Tube of the Year competition puts innovators in the spotlight

The winning packages in The Tube Council’s 2018 Tube of the Year competition take tube packaging to a new level—leveraging innovation, technology, design, processing, manufacturing and components.

The competition offers an award for the highest achievement in tube packaging, the Ted Klein Tube of the Year Award, as well as sustainability awards and gold, silver and bronze awards in numerous consumer-goods categories. The 2018 competition received no entries for Best Innovative Component or Process, so that award was not granted this year.

The Tube Council will honor the 2018 competition’s winners in May 2019, at an event to be held in conjunction with Luxe Pack New York.

A panel of six judges, including Packaging Digest executive editor Lisa McTigue Pierce, evaluated entrants’ packages based on consumer appeal, ease of use, technical merit, package graphics, decoration, closure, texture and shape. Read about the Ted Klein Tube of the Year Award winner below. Winners in the other categories follow as such:

Page 2: Personal Care

Page 3: Pharmaceuticals

Page 4: Dentifrice

Page 5: Food

Page 6: Household & Industrial

Page 7: Sustainable Tubes

The injection-molded holographic Tube of the Year, for Pacifica Dream State Power Shimmer Body Lotion, draws the eye.

A “dreamy” package takes TUBE OF THE YEAR

Ted Klein Tube of the Year Award: The Pacifica Dream State Power Shimmer Body Lotion tube won this year’s top honor (see photo at top of page). The injection-molded tube is decorated using an in-mold label with a rainbow hologram featuring cold foil and gradients.

The 5-oz package, which also won the Gold Award in the Best Sustainable Tubes category, is made from 50% post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin. It also features 100% recyclable polypropylene components that are produced using up to 35% less energy. All components are produced under one roof in North America. The package is made by Viva IML Tubes.

“The Tube of the Year delivers on so many levels,” says Pierce, who served on the judging panel this year. “One, this is probably the best example of gradient vibrant color I’ve ever seen on a tube. Two, body lotion in a tube instead of a pump bottle adds to overall consumer delight, because the upside-down orientation helps fully evacuate the product. Three, beyond the eye-catching graphics, the package format itself stands out on shelf. Four, I always give points for an oriented closure: It just looks better, more sophisticated and complete. And, five, the sustainability gains add to the total ‘wow’ factor.”

NEXT: Best personal care tubes

PERSONAL CARE CATEGORY

L’Oréal uses laminate tube to protect hair-coloring creme

Gold Award: The aluminum barrier laminate (ABL) structure of the L’Oréal Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Creme tube provides barrier properties comparable to those of an aluminum tube, protecting the product—which is included in boxed home-hair-coloring kits—from oxygen. Albéa Americas is the tube producer.

Hair-masque package is easy on the fingertips

Silver Award (tie): The Unwash Overnight Hair Masque tube from Viva IML Tubes features an in-mold label with a premium soft-touch effect.

Double the hair care, double the fun

Silver Award (tie): Viva IML Tubes also supplies the Marc Anthony Volume Cocktail tube, a two-chamber package with dual flip cap. The components are 100% polypropylene and fully recyclable.

NEXT: Best pharmaceutical packages

PHARMACEUTICAL CATEGORY

Tube improves dosing for antifungal product

Gold Award: The Tetra FungiFoam Antifungal tube is an airless-tube-plus-pump structure that replaces a bottle and pump. The tube, from Albéa Americas, provides more precise product dosing than the previous package.

Metallic inks embellish high-barrier moisturizer tube

Silver Award: The Pharmagel International Firma Derm moisturizer tube incorporates poly-foil high-barrier technology from Plastube. The package is silk screened using metallic inks to mimic hot stamping but without the cost.

Burn-gel tube keeps kids safe

Bronze Award (tie): A child-resistant closure protects children from the burn gel contained in the Aloe Brazilian Maximum Strength Alocane tube. Essel Propack supplies the package.

Ease of use makes ointment tube pet-parent-friendly

Bronze Award (tie): Dr. Maggie Skin Care Ointment for Pets is packaged in a silver, 20-micron laminate tube with 4-color graphics and a flip-top stand-up closure. The easy-to-squeeze tube is from Montebello Packaging.

NEXT: Best designs for the Dentifrice category

DENTIFRICE CATEGORY

Oxyfresh toothpaste tube brings smiles

Gold Award: The Oxyfresh Lemon Mint Toothpaste tube features a 7-color design with a matte finish over-varnish. The tube, supplied by Montebello Packaging, includes a protective peel seal.

Dr. Sheffield’s brand goes back to its roots

Silver Award: With its metallic silver finish, the aluminum barrier laminate (ABL) tube for Dr. Sheffield’s Certified Natural Toothpaste, Activated Charcoal, was inspired by the metal tube Dr. Sheffield originally used in the 1800s. Albéa Americas supplies the travel-friendly 0.85-oz ABL tube.

Upscale black tube elevates dentifrice

Bronze Award: Silk-screen decorating on a black tube ensures good legibility for small type, plus a tactile finish, for the Dentisse Select 01 package. A silver overshell closure finishes the tube, which is supplied by Plastube.

NEXT: Best food tubes

FOOD CATEGORY

Hain Celestial Imagine uses elegant tube for bouillon paste

Gold Award: With a stand-up cap, easy-open feature and a tamper-evident seal, the Hain Celestial Imagine Chicken Bouillon Paste tube from Viva IML Tubes is both functional and artful, with a bright line drawing on a black ground.

Mole chili paste tube radiates old-school charm

Silver Award: An old-world graphic design, brought to life with translucent inks on silver laminate, gives the Entube Mole Chili Paste tube a retro look. Montebello Packaging supplies the tubes.

Clear laminate showcases Canada’s Best syrup

Bronze Award: The tube for Canada’s Best 100% Natural Maple Syrup, decorated with 7-color digital printing, uses a clear laminate and shoulder to give consumers a view of the product. The tube supplier is Montebello Packaging.

NEXT: Tubes for household and industrial applications

HOUSEHOLD & INDUSTRIAL CATEGORY

Lubricant tube rocks red-and-black graphics

Gold Award: The 8-oz Echo Red Armor Lubricant tube, from Berry Global, is offset printed in two colors. Use of a second printing plate for a black-on-white illustration on the back of the tube assures legibility of the accompanying white-on-black text.

Tube for lubricant-additive provides one-handed use

Silver Award: A 49 millimeter tube with lube nozzle enables users of Amsoil Slip Lock additive to apply the product with one hand during motor repairs. Plastube supplies the tube.

No bronze award was given in this category.

NEXT: Best in sustainability category

SUSTAINABLE CATEGORY

Sustainability informs Pacifica body-lotion tube

Gold Award: The Pacifica Dream State Power Shimmer Body Lotion tube from Viva IML Tubes, which also won the Ted Klein Tube of the Year Award (see p.1 of this article), is made from 50% PCR resin and uses fully recyclable polypropylene components.

Aluminum alternative reduces carbon footprint for L’Oréal

Silver Award: The laminate tube for L’Oréal Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Creme is up to 45% lighter than the aluminum tubes more commonly used for hair-coloring products, and its carbon footprint is 82% smaller. Supplied by Albéa Americas, this package also won the Gold Award in the Best Personal Care category (see p.2 of this article).

Dr. Bronner’s tube material incorporates plant-based resin

Bronze Award: The laminate used for Dr. Bronner’s Cinnamon All-One Toothpaste tube, from Essel Propack, incorporates polylactic acid (PLA) from organically grown plants. Because the material is primarily high-density polyethylene (HDPE), the tube is certified Resin Identification Code #2 recyclable.

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