XO stands for "extra old" which is a tribute to the three-hundred-year union between Grande and Petite Champagne, located in the heart of Rémy Martin, France. XO was created in 1981 to symbolise the excellence of this assembly and is the signature cognac of their cellar master.
It stands to reason then, that with such refined contents, comes an exquisite box. The case for Rémy Martin XO is produced by Wauters, whose expertise lies in the design of unusual technical solutions. With an eye on excellence, Wauters ensures that just like a cellar master, the packaging process, and materials used, are treated with the utmost care and attention during assembly.
The challenge was finding the perfect material solution for their needs. The paperboard chosen to use was Invercote G 240 g/m2 or 260 g/m2 (depending on the size of the contents) as it covered everything they were looking for – a delicate appearance of the outer carton, but not too fragile, something that felt premium, but wasn’t too rigid.
For Frédéric Ansart, Directeur Commercial at Wauters, the magic of the box comes from the finesse of its stamping. “The main reason we used Invercote was for the surface”, says Frédéric.
The final touch is the brand and its famous centaur, which makes its mark in embossing on the front. “Invercote’s surface for the PET lamination of the medallion and its high resistance for embossing and debossing was perfect” adds Frédéric.
Wauters believes that brands’ creativity and expression are increasingly shown on their secondary packaging, and that the protective case is the first example of credibility and know-how. That’s why it’s important that the Rémy Martin XO box speaks luxury, quality material, traditional, yet elegant, and a wonder to touch – the box should be a subtle reflection of its content.
Invercote’s surface strength makes it ideal for finishing techniques such as embossing, laminating and foil stamping. This is also the main reason French converter Wauters chose Invercote G for the exquisite box of Remy Martin Cognac.