Typical NIVEA, Typical Man!

“When is a man a man?” the famous German singer Herbert Grönemeyer asked himself in his 1984 song “Männer.” About 30 years later a Beiersdorf project team asked itself the question “When does a man choose NIVEA MEN?” The two packaging developers responsible for global packaging, Peter Steidle and Klaus-Peter Stange from Beiersdorf’s Research & Development, found the perfect answer for the tins of the new NIVEA cream for men. At the end of September this year it was awarded the German Packaging Prize 2015 in the category Verkaufsverpackungen/Hygiene & Kosmetik (“Retail Packaging/Hygiene & Cosmetics”). The jury praised among other things the high quality of the aluminum cream tin. Other masculine details like “the impressive stamping of the cover and the laser printing” were also noted the jurors. So much so in fact that they named the blue-silver aluminum tin with its ribs and grooves the winner. The project team was also able to create something that refers back to the classic NIVEA Creme in the blue tin.

“The award is a great affirmation of our many months of hard work,” says Packaging Developer for Metal Packaging, Klaus-Peter Stange. His colleague Peter Steidle, Packaging Development responsible for NIVEA MEN as a brand expert adds, “The foundation of our success was our high-functioning team.” This core team consisted of ten people from various disciplines like Formula Development, Supply Chain, Marketing, Quality Assurance and the involved production site Beiersdorf Manufacturing Hamburg (BMH). “We are grateful that we were able to overcome so many challenges together.”

And in fact, a whole series laid in wait for the packaging experts: it began with an ambitious timetable. “We have managed it to realize a challenging timing, says Peter Steidle. Usually such kind of projects take up to more year more time. The overall timing was reduced due to the fact that quite a few project steps ran in parallel and because the involved risks were managed professionally. The developers also brought in external partners like the family company Desjardin. The French company is specialized in metal packaging. Together they translated the design concept into a technologically feasible solution. The affiliate Beiersdorf Manufacturing Hamburg (BMH) also played an important role in collaboration with the department of Technology Development. The company contributed its many years of experience in automated filling of NIVEA Creme in large quantities. “We all literally threw our knowledge into a pot,” says Klaus-Peter Stange, “so we were also able to develop new knowledge.”

It’s not just the quality of a product that has to be right. High-quality and attractive packaging also has a very high priority at Beiersdorf. The packaging experts in Research & Development know: packaging pushes products on shelves into the spotlight and ideally provokes a positive emotional impulse in consumers. When intelligently designed they are delivery systems, sales pitches and product advertisements all in one. In the case of NIVEA MEN Creme, which has been available in stores since spring 2015, the goal is to clearly win over new consumers for Beiersdorf’s products for men. “I think in this respect we’re on course,” says Peter Steidle. “Whether consumers, colleagues, families or friends – the feedback that we have received about our cream tin is really great.” The thoroughly successful market entry also fits this picture and the “German Packaging Prize 2015” is the best evidence of that.