The Magic of Materials

Once Upon A Time: An inspiring project by Avery Dennison for beauty brands

The room exuded magic, creativity, and lots of energy. The guests started arriving and were immediately fascinated by the different ideas laid out as if they were jewels under the glass bell jars of the display. All present were captivated by ten beauty packaging prototypes that were based on classic fairy tales with an unexpected twist of social sustainability.

After a year and a half of intense work, Avery Dennison, in partnership with Supperstudio and together with its other collaborators Amorin, EGISA, ESTAL, Etinsa, Etiquel, FAVINI, and KURZ, introduced the Once Upon A Time project to the Beauty sector at Casa Rius in Barcelona.

During the official presentation, Miguel García, Business Development Manager, Premium Solutions at Avery Dennison, highlighted: "The project aims to show brands in the beauty industry the possibilities of label materials and the benefits they can bring to their products. Brands that are, above all, experiential. It is precisely the label that provides a new brand experience for its finished textures and shapes."

Packaging and label designs are, without a doubt, the first points of contact between a brand and its consumers. During the event, we spoke to some of Avery Dennison's customers, who shared their impressions after the presentation.

According to Marius Yebra, Secondary & Tertiary Packaging Manager at Puig, the Spanish company behind Love Brands (encompassing fragrance, fashion, make-up, and dermo-cosmetics with leading brands such as Carolina Herrera and Paco Rabanne): "The packaging of a product is the first thing the customer sees so it has to be attractive, transmit sensations and above all the essence of the brand."

Along the same lines, Bárbara Mendoza, Director of Operations at Perfumes y Diseño (PYD), a renowned Spanish luxury perfumery and cosmetics company with high-profile brands such as TOUS or El Ganso, pointed out: "The first contact our customers have with the brand is the visual one." 

Once Upon A Time is a disruptive design proposition capable of communicating Avery Dennison's expertise and ability to partner with premium brands in the search for materials and solutions. The seven prototypes all turn a traditional fairytale on its head through the lens of modern-day social and equality issues such as ageism and body positivity. 

As Miguel García explains: "Each concept aims to improve society. Rethink and adapt them to the 21st century. This project aims to be an opportunity for brands. Today's consumers are looking for new experiences, so the brands that delight them, align themselves with their values, and are a reflection of our society, will have guaranteed success. Many brands want to be part of real life and those of their customers, so they need to listen to their concerns and find solutions that make their lives easier."

"These events are always interesting to us because they showcase applications we don't normally envisage. It is normal for suppliers to send us samples, but it is extraordinary to be able to witness such applications as in the Once Upon A Time project," said Marius Yebra, while adding: "Avery Dennison's eco-friendly and sustainable labels are totally aligned with Puig's values, especially as we have a strategy between now and 2030 to reduce plastics and work more and more with recycled materials. For example, we will use Avery Dennison labels on a cosmetics product launching soon with the Fasson MarbleBase material. We chose this material because it offers us the same properties that plastic materials gave us but with a much more sustainable character."

For the PYD team, sustainability is also a priority: "The sustainability policy part is something that society is demanding, and PYD is getting involved through eco-design and the innovations available such as Avery Dennison's solutions."

Each Once Upon A Time prototype attempts to offer a new way of applying materials, which customers value highly. It's a way to help brands get out of the box and rethink the presentation of their products.

For Marius Yebra from Puig: "These ideas are very useful when it comes to reinventing our brand. Seeing these applications, we can extrapolate them to our ongoing projects."

On the other hand, Barbara Mendoza recognizes: "As brands, we know a lot about many things, but we are not specialists in any particular one. The suppliers make us grow and help open our eyes to new opportunities and innovations, such as the applications that form the Once Upon A Time project. Using Avery Dennison labels can open up new possibilities for our brand. We want the end customer to feel good, not only thanks to the design but also through the materials. The contact with the materials has to transmit sensations to ensure that customers remember us."

With the Once Upon A Time project, Avery Dennison brings the magic of materials to its customers through the reinvention of the classic tales of The Ugly Duckling, Beauty and the Beast, The Three Little Pigs, Pinocchio, Snow White, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Rapunzel, the Goose with the Golden Egg, and Sleeping Beauty. Paco Adín, Creative Director of Supperstudio, the design agency that collaborated in this innovative initiative with Avery Dennison, explains: "The project was born to inspire brands to innovate both in the use of materials and in the development of new applications to achieve truly innovative ideas."

To learn more about Once Upon A Time, read our detailed article.