By Lara Copeland, contributing editor
PostPress

The visual appearance of a package is critically important to a product’s success and lasting shelf appeal. The packaging itself offers the brand owner the last opportunity to convey important messaging to discerning consumers and influence their purchase. Through the use of special effects beyond printing, the look of the package can be elevated to a new level to engage, stimulate and tempt the consumer, producing a premium brand experience. It also provides a measure of deterrence against piracy.

Fresnels Inc., Stamford, Connecticut, manufacturer of optical variable foils, hot stamping foils and laminates, called upon Glory Innovations, Inc., New Taipei City, Taiwan, to help create a special wine box to showcase the company’s foil capabilities. Glory Innovations is a printing company and luxury rigid box manufacturer with locations in Taiwan and China.

The Tenute Glory wine box, entitled Spumante Brut – Rosé, was first 4-color printed with a vibrant flower design on white carton stock from Iggesund. Fresnel’s optically variable clear Peacock foil then was applied to spell out the word “ROSE” with a separate letter on each side of the wine box. This was foil stamped on the white surface to see the shifting of color utilizing an etched die from Carlo Gasperini that created a “chiseled” effect within each letter.      

The Peacock foil also was used with a combination (foil and embossing) die from Carlo Gasperini embossing the 4-color printed flowers in perfect register.

“The idea was to showcase our clear optically variable foil on both a flat white background and also on a colorful embossed image for viewers to see it used in both types of applications,” explained Fresnel’s COO Dr. Glenn Wood. “It was amazing the perfect registration that was achieved with foiling and multi-level embossing the flower image.”

The other important embellishment that Fresnel wanted to showcase on the box was its Cellini technology. It is a nanotechnology-based imaging technology that creates colorful, 3D holographic images. A special image with the Fresnel and Cellini name was created and applied to each wine box utilizing a hologram registration system to read each hologram as it enters in position.

Custom-made using proprietary technology designed for high-security application, each Cellini image contains three levels of security. Level one is overt and intended for consumers. Level two requires a handheld device, such as a magnifier, which can reveal features such as microtext. Level three is the forensic level, which is discussed only with the brand owner who can feel reassured that this decorative feature is doing double duty as an eye-catching print enhancement feature and an anti-counterfeit device.

Lastly, a soft copper metallic foil was applied to display a Tenute Glory logo on three sides of the wine box and a circular pattern of dots around the word “Rose” on the front side of the box.

The Spumante Brut – Rosé promotional wine box has been recognized by FSEA, receiving the Gold Leaf Award for technical difficulty in the Best Use of Foil Embossing on Folding Carton category. As relative newcomers to the stamping foil market, Wood was pleased to accept the award.

“It’s encouraging to be recognized as serious players in the highly competitive market,” he commented. “We are bringing highly innovative, eye-catching features to luxury packaging, which incorporate advanced optical technology. This provides packaging designers with new graphic tools in response to the current trend for color-shifting effects and provides a measure of deterrence against piracy.”