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This presentation will last about 20 minutes with some time at
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Welcome to the webinar!
Presenters
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Brian Hui
Liam Maddock
Danielle Olesen
The ChromicTech Team
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Project Manager
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Mathew Miller
The ChromicTech Team
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Event & Marketing Team
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Brian Hui, Afm Rupal, Nara Szutu
The ChromicTech Team
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Social Media Team
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Danielle Olesen, Jessica Augusto, Tiia Lahe
The ChromicTech Team
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Communications Team
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Sehar Seikhe, Melissa Yung, Liam Maddock
Today’s Agenda
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What are thermochromic inks?
Who uses thermochromic inks?
Working with your printer and thermochromic inks
considerations
What are Thermochromic Inks?
…and how do they work?
What are Thermochromic Inks?
Thermochromic inks change colour as a result of a
change in temperature.
http://www.techpin.com/thermochromic/
http://www.cooljewels.com/whole
sale-mood-ring.aspx
http://plasticprintingny.com/thermochrom
ic-ink-printing
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Let’s Get Scientific
Credit: http://www.chromazone.co.uk/Thermochromism.htm
How do they work?
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Thermochromic inks change colour in one of two ways:
1.
2.
Thermochromatic Liquid Crystals (TLCs)
Leuco Dyes
Thermochromatic Liquid Crystals
(TLCs)
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An increase in temperature will change inks with TLCs from
black to any colour
Advantages
Extremely temperature accurate
Disadvantages
Expensive
The effect of the liquid crystals can deteriorate over
repeated exposure to UV light, water and chemicals
TLCs are most commonly used
in plastic thermometers
http://www.cis.rit.edu/fairchild/WhyIsColor/Questions/2-5.html
Leuco Dyes
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As the temperature increases, ink with leuco dyes change from
colour to translucent.
Leuco dyes can also be mixed with other colours to create a
two-tone effect as the temperature changes.
Advantage
Disadvantage
Leuco dyes are more stable than TLCs, which makes
them more versatile.
They are not temperature accurate.
Leuco dyes can be
incorporated into a
multitude of products,
ex. bottles, cans, clothing,
plastics, etc.
http://www.plastech.biz/news/article_4499_1/Ball-furtherenhances-thermochromic-ink-technology
http://www.houseautomator.com/arch/kit
chen-automation/
Who uses Thermochromic Inks?
Companies have used thermochromic inks before for a unique
marketing purpose!
Companies/Products we focused on…
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Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream
Mars
Carling Beer
Duracell
Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream
The “Dip n’ Win”
Promotional Campaign
Location
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Häagen-Dazs sells ice cream world-wide
This promotion was held specifically outside Häagen-Dazs
cafes in Europe
Goal of the Campaign
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To reinforce the company’s brand image of having 100%
perfect ice cream in a creative and interactive manner
To help introduce trail flavours
To increase traffic in cafes and stores
The Product
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A “stick-it-in-to-win” card.
An oblong shaped card with a circle on one end printed
with thermochromic ink.
The circle end gets pushed into cold ice cream, licked
clean and reveals a % figure.
The % figure determines the prize won in-store.
The Promotional Campaign
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Employees would stand outside Häagen-Dazs cafes handing out the
“Stick It In To Win” cards to anyone who walked by.
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Consumers then had to go into the café and buy some ice cream in
order to reveal the % figure for prizes.
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All prizes could be seen inside the stores
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The largest prizes were Häagen-Dazs scooters
Employees reinforced that the top prize (100%) was another large scoop of
Häagen-Dazs ice cream- a clever ploy by Häagen-Dazs to emphasize that they
had the best ice cream.
The Results
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This campaign increased store traffic and created a lot of
new excitement around the ice cream brand.
The campaign also successfully marketed them as being
100% perfect.
Ice cream sales increase 30% while the campaign was
running.
Mars Bars Chilled
Mars Campaign
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Goals:
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To encourage sales of chocolate bars in
New Zealand during the Summer
months.
