Gillette shave-gel package says ‘no’ to messes, rust and guessing

Kate Bertrand Connolly 1, Freelance Writer

February 26, 2015

3 Min Read
Gillette shave-gel package says ‘no’ to messes, rust and guessing
Non-metal canister dispenses shaving gel from any angle.

Gillette is taking personal care packaging in a new direction, with a plastic rigid container for shave gel that addresses several irritants men deal with when shaving. The packaging design for Gillette’s Fusion ProGlide Sensitive 2-in-1 Shave Gel Plus Skin Care products eliminates nozzle leaks and rust that can mar bathroom surfaces, as well as uncertainly about how much gel remains in the package.

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In a recent online survey of 300 American men, Gillette learned just how meaningful it would be to eliminate these sources of mess and frustration. Fully 46% of the respondents wanted to avoid shaving messes, 39% wished to prevent rust rings and 48% wanted a way to know how much gel was left in the can. Further, 35% said shaving messes frequently caused arguments with their partner.

To overcome these issues, Gillette designed a shave-gel package that differs in almost every way from the aerosol cans historically used in the shaving category. For starters, 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, colorless container is decorated with a full-body shrink label that’s printed with a combination of matte and gloss effects. The matte areas offer fingertip appeal via soft-touch tactility.

To let consumers see how much gel is in the package, the label is designed with a see-through panel that functions as a gauge. 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. The mechanism emits an audible click to confirm locking and unlocking. To dispense the product, the consumer rotates the orange piece to the open position and presses a nubby 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 multiple moving parts but has no removable parts.

Although not apparent from outward appearances, the package has a nonconventional dispensing design that allows for 360-degree dispensing. It uses compressed-air dispensing technology from Airopack. An internal piston system works with pressurized air to dispense the gel, obviating the need for 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.

In addition to revealing the package-related problems men face with shave gels, Gillette’s online survey showed that 60% of men want a smoother shave. Thus Gillette formulated Fusion ProGlide Sensitive 2-in-1 Shave Gel Plus Skin Care with a cooling skin-care agent that provides a smoother and more comfortable shave. Gillette positions the shave gel as a complement to its Fusion ProGlide manual razor with FlexBall Technology.

The shave gel comes in multiple scents, including Ocean Breeze, Alpine Clean and Active Sport. Fill weight for the canister is 6 oz.

About the Author

Kate Bertrand Connolly 1

Freelance Writer

Kate Bertrand Connolly has been covering innovations, trends, and technologies in packaging, branding, and business since 1981.

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