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August 2017

Innovation Zone Snapshot – colour changing, protective coatings, compostable packs and more

Welcome to this week’s ThePackHub Innovation Zone snapshot.

ThePackHub has been collating some great packaging innovation initiatives and we have picked four recent examples for you to peruse below.

We have 1,900 packaging innovations uploaded to our Innovation Zone database with new members joining all the time. Find out about how to subscribe here: www.thepackhub.com/the-innovation-zone/.

Our latest monthly innovation report for August featuring 70 packaging innovations is just £129 + VAT and out now.

Please forward this to your friends and colleagues to benefit from staying up to date with the latest packaging innovation news.

They can click here to subscribe.

#1 Fast food drink tray doubles as a smartphone speaker

Fast food giants McDonald’s have developed a new drink tray that doubles as a smartphone speaker and stand. The invention that you never knew you needed is a useful way to listen to music whilst eating. The innovation more than doubles the amplification of the sound much to the annoyance presumably of anyone sitting within 10 metres. The ‘McBoombox’ was created to acknowledge the anniversary of the McFlurry. All consumers need to do it flip over their specially designed drink tray, unfold the speakers, place the smartphone into the McBoombox and enjoy. The activity is a collaboration between McDonald’s Canada who worked alongside the University of Waterloo’s Audio Research Group and design studio Stacklab. The drink tray uses 10-sided speaker openings with reflective surfaces that channel the sound more effectively than cardboard alone.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#2 Can comes to life once chilled

An established thermochromic ink technology is being used for Unilever’s leading Lipton Iced Tea cans as part of a special promotion for Belgium music festival Tomorrowland. Crown Bevcan has helped Lipton deliver this engaging new pack that sees the can ‘brought to life’ by consumers when chilled. The end result is a beverage can that essentially has two surface designs – before and after cooling. The pack has a strapline encouraging consumers to ‘chill the can and see the love’ which is literal in the sense that the word ‘love’ appears when the can has reached optimal consumption temperature.

More info in The Innovation Zone

BRAND NEW. A comprehensive and unique review of 70 packaging innovations for August 2017 with comment, analysis and insight.

Get a 10,000+ word report with lots of visuals, analysis and comment plus a slide deck for presenting. It’s a great way for you and your team to keep up to speed with all the latest packaging innovations.

Just £129 + VAT.

Order your brand new monthly report here.

#3 Protective coating has packaging waterproofing potential

Scientists from Canberra, Australia based Nanotechnology Research Laboratory have collaborated with the Australian National University (ANU) to develop a new spray-on material that repels water. The protective superhydrophobic coating has a lot of commercial potential to waterproof consumer products like mobile phones or prevent ice from forming on transport but also has several packaging applications. The surface has a layer of nanoparticles, the coating combining two plastics. The water-repellent coating is transparent and resistant to ultraviolet radiation. The same principles could also be applied to make coatings that could be anti-corrosive, oil-repellent or even self-cleaning.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#4 Substrate made from eucalyptus tree creates sustainable biscuit pack

Spanish winemaker Barbadillo has launched a consumer campaign for their best selling Castillo de San Diego wine with an interactive smart bottle initiative. Barbadillo is adding NFC (Near Field Communication) tags to 126,000 bottles, which is claimed to be the largest use of NFC tags for consumer engagement in the wine and spirts industry so far attempted in the world. A neck collar on each bottle is NFC-enabled and consumers simply need to tap with their smartphone. They have the opportunity to win one of 12 prizes. There is also a code on the cork, which consumers can submit via their mobile for the chance of another instant prize. NFC experts Thin Film Electronics are behind the technology. Take up is improved by the fact that a mobile app is not required to participate, just a NFC enabled phone. The bottles are being sold in 15 Spanish supermarket chains.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

Please visit ThePackHub website to find out more about the range of packaging innovation services we offer. We’ve delivered projects for a number of brand owner, retailer and packaging suppliers.

Until next time. Happy innovating.

August 2017

Packaging Trend Watch – #2 – Shelf Stand out

Welcome to ThePackHub’s weekly packaging trend watch blog.

Each week, we’ll be focusing on a particular packaging innovation trend. This time we take a look at some of the interesting packaging innovations that tackle improving shelf stand out. The in-store battle ground has never been more competitive and we’ve selected four good examples of this in action.

A new patented manufacturing technique from Ontario based Montebello Packaging delivers an asymmetric beverage bottle shape to help create attention-grabbing shelf stand out. uShape is a custom-shaped patented bottle for use in the beer, energy drinks, tea and coffee beverage markets. The bottle can be asymmetrically designed with a variety of features including flutes, embossing and debossing. Bottles can be dry-offset printed in up to nine colours.

