CROWN Speciality Packaging North America, a business unit of Crown Holdings Inc., is helping game and toy companies stand out in the entertainment industry with enhanced metal packaging. With the growth of the global games market, which stood at $78 billion in 2011¹ and is expected to reach the $100 billion mark² by 2015, brands are looking for support in creating innovative package designs. Analysts attribute the industry’s growth to the combination of a higher standard of living and the increased perception of the importance of pursuing leisurely activities.³ Crown combines its knowledge of metal packaging with a collaborative approach from initial concept development through to the product launch to help maximize success.

“There are traditionally two types of game and toy consumers — those who primarily like to actually play with the item, and those who see their purchase as a collectible,” says Sheila Heath, marketing manager, CROWN Speciality Packaging North America. “In both cases, consumers are increasingly recognizing the value of premium packaged goods. This, coupled with the growth of the market in general has led to decorated metal tins often being utilized as the primary container, rather than PVC or cardboard.”

Crown works with brands to develop customized containers and customers can take advantage of a range of standard toolsets and sizes to reduce development time and maximize efficiencies. Advanced decorative technologies, including high resolution printing, can be paired with embossing to produce the impression of movement through the use of shadows and enhance the look of the game’s imaginative characters or designs. Innovative shaping or Crown’s window technology can give a partial view of the product inside the package, and decorative technologies such as the HoloCrown allows for holographic images to be stamped directly onto metal tins.

Toy and game makers are also focusing on more sustainable packaging options. Metal’s resistance to wear and tear can extend the lifespan of a toy, and even when the original consumer no longer uses the product itself, the packaging endures. Some choose to collect the tins, while others pass the game forward to a new owner. Alternatively, consumers that choose to recycle packaging can feel good about the environmental benefits of metal. Metal is 100 percent and infinitely recyclable, meaning it can be reused in the production of new packages with no degradation in quality.

1 www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/307784/toys_and_games_global_industry_guide
2 www.reportlinker.com/ci02218/Toy-and-Game.html
3 Ibid