The power of premium

Luxury packaging continues to innovate with bold form factors that bring new experience to the customer experience. Dave Howell reports.

Luxury brands have existed for decades, but how can they continue to be relevant in the future? This is a question that brand owners and their packaging design partners are constantly asking.

At the seventh Sustainable Food Summit in Amsterdam, Sara de Dios, global head of Meaningful Brands, highlighted the relevance of brands, unveiling research concluding that 74% of brands could disappear without most consumers noticing. "Manufacturers need to see what they can learn from the top performers in the industry by focusing on one area with a common pattern, so that when people buy their products, they seek to live better," de Dois commented.

Innovative brand awareness can be achieved through packaging, amply illustrated by Bacardi's recent move, making a strategic shift into the premium area of the market with its new Bombay portfolio. John-Paul Hunter, creative director of the bottle's designer Webb deVlam, comments: "We have crafted the aesthetic of the Bombay Sapphire brand for many years. Understanding the brand portfolio, its business and consumers have enabled us to bring to life a new super premium gin for today's modern epicureans."

Sustainable luxury?
Often the drive by luxury brands to evolve their products and accompanying packaging runs counter to their stated objectives to become more sustainable.

However, Duo UK's brand director Zoe Brimelow claims this should not be a barrier. "With the huge developments in sustainable packaging, luxury packaging should no longer be considered 'bad for the environment'," she explains. "There are environmentally friendly alternatives available, and many clients are now more tuned in than ever to the source of the packaging. We have also seen a significant increase in customers adding material symbols and communicating how to reuse and/or recycle luxury packaging once it has fulfilled its intended use."

Chris Williamson, global brand manager for Ballantine's Whisky also comments: "Luxury does not have to exclusively demonstrate opulence and extravagance in material. We believe that the design and manufacture of luxury packaging provides the opportunity to showcase our craftsmanship. Using modern techniques and materials alongside the skill of traditional craftspeople offers a sustainable approach for the future of packaging.

"Creative sensibilities and the development of sustainable luxury are both important considerations for us," he continues. "The Ballantine's 2015 Golf limited edition with Ian Poulter is a good example of this, as it was designed with longevity in mind. We were keen to go beyond the 'gift with purchase' approach and put more emphasis on the packaging itself as a desirable item, as well as the whisky. The format, style and quality of the new pack has been carefully considered, designed to engage with consumers and encourage them to see it as a collectable item rather than something disposable."

Elisa Zanellato, marketing and communication manager at Pet Engineering concluded, "I would say that an important driver is pushing innovation on materials. The main material used in luxury packaging - at 42% - is paperboard, and paperboard producers are working hard to find alternative greener solutions for their products. I would like to mention the special Selezione Italiana gift box by Academia Barilla and Favini, who won, as we did, the last edition of the Oscar dell'Imballaggio, the most important competition here in Italy for packaging. The gift box is made of CartaCrusca, the paper made from bran that is no longer suitable for human consumption.

"The second most used material in terms of value is glass, followed by plastic, with market shares of 30.1% and 15.4% respectively. We are trying to push PET as an alternative to glass also for luxury packaging but it is not always easy to remember that PET can be used for this kind of packaging. This is why we are collaborating with Novapet, a chemical company focused on materials, additives and barriers: our scope is to give to the market a greener solution for luxury packaging, promoting PET as an alternative to glass. From this collaboration, our award-winning bottle was born: Devin - Crystal Line."

Packaging innovations
Paper has always been a primary material for luxury packaging, but it has recently been used in a completely new way: Big Box Vodka from Aristocrat Group Corp (ASCC) is the first premium vodka to be sold in a box.

"This is not simply vodka in a cardboard box," says ASCC CEO Robert Federowicz. "This is a handcrafted distilled spirit that arrives in a package that is more convenient and sophisticated than any bottle."

Each box contains 1.75L - more than double the traditional 750ml bottles - without taking up more space. Big Box Vodka's groundbreaking packaging is composed of microflute cardboard, which provides superior durability and insulation. Every box contains a spouted inner beverage bladder, which can be removed for faster cooling times.

Daniel Drozd, group sales director for Prestige Spirits, says, "Luxury packaging will become more exciting as customers truly explore what is possible. Designers are now pushing the boundaries, and producers need to be ready to try new techniques and apply the right decoration possibilities to the designs. On the Prestige Spirits side of the business, we can see a definite trend towards the premium segment. More and more products are offered in nice-looking, bespoke packaging with sophisticated decoration. Each innovation showing up on the glass and decoration side is welcomed with the utmost interest by customers, and this trend will therefore probably be kept."

Absolut Luxury

Eric Näf, director of packaging development, The Absolut Company

Packaging Today: What are the key drivers behind the development of luxury packaging?
Eric Näf: A luxury product is far more than just the physical item: the thoughts behind it and how it's produced are as important as the packaging itself. It's about being personal and authentic, with great attention to detail and function, and the product should tell a compelling story. Expectations are set very high for luxury goods, and as a consumer, one expects the product to be of exceptional quality. Luxury could be about signalling status, and in that case, particular attributes vary over time.
Today, environment, responsibility and sustainability are also vital components to any company or brand. The ability to look beyond material value towards a greater cause and act responsibly is well respected by consumers, and should therefore be a natural part of any luxury brand's values.

Are there any examples of luxury packaging you can point to that show particular innovation?
An example that comes to mind is champagne brand Veuve Cliquot, who have been experimenting with a variety of renewable raw materials without compromising on the visual impact. Car manufacturer Tesla is also right on target in terms of creating desirable objects with great features on the very front line of sustainable technology. From our own house, I would point at Absolut Elyx. A vodka with exceptional smoothness and integrity made in a unique all-copper process from the last century. The copper theme is reflected in the package: a glass bottle with printed copper rods.

How is the drive to protect the environment influencing luxury packaging design and manufacture?
To take responsibility for the environment and leave the smallest footprints possible is a given. The Absolut Company has worked with such matters for decades, and we take great pride in the fact that Absolut is produced in the most energy efficient distillery in the world. Absolut is produced in one place only (Åhus, Sweden), which additionally helps when it comes to controlling the process and making constant improvements.
Our main suppliers are located nearby, and are greatly involved in the constant refinement and improvement of environmental matters. By collaborating in this way, we believe it is possible to achieve outstanding results in packaging and production without compromising on environmental ambitions. We are just about to release an updated version of the Absolut bottle in which we have reduced glass weight by more than 10%, without compromising on look or feel.

What does the future of luxury packaging look like in your view?
Of course, quality and attention to detail never goes out of style. The substantial is bound to win over the superficial. In addition, personality and individuality will continue to be on trend, since the idea that you are holding an item that is made especially for you, or that you can select an item according to your specific personal preferences, is a valuable concept to consumers. Sustainability and transparency will also be vital parts of a premium or luxury profile. To be able to tell a relevant and true story about your company and brand will be necessary and asked for by more and more consumers.