While Coca-Cola is getting excited about its bottle's 100th anniversary (all year, in 100 countries and in very many ads), Gillette is getting excited about its no-rust can. Gillette Fusion ProGlide Sensitive Shave Gel + Skin Care 2-in-1 may be an "innovation in smooth shaving" but even Gillette is more excited about its packaging "innovation".
“According to a recent survey* by Gillette, 35% of American men say shaving messes are a frequent cause of arguments with their significant other—more than the 28% who cite leaving the toilet seat up as a reason! With that in mind, Gillette has constantly strived to revolutionise the way the world shaves, and today, is continuing that commitment with the launch of the new Gillette Fusion ProGlide Sensitive 2-in-1 Shave Gel Plus Skin Care that guarantees a rust-free bathroom,” the company stated.
The “innovation in smooth shaving” – combining shave gel and skin care ingredients – is playing second fiddle to the can’s features - a no-rust plastic package design, a dispenser that eliminates nozzle leaks to reduce mess and a gel gauge that lets users see how much product remains to reduce waste...
...Because according to the same Gillette survey, men rate avoiding shaving messes (46%), preventing rust rings (39%) and knowing how much gel remains (48%) as improvements they would like to see in their shave gel.
And this is how Gillette is getting the message about its new can to red-blooded Americans. (It is not launched in Australia yet.).
With a song called Rusty Bottoms:
Here are the packaging facts behind the promises:
- The body of the new shave-gel package is a rigid container made almost entirely of plastic, so there’s no possibility of rust.
- The transparent, colourless container is decorated with a full-body shrink label that is printed with a combination of matte and gloss effects. The matte areas are comfortable to hold.
- The label is designed with a see-through panel that functions as a gauge to let consumers see how much product is in the container. The calibrated, vertical window rises up the side of the top third of the canister.
- The package’s closure incorporates a movable, inner (orange) component and an outer (blue) component. The orange piece twists less than a quarter turn, which enables the consumer to turn it from the “locked” position to “dispensing” and back again. An audible click confirms locking and unlocking. To dispense the product, the consumer rotates the orange piece to the open position and presses the button on top of the closure.
- An internal dispenser tube connects the closure assembly to the body of the package. The package is composed of several moving parts but has no removable parts.
- Although not visible, the package has a non-conventional dispensing design that allows for 360 degree dispensing. It uses compressed air dispensing technology from Airopack. An internal piston system works with pressurised air to dispense the gel, without using chemical propellants.
- To eliminate messy nozzle leaks, the package features a Clean Dispense Actuator that seals immediately after the consumer dispenses a dollop of gel.
Brenda Bynarowicz, marketing director, Gillette North America, commented, “While we were pleased guys enjoyed shaving with our latest razor, the Fusion ProGlide with FlexBall Technology, when reviewing the holistic shaving experience we found they were still dealing with common frustrations that could set them back. Knowing a guy’s morning routine sets the stage for his entire day, we looked for ways to better it— and we feel we’ve done that with our new Fusion ProGlide Sensitive 2-in-1 Shave Gel Plus Skin Care product.”
Gillette research details: Gillette and Ketchum Global Research & Analytics, worked with Ipsos to conduct an online survey of 300 men in the United States between the ages of 18 and 40. Interviewing was completed between 10/23/2014-11/3/2014. The margin of error is +/- 5.66% and results are reported at the 95% confidence level.
