EasyPop® by PopPack® – An easy-open, multi-sensory and functional packaging design for flexible and semi-rigid packaging: Pop the air bubble to easily open the package and enjoy! PopPack for UNILEVER: Superior Functionality for Packaging Submission Date: 27 July 2020 Summary PopPack’s EasyPop® is a tactile air bubble incorporated into a flexible or semi-rigid package. When the air bubble is popped by the consumer with one hand, the package’s top seal is broken, making the package very easy for the consumer to open, dispense and consume the product. EasyPop® is an innovative design-tech feature. PopPack’s EasyPop®: Superior Functionality for Unilever A globally patented and trademarked portfolio of next generation packaging design-tech enhancements that improve consumer interactions for packaging that attracts, protects and brings convenience, sensory experiences (audio-visual, tactile), product protection and practical functionality for Unilever’s consumers. EasyPop®: An innovation that offers an easy-open, cost-effective all-in-one solution: PopPack® is changing the way people of all ages, throughout the world open packages – with a simple, novel and sensational “pop” of an air bubble. EasyPop® uses an high-performance feature to open packages using the Power of Air™. The EasyPop® design-tech feature makes Unilever’s flexible and semi-rigid packaging containers easy and safe to open and use, functional, convenient, attractive, interactive and sustainable. The EasyPop® air bubble design is ideal for many types, shapes and sizes of packaging – for single-use, multi-use and re-fill products – suitable for diverse consumer lifestyles. EasyPop® for Unilever can make packages sensory through a unique “popping sound”, with a visually distinctive appeal, tactile experience with practical and durable functionality. Its design-tech is a simple, innovative concept – fully adaptable and convenient packaging solution (including sachets) for liquid products, flowable products and packaging for solids, powders, and a wide range of consumer goods. EasyPop® provides an interactive, multi-sensory experience: EasyPop® for Unilever offers its global consumers a multi-sensory experience while having single use, multi-use or re-use solutions, with consumer-friendly designs that can instantly differentiate and further promote Unilever’s product brands. Packaging with the EasyPop® air bubble also brings a novel experience to the consumer-user through tactile touch of the air bubble, with visual distinction, and a defining “popping” sound to open. EasyPop® for Unilever creates a positive, simple, memorable, sensational experience. This design-tech is engaging, memorable and fun for all ages and abilities. EasyPop® is ideal for high-performance and light-weighting packaging with superior functionality: The EasyPop® packages are designed for customer convenience and protection - anywhere, anytime. This unique packaging design feature minimizes contamination and pathogens – with strong protection and durability to ensure that the Unilever package has not been tampered. The package can be easily opened with one hand allowing controlled dispensing and consumption. If needed, the package for solids can also be re-closed by the customer with an added, standard product-safe pressure adhesive. EasyPop® packages and sachets for liquids and flowable products have a functional self-closing design, which are lightweight with reduced plastic, and without caps or lids. Packages do not spill after opening – even after multiple uses. EasyPop® is a marketer’s delight: EasyPop® for Unilever offers a novel consumer experience, convenience and functionality with customized effects and visible, audible, and tactile distinction. The popping bubble can be used in a variety of ways – for creating brand loyalty, customer convenience, child-friendly and senior-friendly packaging, special promotions, and smart, personalized packaging connectivity at point of use with unique or interactive third-party serialization, or smart mobile device activation sensors and other technologies. The air bubble itself is a valuable, high-performance enhancement to any package or container. Cost-effective, instant integration with online packaging machinery filling and sealing: Unilever can incorporate EasyPop® for custom-packaging development across multiple product types and brands. Existing packaging machinery can be cost-effectively customized on VFFS, HFFS or thermoform packaging lines to produce EasyPop® – adapted for standard packaging production systems while maintaining or improving line-speeds. The design-tech minimizes excess packaging materials, such as hard caps, fitments, lids, tear strips and other materials. The design thereby reduces materials cost and increases production line