General Mills' cartons go 'Jurassic'

Made of 100% recycled paper, the cartons are decorated via Graphic Packaging's (Wayne, PA) Composipac(TM) process. Carried out at Graphic's Lawrenceburg, TN, plant, the converter reverse-prints via gravure a layer of oriented polypropylene film, then vacuum metallizes it and laminates it to the board. The end result of this Composipac process is a glossy structure with a 3-D look and feel aimed at triggering monstrous retail sales. Graphic Packaging says a voice-activated chip inserted by GM during the filling process gives consumers an opportunity to win prizes, including a "Lost World Adventure" trip for eight to Australia and New Zealand. The Composipac process was also used for GM's Team Cheerios cereals, sold in a twin-pack 431/2-oz carton, and 13.7- and 20-oz sizes. The two companies have collaborated several times in the past four years to produce promotional cereal cartons. General Mills opted not to provide packaging specifications.