Venus Rising for Diamond Packaging

Gillette taps Diamond Packaging, and its Global Packaging Alliance partners, for consistency and quality in the international Venus shaving system launch.

by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor

WHEN A PRODUCT invokes the Roman goddess of love and beauty, its packaging had better be something special. The Gillette Company realized this early in the development of its Venus shaving system, and called on Rochester, NY-based Diamond Packaging to deliver an eye-catching yet cost-effective line of cartons and razor cards for the product launch. The 90-year-old independent folding carton converter worked with Gillette on its MACH3 launch two years ago, and lists such other notables as Eastman Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, and Xerox on its client list.

As a co-founder and member of the Global Packaging Alliance (GPA), Diamond also offered Gillette an extended international family which would be involved in the design, development, proofing, and printing of the carton throughout the world.

Carton collaboration

Recognizing a need for standardized, consistent packaging throughout the manufacturer's global market, Diamond Packaging President Harry Voss joined forces with German printers Colorpack and Leunisman to initiate the North Atlantic Packaging Alliance in 1991.

Over time, other international players joined, and the association was rechristened the Global Packaging Alliance (GPA). In addition to Diamond, Leunisman, and Colorpack, newer members Hale Packaging and Colorpak provide an Australian base for GPA operations. Soon, companies in both Russia and Brazil will be introduced formally as members, and Diamond management hopes to locate another Pacific Rim converter, perhaps based in Hong Kong, in the near future.

Diamond's family-run business philosophy has encouraged its board to seek out similarly managed international partners for the Alliance. As Director of Marketing Lisa Palvino notes, "We are all privately owned, with a focus on the long-term success of each of our businesses." She affirms member companies have dedicated themselves to investing in complementary technologies, personnel training, and aligned business systems, to maximize the Alliance's global presence and service capability. The family ethic permeates the GPA and has encouraged its growth, Palvino continues, because members share information, technologies, and business systems on a global basis. This level of partnership enables the exact same carton to be printed in Rochester, Berlin, or Sydney—a critical requirement for companies dependent on consistent brand recognition.