Chanel revamps Chance flacon with g.pivaudran

Luxury brand Chanel continues to push ahead with its sustainable packaging strategy. The latest initiative? A switch from brass to aluminum for the metal bands on its Chance eau de toilette (EdT) bottles. Previously in varnished, galvanized brass, the bands are now made of anodized aluminum, which are easier to recycle and weigh less. Made in France by packaging supplier g.pivaudran, the components are assembled at Chanel’s partner glassmakers in France and Italy. g.pivaudran will be showcasing the work at Edition Spéciale by LUXE PACK, which opens its doors in Paris tomorrow, June 7th.

“Aluminum can be fully recycled, time and time again. Galvanized brass, on the other hand, is more difficult to recycle due to its galvanized coating,” Hervé Delaigue, Sales and Development Director at g.pivaudran tells Formes de Luxe. “Aluminum will also be lighter than brass, meaning a smaller carbon footprint at transport.” Aesthetically, explains g.pivaudran, the switch in materials is invisible for the consumer.

Overcoming technical challenges

Replicating the premium aesthetic of galvanized brass using anodized aluminum required several prototypes and numerous surface treatment trials, says the supplier. The curved bands with glossy finish were delicate to handle and represented a technical feat on account of their thinness (0.6mm) and the tolerance of the glass flacons. “The cut-out area around the bottle neck where the fragrance pump passes through weakens the strip considerably, due to the small amount of material remaining,” explains Delaigue. “An additional difficulty lay in finding a common geometry for the aluminum band, adapted to the circumference of each glassmaker's bottle and to each of their assembly processes.”

g.pivaudran supplied the anodized aluminum bands for all of Chanel Chance’s EdT fragrance formats. Chanel will first roll out the 100ml, followed by the 35ml, 50ml and 150ml versions for 2024.

This is the latest in Chanel's string of packaging initiatives with a sustainability slant. The brand used glassmaker Pochet du Courval’s SEVA3 glass grade with 15% recycled content for its Chanel N°5 in celebration of the cult fragrance’s 100th anniversary, it’s N°1 range was focused on lightweighting and using recycled and recyclable materials, and the Les Beiges compact created with packaging supplier Texen is in recycled PET. Chanel was also a precursor in form-fitting molded pulp secondary packs for fragrance with supplier Knoll Packaging back in 2021; Dries Van Noten, Lancôme and Guerlain have since launched similar packs.

Aluminum bandsg.pivaudran