Paperboard trends to watch: Digital finishing, everyday luxury, multiuse design and the cannabis craze

16 Aug 2018 --- The Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) has released what it sees as four emerging trends in the paperboard packaging market, as a result of its annual North American Paperboard Packaging Competition. Manufacturers submit hundreds of folding cartons and rigid boxes into the competition each year, making it a solid platform for monitoring upcoming trends and new converting technologies.

Digital upping its game
The number of digitally-converted cartons entered into PPC’s competition has been increasing for the last several years – so much so that the association decided to create a new digital category for the 2018 competition.

Not only did 2018 see a record number of digital entries, but the judges also agreed that the quality has skyrocketed. In many cases, it was hard to tell the difference between digital and traditional printing. One judge even commented that high-quality digital printing may be more than a trend. It might become the standard for short-to-medium runs going forward.

Additionally, 2018 was the first year where digital finishing enhancements, such as the raised gloss effects from Scodix, were popular in the competition. The judges were excited to see digital finishing executed commercially and suspect that it may become the rage over the next few years.

Brian Westerlind, Communications Manager at the Paperboard Packaging Council tells PackagingInsights: “In 2019, we will probably see more and even better digital designs. Digital finishing will likely grow in popularity (i.e. Scodix). For the past few years, we’ve seen lots of premiumization in design as many different segments continue to take advantage of all the high-end finishing techniques that can be used on paperboard. This trend should continue.”

Luxury design in everyday products
Paperboard is often the first choice of substrate for luxury markets. Yet, this year’s competition saw upscale printing and finishing effects even in everyday market sectors. For example, for the first time in the competition, the judges saw soft touch coating on a six-pack beer carton. 

Graphic Packaging International highlighted this trend with their Kellogg’s Extra Creations cereal box. The black, gable-top carton has overall matte varnish, spot high-gloss coating with embossing, and gold foil stamping. The non-traditional shape, color, and effects all work together to create a unique, upscale feel that grabs consumers’ attention amongst the sea of rectangular cereal boxes in the grocery store. 

The judges stated that it was excellent to see new market sectors taking advantage of what paperboard does best – offer premium branding and graphics that help brands sell their products.

Creative multiuse designs 
The competition featured cartons that not only branded and protected products but also provided consumers additional value after purchase. 

WestRock submitted one such carton for Asahi beer. Not only is the design graphically unique for the beer segment, but the structural design of the bottom tray also enables the pack to display cans and hold ice. This allows consumers to keep their beer cans cold on the beach or wherever their adventure takes them.

Other interesting entries included a spooky, glowing Jägermeister carton designed to illuminate consumers’ Halloween parties; a rigid paperboard Ferris wheel that served as a showpiece for upscale cosmetics; and several packages that utilized augmented reality or allowed consumers to access virtual content with their smartphones.

Cannabis craze
A unique cannabis carton manufactured by All Packaging Co. took the top award in last year’s competition. The 2018 contest also had several folding cartons and rigid boxes designed for the cannabis industry. Cannabis cartons generally have two major functions: branding and childproofing. This year, some entries were quite strong in the branding aspect, featuring soft-touch coating, foil stamping and spot UV. 

Others designs took it a step further by adding creative locking mechanisms made entirely from paperboard. These designs put paperboard’s nearly limitless structural possibilities on display. As the cannabis market grows, so too should its demand for paperboard packaging. 

The top winners of the 2018 North American Paperboard Packaging Competition will be announced at PPC’s upcoming Fall Meeting, October 24-26, in Atlanta.

Edited by Laxmi Haigh