INTERNATIONAL FARE

Bourjois dares consumers to put this waterproof mascara, launched summer ‘07, to the ultimate test. Intended for those who love their lashes to look their most luscious—even at the beach—Waterproof Easy mascara is said to hold up in all conditions, without smudging. The brand promises its product will even survive a flood of tears, but it’s the packaging that might make you a little, er, verklempt. Says Denis Boudard of QSLD Design Group (www.qsld.com), responsible for its design: “For this product, my vision was to create the ultimate pool-side beauty accessory for the woman who truly wants the best and most convenient mascara.”

Is your primary consumer a weekend warrior or serious enthusiast? When William Sinclair decided to repackage its J. Arthur Bower’s range of plant foods, it quickly realized the answer was “both”. So plans for a move from a paperboard package to an injection-molded plastic container from RPC Group (www.rpc-marketrasden.co.uk) included double-sided labels for graphics that would appeal to each group. “Gardening experts and enthusiasts understand a specialist vocabulary that may confuse casual gardeners, so each product in the range is identified by two names, one on each side of the pack.” The move to plastic also offers better product protection, and a reclosable lid adds convenience over the original pack.

Even the best tools are useless when it comes to corroded or unmovable screws. So hand tool specialists at Wera Tools developed the Kraftform Fluid brand, which is specially formulated to release screws that are too tight and protect screw joints from corrosion and extreme temperatures. To capitalize on existing brand equity, the new product line was launched in an easy-to-grip package whose shape mimics the appearance of Wera’s highly successful Kraftform screwdriver handle. The 400-mL packages, manufactured by Crown Holdings (www.crowncork.com), are topped off with a plastic cap designed to resemble the tip of a screwdriver. The container’s gentle contours facilitate product dispensing, and color-blocked panels allow for easier gripping.

Marks and Spencer puts as much emphasis on the environmental footprint of its packaging as it does on its marketing impact. Earlier this year, the U.K. retailer teamed up with paperboard supplier Korsnäs (www.asdo.se) to sponsor a student Easter egg packaging competition to encourage creative paperboard packaging solutions. The winning entry is produced from one piece of paperboard and mimics a chicken holding an egg in its beak. The simple yet functional structure also eliminates the need for additional closures—the egg is simply (and gently) squeezed out.

When brand owner Kanebo envisioned the compact packaging for its Aqua line of eye shadows and blushes, words like modern, elegant and glowing came to mind. The cosmetics brand turned to Rexam (www.rexam.com/beauty) to deliver on its brand promise of “Free Your Beauty” and develop a package that would ultimately prove challenging from both a design and manufacturing standpoint. The result is an elegant compact with a pink pearlescent cover and internal lacquered finish. The brand’s simple logo, “Aqua”, is applied with silver hot stamping.