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‘Pulling the Trigger’ on an Inventive
PACKAGE DESIGN FOR MEN’S BODY WASH
by Rob Croft
Female body wash brands occasionally feature an applicator pad as a premium. But poofs are inherently feminine and seldom merchandized with male personal care products.
Our “blue-sky” packaging concept for a men’s body wash product—depicted in the illustration—merges an applicator head and trigger sprayer with a contoured bottle. The design takes masculine aesthetic and functional cues from the hand-tool category.
Marketers could position this concept (and other SKUs in the line) as a “toolbox” of personal care products.
The bottle’s shape provides comfortable, non-slip handling. The spray-type trigger automatically delivers a few drops of soap onto the applicator head.
As the user pumps the trigger, the applicator head revolves and creates a rich lather. A rack-and-pinion mechanism turns the applicator pad five revolutions per trigger stroke.
Single-handed convenience
The package encourages increased product consumption. It also permits single-handed usage.
The design provides the basis for several types of applicators and product formulations. These range from palm-sized rotary exfoliating gel applicators to leave-in skin conditioners and shaving creams.
Marketers can decorate the PET bottle with a shrink-wrapped label. Selective translucency and opacity on the label deliver stunning graphics on the front panel. Color-coding the label allows shoppers to locate their favorite variety or “flavor” quickly on the store shelf.
The “grip point” on the bottle bears a color-matched, injection-molded polypropylene collar. A thermoplastic elastomer coating around the trigger imparts a rubbery feel. It also enhances squeezing comfort.
In an era when battery-powered oscillation is enveloping many personal care devices with a lot of hoopla, this body-wash concept provides the same “battery-free” magic as the “Freeplay” radio. The use of “crank power” sparks an intriguing crossover opportunity for packaging design.
The author, Rob Croft, is Managing Partner of Swerve Inc., specialists in 3-D brand design. Contact him at 212.742.9560 or rob@swerveinc.com
