DESIGN INNOVATION

Dow Industries Re-energizes IZOD Fragrance Brand

Gemini Cosmetics & Grace Beauty LLC recently performed a unique redesign of Gemini's IZOD Fragrance line using a highly reflective mirror-quality label affixed to both the front and back of the ice blue glass decanter.

The IZOD fragrance is a unique citrus blend inspired by the cool feeling of frosted air with warm aromatic notes, according to Gemini. The brand owner considers it a new wave in men's fragrance that brings to life the adventure, adrenaline, and energy of the IZOD lifestyle. It's released from a chiseled, ice blue reflecting cube decanter.

The original package design incorporated an injection-molded plastic piece that was electroplated for a high-gloss finish. The packaging proved to be expensive and difficult to assemble. Jonathan Needham, executive vice president of operations at Gemini/Grace, and his team took on the challenge to achieve the same aesthetics, while offering some economies with cost, application, and branding.

Needham elicited the help of Dow Industries to develop a more cost-effective solution for brand identity, which was becoming particularly important as the product line was quickly moving into additional distribution channels. "I provided the overall concept of using a high-quality label, and [Dow] provided the technical solution of the unique label stock," says Needham.

The label idea was born from a meeting between Walter Dow, CEO, Dow Industries, Andrew Farquharson, president, Dow Industries, and Needham during which a label sample was considered that was used in a non-fragrance application. Gemini was trying to achieve a very clean, athletic look, according to Needham. "It is a technical looking package with very azure blue-based roots," he says.

Dow Industries was able to respond by sourcing and converting a 7-mil mirror quality polyester with a permanent adhesive for automatic application. The key attribute needed on the mirror-quality polyester, reflectivity, was very important to the design of the label, according to Needham. "The label was replacing a vac-metalized plastic piece, which was highly reflective," he explains.