Joico makes aluminum tubes even more metallic to set off dramatic graphics

Improvements in tube decorating equipment and enamels in recent years have seen the application of more varied colors and more varied design elements. In 1997, when Joico Int'l wanted to package its new VeroChrome hair colorant creme line in a dramatic way--to differentiate the product both from competitors and from its own other, different lines--it worked with tube maker Montebello Packaging and designer Low & Associates to make the tube finish itself an important part of the graphic design.

VeroChrome, introduced by Joico in 1997, is a salon product, intended for use by professional hair colorists. The line is available in 16 intermixable shades and clear gloss. It represents, according to Joico, the latest hair color technology.

"We wanted to be brazenly different," states Joico marketing director Bill Kochanski. "We know our customer--the hairdresser. We wanted a package different yet familiar; something that said professional, yet user-friendly."

What Joico chose was a brushed aluminum look to project a feeling of strength without being overpowering, and a lively graphic presentation to announce the product name without being either stuffy or formal.

Hair colorants are extremely oxygen-sensitive and require the complete isolation that aluminum tubes ensure. These tubes are drawn from solid aluminum blanks and sometimes exhibit stripes along their length--the result of the drawing process. But these "natural" stress marks are too irregular to be incorporated into the tube decoration. Joico wanted a more consistent background for its design. Tubes that are to carry oxygen-sensitive products can't be machine-brushed, since the process might compromise the integrity of the tube's thin yet necessary barrier.

Montebello Packaging specialists met the challenge by specifying a base covering of a metallized transparent enamel containing larger than usual flakes of metal--an almost pearlized finish--which resulted in the look of a brushed aluminum surface without risking the barrier's integrity. The result was a muted "surface tension" that both set off the contrasting design elements and let the semi-transparent inks of those elements in turn allow the metallized effect to show through.

"This package," says Kochanski, "has to convey our marketing messages by being as memorable as possible. A regular tube was out of the question."

Designed by creative director Augustus Low and art director Katherine Mellem of Low & Associates, the eye-catching tube decoration features highly-styled purple, black and gold graphics against the vibrant metallic aluminum background. The result is that the graphic elements, from the larger design elements to the finely printed instructions and required information, stand out dramatically.

Printing was done by Montebello Packaging, which also provided the simple black closure.

Preserve Total Brand Look

Each shade of VeroChrome is identified by a printed, self-adhesive label applied to both the tube and its outer carton carrying the large "V" design element and the color name. This both simplifies production and inventory and helps maintain the important "total brand look" that Joico wanted.

The company describes the new product as a "true semi-permanent hair creme hair colorant that delivers unparalleled gray coverage and outstanding color retention." Field tests for the new product were conducted by a range of professional hair colorists, yet it is described as "mistake-proof" and suitable for application by even the less-experienced hair colorist.

For the convenience of the hair colorist, designers also decided to print volume indications along the length of the tube, marking increments of the hair colorant creme and allowing the user to keep track of the amount of tube contents applied.

The new product and its package has been extremely well received by the hairdresser community, according to Joico. No firm figures are yet available to allow quantification of that success, but the package seems to have achieved the impact it sought.

One of the secondary benefits of the new design was that Montebello Packaging and Joico were awarded the 1997 Metal Tube of the Year Award by the Tube Council of North America. In making the award, the competition judges cited the dynamic graphic presentation as being a prime influence on their decision.

For more information from Low & Associates, call (805) 379-9690 or Circle 589. For information from Montebello Packaging, call (800) 548-8823 or Circle 590.

In a nutshell

Goal: Differentiate a new hair colorant from competitors and company's other products

How: Develop a unique, dramatic tube design

Result: Positive feedback from industry and a Tube of the Year Award

COPYRIGHT 1998 Stagnito Communications
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