Seal the deal: Amcor develops bespoke, recyclable closures for premium brands

11 Feb 2020 --- Prolific packaging player Amcor has introduced a new proprietary system for the development of bespoke, dimensional and recyclable closures. The new offering targets premium wine and spirits brands and boasts tailored closures that elevate the design and “demand attention” from consumers. Coined Shape Art, the offering can boost personalization for brands that require a stand-out approach to design or a “trademark” closure that consumers may link to a brand. Moreover, the company is launching a namesake service that will aid its customers in the closures’ production.

Amcor’s ShapeArt offers a way for brands to set themselves apart – both in bars and on retail shelves, according to the company. The closures’ customized shapes can make a powerful impression on consumers, it notes.

“Our ShapeArt process enables producers to work alongside dedicated experts through every phase of design and production,” explains Nicolas Freynet, Amcor’s Capsules General Manager. “This not only speeds production, but it also ensures customers receive the quality products and engineering support offered by Amcor.”

The launch comes as options to tailor packaging faster and more efficiently continues to be a key driver in the packaging industry. Recently, wine industry platform Winerytale launched a synonymous app that allows wine producers to create, manage and market an augmented reality (AR) experience to consumers via smartphone-scannable labels. The closures’ customized shapes can make a powerful impression on consumers, Amcor notes.

ShapeArt service
In addition to introducing ShapeArt to its product range, Amcor is offering a comprehensive ShapeArt service. The Amcor team helps brand owners navigate ShapeArt’s extensive printing and finishing options and engineer the architectural features of their custom closure. This collaboration includes testing the final product on their bottling lines. Where bottling line modifications are required to accommodate the new closures, Amcor’s technical service team advises on equipment and reconfiguring processes.

“The result is a bespoke, recyclable aluminum closure that captures the eye, sparks interest, and creates a compelling first impression,” the company says. Furthermore, ShapeArt leverages Amcor’s STELVIN closure technology, an Amcor original aluminum wine closure. Amcor launched ShapeArt at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento, California, US, last week. 

A wealth of innovation
In the wine space, Amcor has just teamed up with British multi-award-winning start-up Garçon Wines to bring its 100 percent recycled and recyclable letterbox friendly wine bottle to the US market. Last August, the company created the first PET bottles for pasteurized beer in Brazil for New Age’s Salzburg craft beer brand. The global supplier also designed custom 600-milliliter containers for São Paulo–based beverage maker New Age Bebidas that combine a glass-like look and champagne-style base with the convenience of lightweight and shatter-resistant PET.

Further, in response to the growing demand for transparent dairy packaging in Latin America, Amcor developed clear PET bottles that have no strips and resemble glass in appearance. Designed for Brazilian dairy brand Letti, the bottles also use a screw cap, rather than the traditional foil seal barrier found on HDPE bottles.

The company also had a year of notable collaborations and ventures. Last June, Amcor completed the US$6.8 billion acquisition of Bemis. The combined company now operates as Amcor Plc. Furthermore, in September, Amcor became one of the founders of the newly established China E-commerce & Logistics Packaging Standard Alliance, an initiative by JD.com, China’s largest online retailer and its biggest Internet company by revenue. The alliance also brings together six other well-known brands – Heinz, Procter & Gamble (P&G), Johnson & Johnson, Mengniu, Unilever and China Packaging Testing Centre.

Edited by Kristiana Lalou