Oriented Polypropylene Film for Packaging and Labeling
Case Study Perry’s Ice Cream
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New Packaging for Perry’s Ice Cream Sandwiches
A Hot New Look
Working Together to Wrap Everything Up
A
midst the ice cream novelties in the local convenience store freezer exists an eye-catching reminder of the impact film has made on frozen novelty packaging. For several years, major marketers such as Haagen-Dazs and Good Humor have used polypropylene film to improve the shelf appeal and freezer endurance of their products. Eager to enjoy the benefits of film and level the playing field with premium novelties, Perry’s Ice Cream®, a mid-sized, regional dairy in Western New York, changed the packaging of its ice cream sandwiches from paper to plastic. Perry’s new solution uses a film developed by ExxonMobil Chemical specifically for the frozen novelty market: OPPalyte® 45 WOW white opaque oriented polypropylene. OPPalyte allows Perry’s to sell individual sandwiches in freezer cases and compete against high-end stick items and other premium novelties. The white opaque film adds a layer of protection from moisture and a platform for improved graphics, as well as excellent stiffness, optimum hot slip, and a peelable seal for increased “eatability.” Users can run OPPalyte 45 WOW on both horizontal-form-fill-seal and vertical-form-fill-seal machines. For Leigh Menzel, purchasing director at Perry’s, developing a package that presented consistent and appealing graphics was essential to competing with the national brands. “Premium frozen novelty manufacturers have wrapped their products in film for a while now and we knew a packaging change was necessary for us to compete,” says Menzel. “We chose ExxonMobil Chemical because of their ability and willingness to develop a film for our application, not change the application to suit the film.”
Designed specifically as an overwrap solution for ice cream sandwiches, OPPalyte 45 WOW gives products a glossy, upscale look, previously unattainable with traditional paper wrap. “The development of OPPalyte 45 WOW came out of a commitment to further our leadership position in the frozen novelty market” says Gregg Ockun, product manager, ExxonMobil Chemical. “45 WOW’s addition to our OPPalyte family of films, which also includes STW and WOS-2, creates a comprehensive array of brand enhancing film packaging options.” ExxonMobil Chemical unveiled the white opaque film at the 1999 Worldwide Food Expo in Chicago and received immediate positive response. Steve Balzer, equipment research and development technician at Norse Dairy Systems (NDS), says he recognized an “incredible opportunity” for ice cream sandwich makers in 45 WOW. NDS provides ice cream sandwich wafers and manufacturing capabilities to Perry’s. “In my 15 years in the ice cream sandwich packaging business, I’ve never seen a product with more potential to change the industry. The chance to use a registered polywrap for ice cream sandwiches has made a significant impact because of the opportunity to increase brand awareness and graphic appeal,” says Balzer. “Paper can’t compete with the film wrap.” Perry’s Menzel agrees, “Being able to produce a register printed overwrap allows us to present individual ice cream sandwiches to the consumer in a user-friendly fashion. The package has a consistent and recognizable graphic element and the store can scan the bar code each and every time,” he says.
Several years of research and development preceded OPPalyte 45 WOW’s introduction in 1999, including a significant amount of collaboration between ExxonMobil Chemical and NDS. “We involved NDS in the search for a film substitute for paper overwrap early in the process,” adds Ockun. “Their expertise on the machining process helped us to understand the critical fit for use characteristics required to run successfully on the equipment therefore decreasing the time it took to develop 45 WOW.” Ockun also attributes a commitment from Perry’s to the product’s early success. “Perry’s willingness to explore new substrates to differentiate themselves in the marketplace was critical. The process wouldn’t have gone nearly as well without Perry’s participation.” As with most new product developments, OPPalyte 45 WOW faced several challenges on its way to the marketplace. Early on, the project encountered difficulty with static electricity causing the film to stick and jam the ice cream sandwiches at the entry point into the retail package. ExxonMobil Chemical and NDS quickly solved the problem by increasing the film’s gauge and replacing the stainless steel parts on the packaging equipment with a plastic material called Delrin®. Menzel says the teamwork impressed him. “ExxonMobil Chemical worked with us on the composition of the film and supported NDS in its efforts to enable the wrapped sandwiches to enter the retail packaging with ease,” he added. A Success Story for Perry’s, NDS and ExxonMobil Chemical Menzel reports “very positive” feedback regarding the switch to the register printed film overwrap. “Our retailers have reacted positively to the new look that film gives our product,” adds Menzel. “The improved package definitely opened doors to some new business opportunities for us.” For ExxonMobil Chemical, sales of OPPalyte 45 WOW have grown considerably since its introduction in 1999. “Every successful application like Perry’s further proves the benefits and capabilities of OPPalyte 45 WOW,” says Ockun. “Interest continues to grow rapidly for both printed and plain business and I expect this trend to continue as the frozen novelty industry becomes even more competitive.”
Perry’s Delicious History Located in Akron, NY, Perry’s Ice Cream has been dishing out ice cream treats for nearly 85 years. Morton Perry, a broom maker, founded the dairy when he bought a very small farm with a horse, a wagon, and a few very good customers. The dairy started as a wholesale business, delivering milk to customer homes in and around Akron. In 1932, Akron High School approached Morton and asked him to provide ice cream to its cafeteria. Excited about the potential to expand his young company in the middle of the Great Depression, Morton used his mother’s family recipe for ice cream. As demand for the ice cream increased, Perry’s began delivering to local stores and restaurants. In the early 1950s, Perry’s pioneered the use of round pint containers for packaging ice cream. This package, complete with a plastic window in the lid, became the first product sold under the Perry’s label. By the early 1980’s, the dairy had grown into the regional force that it is today.
We chose ExxonMobil Chemical because of their ability and willingness to design a film for our application.
Leigh Menzel Perry’s Ice Cream Purchasing Director
Background: Sandwich wrapped in paper. Foreground: Sandwich wrapped in OPPalyte® 45-WOW