Nestle International’s Travel Retail arm have created an engaging and attractive new packaging solution for their world-famous Smarties brand. The new pack has been designed by London brand design agency Echo. The round packs are a distinctive departure from the conventionally familiar Smarties tube. The giant Smarties sized packs have a circular dispenser that slides open to produce the contents. This pack forms part of a range of special edition pack designs for Smarties in the Travel Retail gifting market.

A new way to create improved impact for tube packaging at the point of sale has been created with the development of the Carton Tube. The new carton tube pack gives brand owners an innovative solution to improve shelf presentation. The contour of the carton for Schwarzkopf’s got2b styling gel brand follows the shape of the tube and ensures that the pack stays upright on shelf.

Uden, Netherlands based Abarka Packaging Solutions have introduced a new packaging development in response to the demand for a more authentic and retro look for jar packaging. The solution also helps to improve pack accessibility. The Skirt All design portrays the nostalgic imagery of a jar from the past that used cloth with string tied round the top as a closure.

These and many more form part of ThePackHub’s 1,890 strong Innovation Zone database.

We’ll be back next week with some more packaging trend thoughts.

More insight from ThePackHub

Our brand new August report and presentation deck is now available and is great value at just £129 + VAT. Receive a 10,000+ word report featuring 70 new packaging innovations plus an easy to share presentation format. Subscribe and receive each new report every month with a great discount.

These valuable monthly packaging reviews are free to Innovation Zone Guru subscribers.

You can order your August monthly report here.

Insight coming soon…

Resealable Packaging Review – Available 1st September

An invaluable review of the resealable packaging market with the latest innovations from 25 different packaging suppliers with supplier details, images and extensive commentary.

Cost £499 + VAT. Pre-order now for £399 + VAT and save £100.

September Packaging Innovations Report – Available 1st September

A comprehensive review of 70 packaging innovations for September 2017 with comment, analysis and insight.

Cost £129 + VAT. Pre-order now for £99 + VAT and save £30.

Sustainable Packaging Innovations 2017 – Available 2nd October

Over 130 sustainable innovations covering recyclability, compostabilty, lightweighting, bio-material development and more with comment, analysis and insight.

Cost £499 + VAT. Pre-order now for £399 + VAT and save £100.

Until next time. Happy innovating.

July 2017

Innovation Zone Snapshot – E-paper coffee cup, NFC wine and more

Welcome to this week’s ThePackHub Innovation Zone snapshot.

ThePackHub’s innovation radar has been detecting some great packaging initiatives and we have picked four recent examples for you to peruse below.

ThePackHub now has nearly 1,900 packaging innovations uploaded to our Innovation Zone database with new members joining all the time. Find out about how to subscribe here: www.thepackhub.com/the-innovation-zone/.

Our latest monthly innovation report for August featuring 70 packaging innovations is just £129 + VAT and out on Tuesday 1st.

Please forward this to your friends and colleagues to benefit from staying up to date with the latest packaging innovation news. They can click here to subscribe.

#1 E-paper cup is powered by hot coffee

Created and designed in Finland, Muki is an innovative reusable coffee cup that has an e-paper display powered by its contents. It uses the thermal energy of the coffee to power the cup display. What might be particularly appealing to consumers, is the ability to change the screen visual throughout the day to suits moods and habits. The mug comes with an app that allows uploading and sending images to friends’ mugs. A double plastic structure protects the electronic parts. Bluetooth connects the cup to the user’s smartphone. Patent applications in the USA, the EU and many other markets have been made. This could have several packaging applications in due course.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#2 Recycling boost with research looking to replace carbon black in plastic packs

The ongoing challenge of recycling black plastic is being taken on with a new two-year research project. The initiative is backed by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and aims to replace the carbon black in plastic packaging to improve recycling rates. Presently, carbon black makes the plastic trays invisible to sorting machines and it is estimated that around 1.3 billion trays a year are not recycled. Lincolnshire-based compounding specialist Luxus is working with rigid plastics manufacturer One51 and Swedish processor Polykemi. The aim is to seek alternatives that are detectable by near-infrared (NIR) sorting technologies. The work is a progression of previous work to identify detectable alternatives by the Luxus owned masterbatch supplier Colour Tone.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

BRAND NEW. A comprehensive and unique review of 70 packaging innovations for August 2017 with comment, analysis and insight.

Just £129 + VAT.

Order your brand new monthly report here.

#3 UV inks allow for discrete product traceability codes

Huntingdon based Videojet has announced the provision of a selection of UV fluorescing inks that can be used to deliver discrete codes for product traceability purposes. The inks can be used for both Thermal Inkjet as well as Continuous Inkjet printing technologies and deliver great adhesion to a variety of substrates To prevent product mix-up as well as to ensure traceability, pharmaceutical products such as vials and injectable products are marked with a Data Matrix barcode identifier. Ultraviolet inks are seen as an effective solution for pharmaceutical brand owners looking for an invisible traceability feature.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#4 Largest ever NFC wine and spirits campaign connects 126,000 consumers

More info in The Innovation Zone.

