Today, combinations are often chosen for the various finishing techniques in order to achieve several attractive effects at once. Cold and hot foil stamping, for example, are combined with coatings. Coatings now offer a wide range of haptic possibilities. Lerch mentions relief, soft-touch, matt and gloss coatings here. In addition, coatings have also become more cost-effective thanks to inline coating in offset printing.Scented coatings are less in demand. On the one hand, fragrances are very much a matter of taste, and on the other, they are not easy to process.There is currently a lot going on in the coatings sector. Lerch expects new products to come onto the market in the near future that will further expand the range of finishes.Indulgence nobly presentedAmong other things, Läser AG has developed and produced an outer packaging for Kaviar Chatka that does justice to the high-quality contents. A simple blister pack originally served as sales packaging for the noble contents. The new window packaging exudes value due to the silver foil used, which was applied by the cold foil technique in the upper edge area. Silver foil also serves as a background for the two caviar jars with spoons, which are cleverly held in place in the die-cut insert. Fine silver stripes in combination with brown tones in the lower edge area simulate the visual impression of granite.A true masterpiece of the art of embossing is the "Lozärner Rägetröpfli" chocolate packaging realized by Läser. The design appears noble and pleasure-oriented due to its simple design. The lid with its filigree structures is reminiscent of fine French fabric patterns. The structures and the raised lettering are achieved by means of a three-stage hot embossing process in a combination of high and low embossing.Matching the cardboard box made of virgin fiber board, there is a copper-colored insert inside. It contains melt-in-the-mouth chocolate drops filled with "Chriesiwasser" and delicious truffe cream.The special color of the insert requested by the customer is achieved by using a PET silver foil that is overprinted. Another foil was applied to the inside of the lid to protect the chocolates. It goes without saying that Läser AG uses only materials that are suitable for food contact.Haptic refinementThe bag-in-box packaging for Australian red wine offers a particularly noble and unusual wrapper for a high-quality product. The combination of different finishing variants makes the packaging a visual and tactile experience. To convince wine connoisseurs that this form of packaging is also ideal for high-quality wines, the STI Group has implemented a particularly high-quality packaging solution for the Australian Petit Verdot Cabernet Sauvignon.The packaging is intended to convey lifestyle and enjoyment of wine. These aspects are taken up in the finishing of the packaging: The interplay of smooth and matte surfaces, which was realized through the use of different lacquers, conveys the exceptionality of the product and emphasizes the brand character. Raised elements such as the brand logo and the kangaroo are emphasized with a gold-printed silver foil and underline the noble character. The filigree mountain landscape is also embossed in relief (inside embossing) and given a partial glossy finish, so that the hilly landscape of Australia can literally be felt.