The Evo flask (for evolved premium blends) is a Winston brand extension that “offers very tangible benefits,” Edmund Leary, senior vice president for marketing, says. “Our research indicated that smokers would fully anticipate having to pay more for this product, so that’s our intention. The flask packaging marks the first dramatic redesign of the cigarette box in the past 30 years. The introduction means the end of ‘smashed’ cigarettes.”
The curved, hinged-lid pack is produced by Nypro (Clinton, MA), which also applies the top foil inside. Reynolds loads the cigarettes in a 2x10 configuration into the flasks from the bottom on totally new packing equipment, says Carole Crosslin, a spokeswoman. Then a plug is inserted to seal the pack.
Next, the pack is decorated with body, top and bottom labels that are metallized paper printed in four colors via rotary letterpress and coated. A hologram is hot-stamped onto the top and bottom of each pack. Labeling also required a unique “wrapping-type” applicator and a new adhesive because of the curved surface. “We knew we found the right one when we could not detach the label without leaving a residue on the pack,” Crosslin says. She describes the packing and labeling equipment as “one-of-a-kind.”
Later, the packs are loaded into 10-count paperboard cartons in a 2x5 stand-up configuration so they become countertop displays. The flask package began limited distribution in April, due to limited production, Crosslin adds. Reynolds was cagey about the retail price, saying only that it will be more expensive than other Winston brands, if, as is common, those brands are discounted at retail. —AO