efficiencies. Circular and sustainable supply-chain solutions aligned with Unilever’s Sustainability Living Plan: Importantly, PopPack’s package solutions are designed for affordability and sustainability – to minimize resources expended and to reduce waste. EasyPop® for Unilever offers significant enhancements across the entire value-chain while interactively engaging the customer and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in line with Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan. The engaging “popping” sound provides assurance that the package contents are fresh, safe, clean and un-tampered. Since the package does not tear or rip after opening and can be made using only one (mono) film type, with no loose parts or tear-off pieces – the lightweight package can be easily recycled in its entirety after use, collected and sorted, thereby also reducing flow of plastic waste and excess plastic materials. EasyPop’s versatility & universal applicability for multiple channels: EasyPop® for Unilever can be applied to flexible and semi-rigid packages of many shapes, forms and sizes – for both liquid and solid products. It has been tested for numerous food product types and uses – with a proven durability to withstand extreme temperature variances, UV light and moisture conditions. EasyPop® can use a broad range of high-quality standard food-grade films, recyclable films and compostable films. EasyPop® can be an integrated feature for Unilever bags, pouches, stand-up pouches, stick packs, semi-rigid containers, bottles, trays, sachets, and blister packs, and can combine with standard reclosing features. EasyPop® can be applied to many types of foods, refreshments, and beverage products for Unilever brands – with designs to extend shelf life and reduce plastic and packaging waste. Market readiness via gloBal IP, patents and trademarks: PopPack’s packaging and sensory marketing patents, issued and pending, offer proven technologies for Unilever which are market-ready for customization by brand and product line. PopPack has multi-year relationships with some of the world’s leading packaging machinery manufacturers to promptly facilitate cost-effective deployment and purpose-built implementation of packaging and marketing solutions. 2 Desired Outcomes & Key Success Criteria: PopPack’s EasyPop® aligns with delivering the desired outcomes, per Unilever’s Open Innovation Call, specifically as follows: Desired Outcomes: PopPack’s EasyPop® Packaging Key Success Criteria Solutions for Unilever: for Unilever: Unilever’s Growth EasyPop® packaging with superior EasyPop® aligns with Unilever’s Fundamentals: functionality and efficiency provides and focus on high growth priorities: • Improved penetration facilitates the following: • Superior functionality • Impactful innovation • Attractive, with novel, multi-purpose • Performance/protection • Design for channel packaging/product enhancements • Consumer interaction/appeal • Purposeful brands • Convenience with high performance • Consumer convenience • Fuel for growth • Sensory (audio, visual, and tactile) • Cost effective • Extended shelf-life and durable • Less plastic/better plastic product protection • Lighter weight, yet premium • Supply chain efficiencies Interactive packaging - Consumer functionality and While enhancing consumer brand solutions for diverse convenience, for diverse lifestyle uses experience and sustainability consumer lifestyles Novel packaging triggers a sensory, through: and product channel positive experience for consumers - Functionality and performance applications - Visual, sound-based, touch-based - Convenience experience - Ease of use and re-use - Inhibits/prevents spillage or mess, with - Customer interaction, easy to open, dispense, use, multi-use, attraction, appeal and safety and re-use, with portion control - Cost-effective - Protection against damage Easy to open, user- - Ideal for single/multiple uses and refills - Tamper evident for safe use friendly, high- - Easy to open and use for consumers of and anti-counterfeiting performance all ages and abilities, (tested globally) - Recyclability and recovery, with packaging - Universal innovation, suitable across positive, more sustainable, eco- multiple product lines and brands friendly impacts, light-weighting Functional, - One-handed opening and dispensing and waste reduction mechanical - Visual, tactile and audio enhancements - Interoperable digital capabilities performance of aid in customer accessibility and for health benefits, product sealed packages functional uses safety authentication, product information, simplified after use Uses broad range of - 100% compatible with flexible recycled - Premium protection recycled and films including semi-rigid films and film - Retention of product