Crown Wins Multiple Awards for Innovative Designs Across Global Competitions

As Crown Holdings, Inc. looks back on 2022, the company reflects on numerous accolades that its global teams were awarded at The Canmaker Summit, Asia CanTech conference and the International Metal Decorating & Packaging Association (IMDPA) conference—three events which honor innovation and differentiation in metal packaging.

Crown’s cans received recognition for applying distinctive decorating techniques, using novel forms and finding new efficiencies—in one application reducing material usage by up to nearly 13%. The company was also recognized for creating a unique look and feel for newly launched products.

The winning designs originated from diverse markets including Thailand, France, Brazil and the US, from Aerosols, Food and Beverage businesses, highlighting Crown’s ability to deliver region-specific solutions.

“We are proud to receive these innovation awards from top industry organizations because they highlight the many ways we meet customer needs in any global market,” said Dan Abramowicz, chief technology officer at Crown. “From protecting brand identity to helping reduce carbon footprints, our technologies demonstrate our dedication to collaborating with our customers and setting them apart from their competitors. They also highlight our commitment to our Twentyby30program, which aims to accelerate sustainability in metal packaging and across our value chain.”

The unique Chaokoh can for coconut milk, which received the overall Supreme Winner Award and the Innovation category award at Asia CanTech, as well as Silver at The Canmaker Cans of the Year Awards in Prague, solved a counterfeiting issue for Crown’s customer Theppadungporn.

One of the largest coconut product fillers in Thailand, Theppadungporn became aware of counterfeit cans replicating its product, and in response, Crown replaced the traditional can beading with proprietary Quantum debossing technology. This solution not only prevents counterfeiting but also helps the cans stand out on the shelf with a unique, unmistakable texture.

The technology provides a distinctive golf-ball pattern on the can body that also allows for an almost 13% material reduction compared to traditionally beaded cans, thereby enabling an additional benefit of significantly reducing the product’s carbon footprint.

“Crown’s design solution for the Chaokoh coconut milk can addressed multiple business imperatives, including minimizing risk and increasing distinction on shelf,” said Kieatisak Theppadungporn, director and factory manager of Chaokoh. “Not only does it protect our brand integrity, but this debossing technology improves our sustainability measures by using less material, while still meeting high speeds on our existing production lines.”

Additional recognition at The Canmaker Summit included a Silver award for the Therezópolis Gold Lager 350ml can, which features a tactile varnish to build brand differentiation. Crown also won Bronze in the Aerosols category for its Spirit Spritzer 3.4oz body spray can, one of the offerings in a new line of scents for 18.21 ManMade. For this product, Crown’s experts worked closely with the personal care brand to implement its vision for premium, eye-catching packaging, creatively implementing an oversize coat tinplate with metallic elements.

“This win is the result of a true team effort to combine areas of expertise,” said Mark Gojkovich, graphics manager of Crown Midwest Graphics. “Our decoration experts at Midwest and the operations team in Spartanburg produced these standout cans—an achievement accomplished by the collaborative effort of everyone involved.”

Crown secured further recognition at the IMDPA awards, which took place in Itasca, IL, and recognized excellence in printing and decoration technology across the metal packaging industry. Crown Bevcan EMEA won the Two-Piece Beverage Award for Excellence for a suite of Kronenbourg Blanc beer cans, while Crown Beverage Packaging North America won the Two-Piece Craft Cans Beverage Award for Excellence for its design of the “Leave No Trace” can for Great Basin Brewery. The team also received the Best of Category for Craft Cans for Real Ale Brewing’s Hop Sprocket beer can.

“Our teams work closely with customers worldwide to bring their visions to life through innovation and impactful product presentation,” Abramowicz said. “These awards, and their diverse categories and parameters, validate the strong range of shelf differentiation that our designs provide across global markets.”