Implementation:
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6 different designs were released. Each
one had an area of print that used of
theromchromic ink. When these bars
were chilled bellow 4 degrees the Mars
name would change from white to blue.
During this campaign they also handed
out tickets at events and promos that
were printed with thermochromic ink.
When the tickets were chilled a
message appeared with over a 50%
chance of it declaring you a winner of
free talk time.
Billboards and print ads were focused
near to the beaches and in corner
stores in New Zealand to increase buzz
in areas where chilled treats are most
desired.
Carling Beer: Cold
Lion/Taste Lock
Carling Campaign
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Goals:
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To Increase interactivity with
customers.
An added value asset for the
product that assists both
customers and retailers.
“With thermochromic, we are
rewriting the rules of cold. No
longer are the measurements
of cold touch and taste alone:
we’re absolutely thrilled to be
introducing the technology
that allows you to tell when
your Carling is perfectly cold
to drink, on sight alone.”
Carling Campaign
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Implementation:
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A small image of a can, lion or knot (depending on which version of
the can you are dealing with) turns white to blue when cold
Carling’s cans are steel unlike the Coor’s can. When printing on these
cans you do not require a varnish in order to reduce damage to the
print.
86% of customers say it is important to drink a cold beer.
62% of consumers say they would pay for this product.
In having a visual cue on when a product is cold or not it can assist
with last minute purchases. If the customer is aware that the beer
they are thinking about purchasing is cold by a visual aid and not
simply just touch, they may be more inclined to buy.
80% of shoppers consume their alcohol on the date of purchase.
Results from a Survey...
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After collecting data from a Survey of individuals (Male and
Female) aged 18 to 32, all of whom were priory enrolled in a
post secondary institution or currently are, the following
conclusions were drawn:
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Price sensitivity is high when purchasing alcoholic beverages (
Approximately 60% of the purchase is based off of this alone).
Followed by brand knowledge and appearance
Consumers are willing to purchase a newly packaged product out of
interest if it is placed at the same price point however when a price
increase of 5% is added the likelihood of sales drops to around 20%.
When consumers are presented with a potential new product
approximately 40% of the sale is made on image alone.
When purchasing a luxury brand product approximately 75% of
consumers will be more inclined to go for the same product if
presented in a new package. However this number decreases to 23%
when the newly packaged product requires a travel time of +15
minutes.
Duracell Battery with
POWERCHECK
“Smart Power you can see – no more throwing away batteries
with power left in them!”
History
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1996 began selling AA size batteries with testers
Ultra Advanced with Powercheck became available near
the end of 2009
The ink
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Uses 2 types of inks
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2.
Conductive Ink
Thermochromic Ink
http://cdn.coolest-gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/duracell-powercheck.jpg
The ink
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Conductive Ink
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Printed on a flexible plastic that is placed on the side of the
battery
Connects the electronic current and allows it to flow
Generates heat for the thermochromic ink
The ink
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Thermochromic Ink
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Uses leuco dyes
Printed on the other side of the plastic.
The Product
Printed with thermochromic ink
Plastic material
Side printed with
conductive ink
Battery
modified from http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5557208.pdf
The Product
The Product
Marketing
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“Ultra Advanced with POWERCHECK is power that
you can see, and it demonstrates Duracell’s
commitment to develop products that build on the
brand’s strong heritage of reliability and trusted
performance. With POWERCHECK, the days of
guessing whether a battery has enough power are in
the past” - Rick June, Duracell VP and general manager
(http://news.duracell.com/press-release/duracell-product-news/duracell-unveils-new-battery-gauge-showingpower-levels)
Marketing
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Retail price is about $8.99 for a pack of 6 AA/AAA
batteries
Selling points
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Designed for high-drain/frequently used devices
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Ex. MP3, digital camera, video game control, etc.
