Ball Corporation presents its new metal can design solutions

At BrauBeviale 2018, Ball Corporation showcased its new design solutions for metal can packaging.

Speaking with Alex Clere, Marianne Freund, marketing manager for the company, explained how Ball is keeping up with innovative design needs in its new selection.

“We always try to go the extra mile for our customers, and we have a number of innovations which we are really excited about showing at Brau,” Freund said.

She continued:  “Day Glo is a series of ink colours that are extra bright to highlight part of your designs both during the day and at night.”

Ball’s Day Glo technology can allow for brighter designs to stand out in foodservice environments such as bars and pubs.

Ball’s Day Glo solution allows for a fluorescent way to bring a brand’s story across.

Texture is also something that Ball wanted to include in their new design offerings.

“Our customers always want a can that can carry contrast and, in a very elegant way, allow messages to come across. We have a new innovative solution called Spot Matte. Within this design, we have glossy inks and matte inks.”

Ball presented Spot Matte in the way of a landscape design, where different shades and textures were used to give an idea of contrast and texture for customers to highlight various characteristics of products.

The Spot Matte option is another way to bring high contrast to a product’s message.

Communication is key to the beverage market, and with the rise of craft beers and sodas, consumers largely are communicated with through on-pack messages.

Freund explained: “Especially today with the growing variety of customers, they really need to communicate uniquely about their product through the design of the can, so 360-degree design is really important.

“We also offer an alternative to a QR code, which comes in the form of a watermark beneath the can design, which we call our enhanced can.  With your smartphone, you can then very easily scan the can anywhere on its surface.

“In a split second, you are then directed to where the brand wants the user to be.”

Ball Corp’s watermark technology connects the consumer to the brand at point of contact.

This can be connected to augmented reality, a website, or a promotion, which easily allows for interactivity and connectivity with consumers. The technology also ensures that the can’s surface design is not disrupted, as the code can be subtly integrated into this.

Freund also presented Ball Corporation’s top-of-the-can printing solutions.

“We have a dual printing solution from Russia which will be available to customers from as early as mid-2019. This can allow customers to communicate what makes their product special as consumers can instantly read a message as they open the drink.

“We also have a brand new solution: a four-colour printing technology to make a product stand out when the consumer is keeping beverages in the fridge, for example – even when stacking them with the top facing out of the fridge, you can read the message or brand from the offset.”

The top-of-can design solutions bring a 360-degree feel to a can’s design.

Freund expressed the importance of well thought-through designs, especially in the early stages of product development: “I always encourage customers to think about if a part of their design is hidden, for example ‘don’t drink and drive’ – you have to be very careful that the message is not lost.”

Marianne Freund was speaking with FoodBev’s Alex Clere at BrauBeviale 2018.

Copy by Harriet Jachec.