“360-degree billboard”: Crown champions beverage can circularity, decorative and AR credentials

26 Jun 2023 --- Beverage cans are the most sustainable drink packaging format on the market, claims Florian Combe, new product development and graphics manager at Crown Bevcan EMEA. We discuss the current beverage industry trends and challenges with Combe, exploring metal cans’ green credentials.

Aluminum is hailed for its infinite recyclability. “This places the beverage can at the center of the circular economy and as the most environmentally friendly option for consumers,” says Combe.

“The beverage can is also lightweight, easy to enjoy on the go and comes in a diverse range of sizes, offering great convenience and preferred portioning for consumers. Additionally, material usage continues to reduce in the beverage can, yielding significant supply chain advantages.”

Combe clarifies that while beverage cans are rightly valued for environmental sustainability, convenience and portability, there are several other factors to consider when evaluating packaging options.

“Launching a beverage brand is not just a marketing assignment,” he asserts. “To be successful, a product launch should involve the production, commercial, design and operation departments, as well as key suppliers, from the outset.”

Crown is witnessing an increased interest in decorative can design innovations that enhance consumer engagement.Chinks in the aluminum armor
While there are “no risks involved with cans,” maintaining production speeds and efficiency while achieving high-quality print standards to fulfill a taut supply schedule is the main challenge for beverage can production, according to Combe.

“Our industry is based on remarkably high production speeds – among the fastest in the world. We manufacture cans up to 3,000 a minute while keeping tight tolerances – the wall of a beverage can, for example, is thinner than a human hair.”

“Beverage cans are printed once formed into a cylinder, and before the necking process reduces the top diameter for the can to be seamed. This requires a specific printing technique that allows manufacturers to print the cans at high speed while maintaining exceptional detail and color management across a curved surface,” he continues.

“This technique is called dry offset printing and is specific in the packaging industry to two-piece beverage cans.”

Combe emphasizes that tamper-resistant and durable beverage cans offer superior protection to maintain stringent food quality and safety standards. It is also “perfectly safe” to drink from beverage cans, with special lacquers preventing any contact between the fluid product and the aluminum.

Furthermore, beverage cans’ lightweight and stackable design promote more efficient and eco-friendly shipping, minimizing the risk of product loss and helping reduce the overall carbon footprint.

Distinguished beverage can
Crown is witnessing an increased interest in decorative can design innovations that enhance consumer engagement. Brand owners can achieve that by tapping into a range of decorative techniques or even creating interactive experiences.Variable printing technology allows up to 24 different design variations to be printed in a single run.

“At Crown, we offer a variety of decorative finishes that enhance the beverage can’s design and appeal and enable it to stand out on crowded shelves. These innovative techniques range from special varnishes – adding a matte finish to the can to achieve a premium look, for example, or offering a sensory experience to the consumer with tactile effects – to unique inks visibly reacting to changes in surrounding light and temperatures,” says Combe.

“The latter offers the possibility to create interactive designs that, when placed in the sun or on ice, can transform to reveal new colors, graphic elements or messages in the design. These innovations enhance the product experience and foster optimal consumer engagement with the brand.”

Combe elaborates that variable printing technology allows up to 24 different design variations to be printed in a single run and enables creating a series of collectible cans and attract consumer attention via its non-uniform visual effect. 

Furthermore, he draws attention toward smart packaging innovations – such as laser-etched unique codes – that enable consumer engagement through augmented reality (AR). 

“AR allows brands to deliver a wide range of content and experiences and is ideal for competitions, promotions, and games. These fun, engaging applications are winning consumer hearts and minds across the industry.” 

Kristal Kola launched the Turkish market’s first spring water in cans, with sustainability messaging printed in Turkish and English on the can.Communication, personalization and interaction
Modern decorative finishes and interactive options allow brands to create standout campaigns localized for specific markets and demographics. Working with a supplier that can advise on various options can help brand owners deliver highly personalized and impactful products to consumers.

“Digital print is the latest technology currently being developed in the industry, which aims to overcome traditional printing limitations. It allows greater design freedom by enabling CMYK [cyan, magenta, yellow, and key] prints, recreating the full-color gamut for photorealistic images,” details Combe. 

“It also allows shorter runs, fitting for seasonal or limited-edition offerings and can accurately translate unique, intricate designs onto the aluminum substrate.” 

While the new technology offers opportunities to smaller markets, traditional printing methods provide greater efficiency and value as they are compatible with higher production speeds.

With increased competition in the retail environment, brands need packaging that will capture consumer attention at the point of purchase. “Beverage cans have a large, printable surface area that serves as a 360-degree billboard for brands on shelves, which is typically not feasible with other packaging formats.” 

“In addition, high-definition printing enables brands to depict intricate designs and strong, bold colors directly onto the aluminum can, boosting consumer interaction with the package while communicating a unique identity,” Combe concludes.

By Radhika Sikaria