“We were exploring ways to stay competitive, especially during holiday time, and realized that innovative packaging has the power to increase shelf appeal and provide added value to consumers,” recalled Torsten Kringel, Diebels’ packaging manager.
Measuring 180 mm (7.1”) in diameter x 240 mm (9.5”) high, the cylindrical tin was supplied by the Specialty Packaging Division of Crown Cork & Seal (Philadelphia, PA). Cans were stacked five on the bottom and five on top in the promotional tin. A “food-approved” gold lacquer inner coating allows consumers to re-use the tin as a food storage container. The body and lid are coated with white, with the body flexo-printed in six colors; three for the lid. The container features a world map with continents shaded in Diebels’ corporate green, and the oceans tinted in the copper color of Altbier. The design also includes printed images of clocks showing the time in Issum and major cities worldwide.
“Diebels had worked with Crown Cork & Seal on other projects, and we were impressed by their flexibility and the speed at which ideas could be turned around,” says Kringel. “Crown’s Specialty Packaging team completed the whole process, from the drawing board to product launch, in just two months.”
While this particular promotional tin was sold in Germany in late 1999 through last summer, its success makes it likely that Diebels may use such a tin again. “Yes, if we feel the time is right to do that for a certain product,” Kringel confirms. “First estimates were for sales of 50ꯠ units, but in the end we sold almost 150ꯠ units.” —JB
