Product Ventures and Gorilla Glue won the 2020 AmeriStar Best of Show Award for the Gorilla Super Glue Micro Precise package’s structural design. The ergonomically designed, single-use package offers precise, controlled dispensing for the product, which is a new entry in Gorilla Glue’s portfolio.

The easy-to-use package is both visually striking and functionally sophisticated. In the pack design, an inner cyanoacrylate tube of glue is encased in a black plastic shroud flanked by orange, winged buttons.

When the consumer removes the package’s cap, ratchet teeth in the neck of the outer shroud let the cap screw down and puncture the tube. The glue can then flow through the nozzle, dispensing fully. The teeth hold the nozzle securely in place while loosening the cap, even if the cap has become glued the nozzle.

Consumer research conducted by Product Ventures revealed that glue users tend to grip the package close to the nozzle. Thus, the Gorilla Super Glue Micro Precise package has a tapering shape.

“With a broad grip at the top, we created an ergonomic fit in the user’s hand for precise and controlled application of the glue. The overall design conveys the toughness of the Gorilla Glue brand and product by using a broad-shouldered silhouette like the gorilla featured in the branding,” says Ryan Boudreaux, senior industrial designer at Product Ventures.

“This design maximizes the amount of glue that can be released. We designed the packaging to pinch down the length of the cyanoacrylate glue tube, ensuring no product is wasted,” Boudreaux explains. “With this packaging design, the consumer can now dispense more glue while comfortably holding the applicator.”

Aaron Fromm, marketing director at Gorilla Glue, adds: “The Gorilla Glue Micro Precise has an innovative design that allows for maximum control of glue dispensing and placement. No matter how tight or small the area where you are applying the glue, with the Micro Precise applicator you can apply the right amount in the exact right place and not have to worry about messes that can be left behind using traditional packages.”

Economy and simplicity are also hallmarks of the package design. The same black-shroud part can be used on the front and back of the package. Only one shroud mold is required, and the use of a single shroud part simplifies the pack’s manual assembly. In addition, the orange wings can accommodate two glue-tube sizes: 5 grams or 6 grams.

“As with many new products that bring increased benefits, Gorilla Glue Micro Precise comes with increased price to the consumer. We knew these benefits were significant, so we needed to be sure that between the product itself and the naming and claims on the packaging, that it was very clear how the consumer will benefit,” Fromm says. “With the reception we have seen in the market, it is clear that consumers understand and appreciate what we have brought to the table.”