Please visit ThePackHub website to find out more about the range of packaging innovation services we offer. We’ve delivered projects for a number of brand owner, retailer and packaging suppliers.

Until next time. Happy innovating.

October 2016

Innovation Zone Snapshot – four new packaging inspirations and more

Welcome to this week’s ThePackHub Innovation Zone snapshot.

As always, we have picked out four interesting packaging innovation examples for you to peruse. We upload around 100 new innovations every month and now have 1,290 packaging innovations on the database. That’s a lot of innovations all in one place and a great source of packaging inspiration.

Don’t forget to check out our Innovation Zone Live events on 22nd and 23rd November. Find out more and book.

Please forward this email to your colleagues if you think they’d also benefit from staying up to date with packaging innovation news like this – they can click here to subscribe.

#1 Order your Malibu refill without going back to the bar

Absolut owned coconut flavoured alcohol brand Malibu has recently launched a smart packaging solution that allows bar goers the ability to order a refill without having to go to the bar. The internet enabled Coco-nect cup is able to communicate to bar staff. Drinkers can place their next order by simply twisting the base of the cup. Their exact location in the venue is then communicated to bar staff. A light on the bottom of the cup changes colour to communicate that the drink is being prepared, which then starts flashing to help the bars staff udentify the right person when the drink is ready. The cup uses a combination of WiFi and RFID technology and is in principle similar to another innovation we have recently reported – Smart ice-cube detects when drink is nearly finished.

#2 Benefits of water pack is clear

The benefits of the Glinter Mineral Water range are clear. Available in various shapes and sizes, the pack meets a consumer requirement to see the contents inside as well as ensuring a great way to distinguish the pack in the competitive marketplace. One of the semiotic rules of the wine category is that te contents are usually visible and the packaging see-through, so this solution allows the brand to meet this need in a ‘can’ format. We have seen moves for content visibilty in many other categories notably in the food can market – Plastic alternative to metal food can is clearly different is a recent example.

#3 Water bottle’s spiral shape reduces it to half its size

A new water bottle design aims to improve consumer convenience as well as encourage pack reuse. The design may create structural design opportunities for the on-the-go beverage packaging market. The leak-proof and shockproof Que Bottle is made from silicone and its spiral shape allows it to be collapsed to around half of its original size. As well as carrying water, it is also able to store hot liquids up to 60°C.The Que Bottle comes in two sizes and is currently aiming for expansion funding via Kickstarter.

#4 Cups made from 100% renewable materials can be recycled

Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wood and paper. The business has introduced a new board grade for cups called Cupforma Natura PP. The cups come with a coating that is able to withstand being heated in the microwave. The advanced construction of the board delivers a lower pack weight. Another format from Stora Enso is the Cupforma Ice that can be used for ice cream products. The sugarcane-based PE-Green coating packages made of Cupforma Ice can be made from 100% renewable raw materials. Packs made from Cupforma Ice with PE-Green coating can be recycled with other fibre-based cartons.

To find out more about the many benefits of ThePackHub Innovation Zone and the membership options, take a look here.

Upcoming Seminars from ThePackHub

Please visit ThePackHub website to find out more about the range of packaging innovation services we offer. We’ve delivered projects for a number of brand owner, retailer and packaging suppliers.

Remember you can click here to ensure you stay up to date with future updates

Until next time. Happy innovating.

Blog

Innovation Zone Snapshot – colour changing, protective coatings, compostable packs and more

#1 Fast food drink tray doubles as a smartphone speaker

#2 Can comes to life once chilled

#3 Protective coating has packaging waterproofing potential

#4 Substrate made from eucalyptus tree creates sustainable biscuit pack

Packaging Trend Watch – #2 – Shelf Stand out

More insight from ThePackHub

Insight coming soon…

Resealable Packaging Review – Available 1st September

September Packaging Innovations Report – Available 1st September

Sustainable Packaging Innovations 2017 – Available 2nd October

Innovation Zone Snapshot – E-paper coffee cup, NFC wine and more

#1 E-paper cup is powered by hot coffee

#2 Recycling boost with research looking to replace carbon black in plastic packs

#3 UV inks allow for discrete product traceability codes

#4 Largest ever NFC wine and spirits campaign connects 126,000 consumers

Innovation Zone Snapshot – four new packaging inspirations and more

#1 Order your Malibu refill without going back to the bar

#2 Benefits of water pack is clear

#3 Water bottle’s spiral shape reduces it to half its size

#4 Cups made from 100% renewable materials can be recycled

Upcoming Seminars from ThePackHub

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