UNIQUE
PRODUCT DESIGN

With so many brands out there, nobody wants to be caught in the middle. You either aim to be a premium or a value brand. Premium products manage to create a perception of higher quality. Value products are about being practical, offering the essential for a lower price. Many of those who are in the middle have decided to put a lot of effort into moving up. Premiumisation is still going strong, e.g. in the drinks category.

For a brand to move from middle to premium, the type of marketing changes. This has a direct impact on Point of Sales materials. We here at PES have noticed, already about ten years ago, a strong increase of enquiries for premium POS material. For menu holders this meant that plastic became less often the preferred choice of material but rather metal or wood. Materials which are valued for their more premium look and feel. Granted, it does have to do with sustainability, too.

Case study: Laško bottle opener

Pivovarna Laško, engl. Laško brewery, is the largest brewery in Slovenia. It is named after the town it is located in. The brewery was founded in 1825 by Franz Geyer, a gingerbread baker. In 2016, Laško and another Slovenian brewery, Union, merged into Pivovarna Laško Union, which is owned by Heineken.
For their best-selling brand, Laško Zlatorog, which is a pale lager, we had been asked to develop a custom give-away. A small item that would be used during multiple brand activations, both within the On-Trade and Off-Trade channels.

An image, on a white background, of a full bottle of beer. In this case a light Laško Zlatorog lager. both the glass and the labels on it are predominantly green.

Concept development

Given the brand communication focus around the Goldhorn, we decided to focus on the horn as a distinctive element. We picked a bottle opener as the product category because it:

- offers the possibility of creating a unique design
- requires a relatively small tool investment
- is a cost-effective POS material option
- is a widely used product within the beverage industry, particularly for beer drinking
- it is a practical object
- is a small object and can therefore, from a logistical perspective, easily be distributed

3D concept development software (rendering)

Our product design and engineering team share the same office. Therefore, as soon as an initial concept has been developed, either via Solidworks or ArtCam our engineers are able to provide feedback. In regards to the tool development and other production requirements.

If the relief structure is a bit more intricate, our engineering team can help by using a professional 3D product software, to upgrade the visualisation. This assures that, before we email clients render visualisations, concepts have already been optimised for the later production phases: prototyping, tooling/PP sampling and bulk production. In this case the relief structure is extra important. Because it adds, ontop of the visual distinction, a tacticle dinstinction to how consumers perceive this Laško bottle opener.

Prototyping

With custom product development, we always recommend to include a prototyping phase. Before moving forward with tool development and the production of a PP sample. It is important to align around the overall design, shape and dimensions, before investing time and money into a tool. In most cases we use 3D printing technology for creating prototypes. Made out of plastic. Additionally, we provid the client with samples of the material we plan on using. In this case die cast ZAMAC, a zinc alloy, with an antique brass finish. We operate both casting and electroplating in our own workshop, located in Zagreb, Croatia.

Tooling and PP sampling

After the client has approved the prototype, we start the tool development. This means we create a mould, consisting out of two halves, from high quality stainless steel material.
After the tool is ready, we use it to produce a pre-production sample (PP sample).

Once a PP sample has been approved, we proceed with bulk production.

Diecast Laško bottle openers. Still in their raw state, made from ZAMAC, a zinc alloy.

Brass plated Laško bottle openers.

After the bottle openers have been electroplated in brass, they undergo another production phase during which a black patina is being added.

Bulk Production

Via this patina the metal finish gains an aged type of look. It turns into an antique brass finish. During this stage the surface still has a few, tiny elements that are rough to the touch. We therefore place them into a big bin that can be switched into a vibrating motion. This bin contains small, ceramic cone shaped pieces that assure the surface of each Laško bottle opener becomes smooth. This is very crucial for achieving a positive, tactile experience when using the product.

A custom product such as this bottle opener better aligns with the brand's story. It is a distinctive product which people will notice and perceive to be of higher value.