Holyoke, Mass. – Turning a simple box into an unusual “beauty and the beast” packaging statement, Hazen Paper Company was honored for the second year in a row with “Product of the Year” at the annual meeting of the Association of International Metallizers Coaters, and Laminators (AIMCAL), held recently in Palm Beach, California. The winning entry was a folding carton titled “The Spirit of Innovation” for prestige luxury box maker Autajon Packaging USA, which featured a three-dimensional jewel-toned snake and a female model whose face transformed from super-humanly flawless to gorgeously reptilian when the box was tilted this way and that.

The folding carton was made with precisely registered custom color-motion holography that reflects and refracts light to bring the snake’s sinuous curves to life and allows the woman’s face and eye to blaze with unexpected snake-like gleam. Embossed with a snakeskin pattern and finished with a soft-touch coating, the box is as rewarding to hold as it is to spy on the shelf. Inside, a brilliant sea-green coating contrasts with the rich black exterior.

“It’s a testament to the vision and talent of the Autajon designer that this package is so visually – and tactilely stunning,” said Hazen President John Hazen. “In one package, she clearly demonstrated brand identity and brand protection benefits that can be achieved with holography. I’m proud that our holographic artists were able to deliver on the brilliance of her idea.”

The judges were impressed with the winner’s visual impact and expert combination of registered holograms, embossing, matte and gloss finishes. “There’s a lot of complexity,” observed one judge. “The result is a highly premium appearance,” concluded another.

Hazen also received a “Product Excellence” award for Benefit Cosmetics’ Hoola Quickie Contour Stick packaging, created with silver Ultracure acrylic-coated metallized polyester laminated to paperboard, offset printed in transparent and opaque colors and embossed. Judges rewarded the package for its extensive use of embossing, excellent halftone reproduction, tight registration and vivid green interior, “This is a complete integration of design, metallizing and other elements.”

Founded in 1925, Hazen Paper Company is an innovative paper converter specializing in holographic origination, film coating, foil and paper lamination, metallizing, gravure printing, specialty coating and rotary embossing. A family-run company with multiple manufacturing facilities in Holyoke, MA, Hazen is committed to sustainability, using renewable energy sources to produce specialty materials (paper, film, holographic masters) for worldwide use in box making (folding carton and set-up box), label making (pressure-sensitive and cut and stack), scratch–off lottery and other security-related tickets, tags, and cards (gift, game, trading, greeting, blister), as well as fine art applications. Since 2006, Hazen has produced holographic design, large-format origination and production utilizing a number of leading-edge technologies including Hazen-Lens. Hazen has certification to supply converted paper and paperboards that are FSC, SFI and PEFC certified. For more information, visit www.hazen.com or call 413-538-8204.