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Dial ratchets up liquid soap packaging

A multicompany partnership combined to create new lenticular, three-dimensional labels for clear hand soap bottles.

Each of the three-dimensional labels for Dial's clear liquid hand soap (above right) is made up of two images: if you compare th
Each of the three-dimensional labels for Dial's clear liquid hand soap (above right) is made up of two images: if you compare th

Dial’s 7½-oz bottles of clear liquid hand soap are really ready for action. And not just for cleaning. New three-dimensional, dual-image front labels not only catch the consumer’s eye on the shelf, but they also encourage kids to wash their hands.

That was the goal behind one of the most ambitious label redesigns ever for a consumer product for mass merchandising. All Dial’s partners had experience creating lenticular products—printing behind a light-diffracted plastic “lens”—but few involved packaging. And those that did were generally short-run, promotional packs.

First, Phoenix-based Dial has a partnership with Busch Entertainment to use Busch Gardens and Sea World names in its packaging. “Dial is also the official soap of the Anheuser-Busch theme or adventure parks,” says Heather Schneider, brand manager for liquid Dial. “A year ago, we included some Sea World characters on labels of our liquid hand soap line.” This year’s lenticular label project was far more complex.

Second, Dial’s packaging partners in this project include long-time design consultants, Fisher Design; a specialist firm in lenticular printing, Travel Tags; and CCL Label, whose Memphis, TN, plant has had experience dealing with lenticular labels. CCL Label converts printed lenticular sheets of three designs into rolls of pressure-sensitive labels in a sequence. The roll labels are then applied at Dial’s packaging operations.

Developed plan internally

“We developed the idea internally to try lenticular labels,” says Brian Houck, Dial’s director of creative services. “Through our procurement group, we found the suppliers that could help us learn how to use the technology and flow it into our production. And how it could be an affordable option. We knew the technology was available, and we hoped it was a possibility for labels on this kind of product. We did some quick experimental orders and found out that it was viable.”

At the concept stage, Fisher Design worked closely with Houck at Dial and with people at Busch. “You need to have a good concept. Without it, three-dimensional isn’t going to help,” points out Trey Smith, senior accounts director at Fisher.

Houck says Dial decided to go with a roller coaster because it’s reminiscent of a theme park. Meanwhile, Busch suggested the giraffe image, he says, because it’s one of the primary images it uses in communications. And tigers were exotic and furry, so “we knew we could do something cute with them,” he adds.

Still, all the images were the products of the designers and illustrators at Fisher. For each label, two separate images were needed because that provided the animation or motion feature as the label is viewed from different perspectives.

Learning about lenticulars

Before the images were finalized, all of the partners participated in a telephonic seminar on lenticular images. “We had a conference call to outline the guidelines we offer about the images that work best, the colors, and contrast,” says Ryan Kjolhede, sales associate at lenticular printer Travel Tags. “Fisher then produced hand-drawn images and then converted them to high-resolution computer images they sent to us.”

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