This year’s AmeriStar Award winners were selected by a panel of twenty-one experienced packaging professionals. Entries were rated based on six criteria: innovation, product protection, economics, package performance, marketing and environmental impact. Winning the award is a mark of excellence in the packaging field and recognition of superior achievement.

“We’re especially honored to have received this award,” said Harry Voss, President and CEO of Diamond Packaging. “To have won against such great competition is a real achievement.”

Diamond Packaging produced all of the paperboard components for L’Oreal’s new line of Trix styling products, including the booklet, accordion insert, fold-over coupon, counter display and header. The stunning graphics were achieved by offset printing four-color process inks along with a satin aqueous coating. Several components were also printed on the back to accommodate additional information, such as product tips and instructions.

Diamond’s innovative structural designs allowed the booklet to retain all of the individual product samples in one compact package while maintaining a minimal footprint on the retail shelf. The booklet integrates both a glued sleeve and glued pocket to hold the bottle and interactive CD, respectively. Resealable glue is then applied to the pocket to hold the removable accordion insert. The fold-over card incorporates a perforated coupon on the inside panel, thus eliminating a separate component and simplifying the overall design.

Diamond Contract Manufacturing (DCM) provided all of the fulfillment, including automatically applying glue to four panels of the insert to hold the packette samples; gluing the accordion to the inside of the booklets; inserting a bottle, CD and coupon into the booklets; packing the booklets into the display or bulk case; and sequentially bar code labeling each display or bulk case. Adhering to the narrow timeline of the project, DCM produced a total of nearly 200,000 booklets in just 16 days! The result is a product promotion that delivers impact at hair salons, and asserts an edgy, fashion-forward image for the company.

AmeriStar winners will be prominently displayed in kiosks in the Showcase of Packaging Innovations at PMMI’s Pack Expo show, October 13-15, 2003, in Las Vegas, NV.

Since 1911, Diamond Packaging has dedicated itself to providing the highest standard of quality, innovation and cost effective packaging for companies including The Gillette Company, Eastman Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CooperVision and L’Oreal USA. As part of the Global Packaging Alliance (GPA), Diamond Packaging and its alliance members offer packaging solutions to companies operating on an international scale. Customers receive responsive, localized service, identical product specifications and consistent brand recognition, resulting in a streamlined worldwide packaging supply.

For more information about Diamond Packaging, contact Dennis Bacchetta at (585) 334-8030 x229 or visit the website at www.diamondpackaging.com. For more information on the competition, contact Carole Schiller at (630) 544-5050 or visit the Institute of Packaging Professionals website at www.iopp.org.