E Ink and Texen have announced a collaboration to bring personalised packaging solutions to cosmetic customers. The smart packaging design concept combines E Ink's low power, high contrast paper-like display technology with Texen's packaging expertise to create customisable packaging displays for makeup compacts, perfume bottles and other cosmetic packaging.
The E Ink display, powered purely by near field communications (NFC), can be updated by a smartphone that generates radio frequency signals carrying both the information and energy needed to update the display. Once an image is switched, the display will continue to show the information with no further power input required.
With E Ink's ultra-low power technology, along with lightweight, flexible and easily visible characteristics, the customisable E Ink displays will be more effective in bringing personalised messaging to packaging, which has largely remained static until now. In addition, the resulting packaging provides consumers with the following benefits:
- Personalisation features: consumers can put their names on their makeup compacts and perfume bottles or write personal messages to gift recipients
- Neuro-cosmetics: combining well-being and a unique sensorial experience, E Ink displays will be the interface to bridge consumers’ digital lifestyle with the product itself
- Connected cosmetics: connectivity will be the vehicle for targeted advertising and social media campaigns
- DIY beauty formulation: E Ink display modules can integrate sensor or diagnostic components to enable beauty treatments based on skin condition as affected by factors such as weather, and humidity
The solution is currently available and E Ink and Texen are taking customer orders.
Stéphane LESPRIT, TexenLab Innovation Manager at Texen, said, "With the rise of beauty on a micro scale, our partnership with E Ink looks to enable our cosmetic customers to be the first to offer customizable digital packaging." Stéphane added. "With E Ink’s battery-free, thin, lightweight and durable technology, brands could enhance their packaging without having to alter the shape and design of their packaging, truly making this solution a first for the industry."
Hui Lee, senior director for business development at E Ink, said, "As products and packaging design continue to go digital, ePaper is increasingly emerging as the technology of choice." Hui Lee added, "Our technology has brought innovation to industries once reluctant to change, such as the pharmaceutical market. We are looking forward to working with Texen to expand the realm of possibilities for the beauty packaging industry."