Unilever colors its hair care world

Food & Drug Packaging, Dec, 2000

An innovative bottle coloring system highlights a brand new image for the Suave product line

To many consumers, shampoos look too much alike.

To help its Suave[R] hair care products stand out on store shelves, Unilever set about revitalizing and updating both the product line and the brand's image. Formula upgrades and line additions--including new children's products--led the way, supported by a stylized graphic logo treatment and a series of colorful new bottles.

"We wanted to create a heightened shelf presence that would signal a difference in consumers' eyes," says Ralph Blessings, marketing director for the Suave masterbrand.

Management for Suave planned a different color for each product package--ranging from a dark blue pearlescent to a light strawberry--to give each of its 15 shampoos and conditioners its own personality.

To achieve those colors cost-effectively, the health and beauty aid company turned to the technical experts at Clariant Masterbatches.

Clariant's colorant expertise and responsive service gave the new line of shampoo vibrance without stretching the Suave production budget.

Clariant's greatest challenge was to create a look of visual continuity throughout the varied pallet of bottle colors. The manufacturers wanted to achieve eye-catching colors able to outshine those of higher-priced competitors, colors that would say "new and improved" to consumers. At Suave's lower price range, any packaging cost increase passed along to the consumer would affect its competitive strength.

Clariant created the final solution using a tri-layer, blow-molded highdensity polyethylene bottle with a two-part color system. A softer, more subtle appearance is produced from this bottle structure with the primary or base color introduced into the middle layer only, creating the desired hue and opacity. The masterbatch for the outside layer contains a blend of pearlescent pigments that provides both reflection and translucence.

The result, overall, is that of a light "dusting" of pearl over a solid-colored base. By adjusting the level of luster in the outer layer, Suave was able to maintain an upscale, consistent appearance across the entire product line.

Same concept, different effect

In contrast, the Suave children's product bottles are in eye-catching primary colors to outshine competing brands in this special market segments. To create a new bright look, the Clariant packaging team again developed a two-color system for tri-layer HDPE bottle.

The masterbatch colorant for the outside layers was formulated to deliver the primary color and limit the total opacity. Underneath, in the middle layer masterbatch, a brilliant, high opacity white was used to provide a bright undertone and reflection through the color on the outside layer of the bottle. Keeping the inside layer white also helped keep costs down.

Clariant Masterbatches developed the formulations and prototyped the bottles in its McHenry, Ill. facility, then introduced the result to individual blow molders, outlining the complete color structure for the new packaging. "The Suave restage has been a great success," says Blessings. "At the close of the first full year, sales had increased by 15% over the previous year. A large part of that success has been the heightened shelf presence created by the new packaging designs."

Clariant Masterbatches (410) 770-3155 www.clariant.masterbatches.com

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In a nutshell

Goal: Revitalize and update product and brand image

How: Use two-color system on each of 15 products to help stand out on store shelves

Result: A 15% increase in sales during the first full year