Gates underwent a complete brand refresh in 2018. Our packaging followed suit and has been gradually restyled to further strengthen our brand’s new visual identity. This change in packaging will not be visible overnight: the refreshed designs are just starting to pop up in the market because for some components we still have some old packaging in stock. We will sell these articles first – the contents haven’t changed, after all – and then move on to those with a new look and feel. And you, too, may still have old packaging in stock, meaning it might take a while before you get your hands on our new packaging – but now you know what to expect next time you order from Gates.
Passenger car packaging
You can see that the previous red and black colour scheme and the old logo have made way for a new design with black, grey and red, as well as a new logo. Don’t worry, your trusted product is still in there. What’s more, the distinction between our passenger car packaging and our heavy-duty packaging has become clearer. The latter used to be red, too, but has now been given some green touches instead. This colour identification system will help to eliminate picking errors.
Just to give you an idea, here are a few samples of our new passenger car packaging style. (If you’re curious about which of our other product groups have changed packaging: just read on to get a complete list.)
FleetRunner™ packaging
As you may be aware, in May 2019 we introduced FleetRunner™, the new brand name for our ‘Extra Service’ aftermarket parts range for trucks and buses.
While our new passenger car packaging differs from the old one in terms of look and feel, our premium heavy-duty brand has been given more than the new green colour and a new design, namely: stronger boxes and belt sleeves. This means that your trusted heavy-duty components are now even better protected. In addition, packing materials have been added to improve parts stability throughout the logistics chain. All these packaging upgrades are designed to reduce the potential for damage.
Again, a few samples to give you a taste of our new heavy-duty packaging style:
Overview of product groups with new packaging
We’ve launched new packaging material for all our product groups:
• ABDS belts (Micro-V®)
• ABDS kits (Micro-V®)
• Heavy-duty products (all FleetRunner™ products and CoolRunner™ belts)
• Hoses
• Metals (pulleys and idlers)
• Overrunning Alternator Pulleys (OAP)
• Radiator caps
• SBDS belts (PowerGrip®)
• SBDS kits (PowerGrip®)
• Tensioners (DriveAlign® and PowerGrip®)
• Thermostats
• Torsional Vibration Dampers (TVD)
• V-Belts
• Water pumps (regular and E-cool™)
Telling real and counterfeit products apart
It can be hard to distinguish real from fake products, since manufacturers of counterfeit parts cleverly use a packaging design that is very similar to the original. To help you make the distinction, we have developed a special web page where we identify the genuine look of our packaging in detail. Some examples:
• The Gates PowerGrip® kit box label displays the product number, the Gates part number, a barcode and the serial number. The recently added QR code and product key not only give access to digital installation instructions, but will also detect counterfeit parts.
• Gates timing belt packaging, in turn, has a counterfeit protection system consisting of a unique 14-digit code, a QR code and a special tesa® PrioSpot® label.
• Micro-V® belts are sold in sleeve packaging, the front of which displays the belt type and the Gates part number, in addition to a barcode and a QR code which directs you to the product application page at www.gatesautocat.com.