To use up the battery until it is empty
Lasts 30% longer
Marketing
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Promotion
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In 2011 between April 19-25, customers are able to partake in
an event where they test their own power, which was hitting
the Duracell “High Striker”
Marketing
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“This is an ideal platform for consumers to
experience the superior power of Duracell Ultra
with POWERCHECK™. These batteries are ideal for
high-drain devices such as toys and digital devices. No
other alkaline lasts longer and with Duracell
POWERCHECK™ you can literally see how much
power you have left,”- Jason Frichol, head of
marketing at the Fore Good Group
http://www.bizcommunity.com/PressOffice/PressRelease.aspx?i=142332&ai=58872
Advantages and Disadvantages
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Advantages
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Provides consumers information about how much power the
battery has when they need it
Gives the user the maximum usage of the battery
Disadvantages
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It does not give an exact amount, such as determine the
voltage.
Thermochromic Ink Considerations
Working with Your Print Company
Uses
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Ink can be adjusted to change at different temperatures
for its intended use
Thermochromic pigment is often used in dyes and paints
Recycling Thermochromic Inks
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Not hazardous or dangerous
Treated the same as standard ink for most converters
Leuco Dyes
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Easy to work with
Greater range of applications
Used by CTI – largest manufacturer of the ink
Environmentally sound
Don’t interfere with recycling
Contents
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Thermochromic inks contain
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Gel vehicle, freeflow vehicle, drying agent, lithographic varnish,
ink wax, polyester vehicle, polyglycol solvent, colloidal
dispersion resin, water and a defoamer
Cost
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More costly than traditional inks
Placed in small areas to minimize costs
Printing Processes
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Can be applied to most printing processes
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Lithographic printing
Flexographic printing
Rotogravure printing
Considerations when printing
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Certain solvents can ruin the dyes
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Aldehydes, ketones, diols and many aromatic compounds
should not be used with thermochromic inks
Can substitute these solvents with a solvent that is not as
reactive
Considerations when printing
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Ink must be kept pH neutral
Ideally kept between 6.5 and 7.5 pH
Ideally kept with low acidity
Considerations when printing
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Printed as a spot colour
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Requires no mixing with solvents, alcohols or other inks
Negative effect on colour and printability
Mixing with alcohol results in a permanent colour change
Print Quality Considerations
Adhesion
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Best used with absorbent paper and boards
Used on a variety of substrates
Rub Resistance
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Low resistance to pressure so it requires a varnish
Recommended that it is printed on wax free inks
Ink activated at cold temperatures
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Less than 20°C/68°F
Use of a matte laminate
Ink activated at hot temperatures
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Greater than 20°C/68°F
Use of a gloss laminate
Colour Strength
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Colour strength of reversible thermochromic ink is
weaker than conventional ink
Light and translucent inks
Light Fastness
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Recommended for use with little exposure to UV light
A protective UV varnish could be used to help protect
the ink
Ink Film Thickness
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Requires a thicker ink film thickness due to the light
colour
Results in more dot gain
Reversible thermochromic ink can be printed on other
inks for a more vibrant colour
Dilution
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Supplied at an appropriate print viscosity
Only water should be used to thin the ink
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No more than 15%
Adding other thinners could alter the effectiveness of the
ink
Drying
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Dried with hot air dryers or IR lamps at a maximum of
70°C/158°F
If printed product is being stacked make sure there is not
too much pressure being applied if the ink is not coated
in a varnish
Handling
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2 part ink system that is to be mixed prior to use
Water based ink containers must be kept shut
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Minimizes evaporation
Minimizes skinning
Storage
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Stored in dark, temperature controlled environment
(above 25°C/77°F)
Make sure it doesn’t freeze
Water based screen inks should be stored away from
solvents, UV light and high temperatures
If ink is unmixed the ink can be stored for 12 months
If ink is mixed the ink can be stored for 24 hours
Question period
Thanks for attending!
These presentation slides are now available on our blog at
http://inkwithfeelings.wordpress.com
You may contact us with questions or comments at:
• Email: chromictech@gmail.com
• Twitter: @ChromicTech
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