12.11.2008

Brau 2008: Completely printable can end offers consistent branding

Designable in up to 10 colours

Nuremberg, 12th November 2008 – Ball Packaging Europe is filling a market niche: Working together with the Swedish inventor, Magnus Rönnberg, the company has developed the Pure Brand End, a completely printable can end. The innovation brings with it new can and brand design options.

Up to now can end design has always been subject to constraints; consequently the area around the opening tab remained colourless and unbranded in most cases. For marketing experts this is a regrettable state which in future will be a thing of the past. The Pure Brand End supplied by the beverage can maker Ball Packaging Europe optically enhances the beverage can all round: graphics and images of people now decorate the entire container without the seal and drinking opening being omitted. This enables the can to strengthen its position as an image maker for the beverage can market.

Can completely "dressed up"
It is the simple principle which makes the Pure Brand End so convincing: A foil which it is possible to print in up to ten colours covers the can end completely – including the seal and the drinking opening. Can end and foil are glued together with hot wax forming a bond with adhesive force and this prevents the can end from becoming detached. It is still easy to open the can: The foil is pre-perforated at the seal and drinking opening and it therefore remains completely bonded to the metal. "The Pure Brand End is a successful solution all round," says Robert Jansen, Director Innovation at Ball Packaging Europe. "The consumer still enjoys the same drinking comfort: the design options open to the beverage industry increase - that signifies great progress for the producer and filler alike."

Also suitable for small batches
Ball Packaging Europe expects to launch the Pure Brand End on the market soon. The production process is suitable for both larger and smaller batches.  "The Pure Brand End is particularly ideal for short-term promotional campaigns", explains Robert Jansen at Ball Packaging Europe. "The end becomes the eye-catching feature of the can - printed it offers beverage producers many benefits“.

Ball Packaging Europe
Ball Packaging Europe is one of the leading beverage can makers in Europe with 2,700 employees at 12 production sites in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Poland and Serbia. The company is a subsidiary of Ball Corporation USA, which produces high-quality metal and plastic packaging for the beverage, food and household goods industries. In addition Ball Corporation supplies aerospace technology and other technologies and services, predominantly to the US-American government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries worldwide employee more than 15,000 staff and reported turnover of around 7.4 billion US dollars in 2007.

Printable photo material relating to this press release can be found in our photo data bank (www.ball-europe.com) under “Press/Image database”.
You can visit Ball Packaging Europe at the Brau Beviale from 12th to 14th November 2008 in Nuremberg, Hall 4, Stand 109.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99.2 in our Form 10-K, which are available at our Web site and at www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials, including recent significant increases in resin, steel, aluminum and energy costs, and the ability to pass such increases on to customers; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions, including our beverage can end project; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; and changes in foreign exchange rates, tax rates and activities of foreign subsidiaries. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include: funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: accounting changes; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures; integration of recently acquired businesses; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental and workplace safety; governmental investigations; technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.

<- back to overview