Steel paint cans bring Crown's decorative effect paints to life

Citation

(1999), "Steel paint cans bring Crown's decorative effect paints to life", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 28 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1999.12928bad.027

Steel paint cans bring Crown's decorative effect paints to life

Steel paint cans bring Crown's decorative effect paints to life

Keywords British Steel, Crown, Packaging, Paints, Steel

Akzo Nobel Decorative Coatings has specified steel for its new Crown Decorative Effects paints, to ensure the packaging gives the consumer a true photographic visual of its new finishes in the range. The appearance of the new steel cans clearly differentiates Crown's new Decorative Effect Finish range (Plate 11).

"Packaging is critical to the success of our new range of decorative effect paints", says Stephanie Knowles, retail marketing director, Akzo Nobel Decorative Coatings. "No other packaging material could promote as effectively the richness, intensity and textures of the new range. Simply by looking at the new packaging, the consumers can imagine what their bedroom or bathroom could look like."

Plate 11 Crown Paints launches its new range of Decorative Effect paints in steel packaging

British Steel states that, unlike other materials, steel enables graphic designers to achieve excellent visual results by applying hexachromic printing techniques directly to the flat surface of the metal. The six colour process produces sharper, more lifelike images of the finished decorative effect.

The use of high performing grades of packaging steels, from British Steel, has helped to relaunch the metal paint can. The new Crown paint cans are lighter, stronger and more durable than ever before. "We wanted a quality packaging material that helps to enhance what is now the leading range of decorative effect paints on the market. Steel also has the added advantage of being 100 per cent recyclable."

Unexpected windfalls from building society shares, the downturn in the property market and the increased media interest are identified as key catalysts to the current DIY renaissance. The numerous publications and programmes on decorating and interior design have educated consumers about the "easy-to-do" alternative and special effect techniques that can be used to improve their homes rather than having to consider the cost of moving. This has in turn led to a greater demand for special effect paints.

Crown consulted with Akzo Nobel's Aesthetic Centre (based in Malmo and Sassenheim) in order to predict interior design trends. Textures were identified as the next development in home decoration. In response to these findings, and the knowledge that the consumer was keen to explore different textures in the home, Crown Paints launched the UK's most comprehensive range of decorative effect paints.

"Crown Paints' new Decorative Effects range is a perfect example of an application where steel packaging is not only functional but reinforces the quality look of the product. Steel lends itself so well to decoration that Crown has been able to communicate, through the packaging, the surface textures that will appear after using the product", says Hilary Moss, marketing manager, British Steel, packaging business.