The winners of the 2013 etma Tube of the Year competition were announced during the European tube manufacturers association’s (etma) annual congress. A jury of specialists from etma member companies awarded prizes for the best tubes in four categories: aluminium, plastic, laminate and prototype.
Tubex Slovakia won the aluminium tube category with a tube design for the Guergi cosmetic brand. The design uses only three colours: black for the text, a copper tone as the base of the tube and red dots for special emphasis. The surface lacquer contains fine particles that create a sparkling sheen and adds special haptics to the tube.
Albéa, meanwhile, scooped the plastic tube one for its range of massaging applicator tubes, for body care, face care, eye care and other localised applications. The metal balls provide a pleasant cool feeling, while their rotation is said to stimulate microcirculation and enhance the benefits of formulations. In addition, integrated on/off switching devices ensure economic and hygienic application.
Essel Deutschland provided the winner in the laminate tube category: a 250ml tube for L’Oréal EverRiche. The tube comprises a laminate with an aluminium barrier layer. It is printed with a holographic cold foil and can be flexo-printed in up to eight colours; a special flexo-printing technique had to be developed to create the characteristic gold effect in the aluminium layer of the laminate.
The award for best prototype went to Tubex Rangendingen’s Autumn tube. The plastic tube is printed using a combination of screen- and flexo-printing, and an energy efficient LED drying process is used for each individual colour. The result is the photo-realistic image of the face of a young woman and a screen-printed butterfly that is matt lacquered for an extra haptic effect, while the rest of the tube has a high gloss finish.
“The tube is increasingly attracting attention at the point of sale and is contributing more and more to conveying emotional brand images with its precise reproduction of colours, holographic effects and other features,” commented Gregor Spengler, etma’s Secretary General. “Exciting methods of application and uses as well as haptic sensory experiences for the consumer lead to long lasting brand bonding. As a marketing tool, the tube is thus becoming an ever more valuable form of packaging year after year.”