From White to Bright

When Penederm Inc. (Foster City, CA) was planning the introduction of its Avita tretinoin acne medication, the firm wanted a package that would present the product as a serious, effective medication while differentiating it from existing treatments. According to the company, Avita is an effective treatment for acne and related skin ailments with a gentler effect on skin than competing products. Penederm wanted the prescription medication to catch the eye of busy dermatologists, who are accustomed to medications packaged in tubes in innumerable shades of white. However, use of a flashy tube design would not protect the conservative image of a reliable, tested product.

In addition to coming up with a respectable-yet-interesting-looking carton, Penederm needed to package the cream in an aluminum tube to prevent oxidation. Finally, explains Ed Hugo of the company's marketing department, the new tube design had to maintain the family look of Penederm's other products, which include medications used to treat skin ailments ranging from acne to fungal infections.

The family-oriented look of Avita's aluminum tube combines an image of reliability with a touch of color.
 

Penederm turned to Montebello Packaging (Oak Park, IL), a manufacturer of aluminum tubes for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Working with Penederm's design group, Montebello developed an aluminum tube coated with a white enamel finish and a soft beige neck in an effort to capture the look of a reliable prescription medication. Designers then overprinted the brand name Avita in a blue typeface, flanked by a multiple-colored geometric graphic, which added a slight touch of cosmetic tube styling. The packaging helped convey Penederm's description of the product: "a smooth, cosmetically elegant formulation that delivers tretinoin efficacy." The result is a crisp, professional-looking tube touched with color to catch the eye. The color design is repeated in the tube's carton and in Penederm's product literature and support materials.

The family-oriented look was also easy to maintain. "The design echoes the graphics of Penederm's successful Mentax prescription antifungal cream," explains Hugo.

Colors vary in the geometric designs and neck bands on each tube to distinguish the products and their variations. Avita, for instance, is available in both a cream and a gel.

Avita was introduced nearly two years ago. Without divulging specific sales figures, Hugo says that Penederm has been pleased with the product's reception and progress.