`Touch' adds impact to soap wrap. (Trends & Analysis).

Can the sense of touch contribute to a product's marketplace impact?

Colgate-Palmolive appears to think so with its Palmolive Vitamins bar soap it markets in Latin America. It uses a sophisticate metallized wrap that appeals to both vision and touch in reaching out to the consumer.

The 100-gram bars are wrapped in a biaxially oriented polypropylene film. The film adds impact two ways:

* First, it's printed with transparent inks to amplify the metallization's visual impact.

* Second, it has a matte finish that emulates the look of traditional paper wraps. But the matte finish also adds a tactile sensation, creating a soft sensation when fingers rub across the wrap.

The film is ExxonMobil's Bicor 70MLT laminated to acrylic coated Bicor 420 HS.

The converter is Grafo Regia in Mexico, and the package recently won a Golden Mummy Award from ExxonMobil's Films Business.

ExxonMobil, Films Div.
800-334-7987; www.oppfilms.com

Grafo Regina, Unit of Femsa Group
www.femsa-empaque.com