Off to the races
Brown-Forman Corp. launched a limited-edition Woodford Reserve bourbon bottle honoring its partnership with the Kentucky Derby. Illustrated by Michael Schwab, the 2012 Kentucky Derby bottle features an image of a single thoroughbred with a jockey racing to the finish line. The neck of the bottle is sealed with an argyle band that matches the illustrated jockey’s argyle shirt. The 1-liter bottle hit shelves last month with a suggested retail price of $42.99.
Nautical bottle
To honor the brand’s involvement and association with the sailing community, Remy Cointreau USA Inc. introduced the Mount Gay Rum Eclipse limited-edition bottle. The collectible bottle features the nautical flag design of the letter “G.” Founded in 1703, Mount Gay Rum became an integral part of the sailing community when sailors would bring back a cask of rum as proof of their passage from the New World to Europe. Today, the brand sponsors competitive regattas and events, and hosts an online community for sailors. The Mount Gay Rum Eclipse bottle launched this month at select retailers nationwide with a suggested retail price of $17.99.
Beer can nostalgia
Churchkey Can Co. launched a handcrafted Pilsner-style beer in three-piece, flat-top steel cans supplied by Ball Corp. The can harkens back to the original flat-top steel beer cans that were invented in the mid-1930s and required small metal openers called church keys to open them. Made of 100 percent recyclable steel, the package is ideal for beer because it blocks light and oxygen, chills quickly and is portable, the company says.
Seasonal design
Domaine Chandon launched a limited-edition summer bottle for its Chandon Brut Classic sparkling wine. The bottle features a striped design using red, white and blue colors. It will be available in 187- and 750-ml. sizes from June 1 through Sept. 1.
Baseball tribute
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Baltimore’s Camden Yards baseball park, Pabst Brewing Co. launched National Bohemian beer in a limited-edition can. Designed in-house, the can features the brand’s mascot, Mr. Boh, swinging a baseball bat in Camden Yards with the Baltimore skyline in the background. The 16-ounce commemorative cans are available at retail, in bars and at Camden Yards during the beginning of the season, the company says.
Younger appeal
Double-Cola introduced new graphics and packaging designed to connect with a growing market of youthful consumers who expect something unique and refreshing from a soft drink, the company says. Double-Cola is rolling out new packaging with the tagline “refreshingly smooth.” New Double-Cola and Diet Double-Cola cans and 12-packs launched in stores in mid-March, in time to celebrate the company’s 90th birthday.
Stimulating changes
Gourmetti Brands redesigned the packaging of its Chantea line of green tea and aloe vera beverages. The new packaging is designed around a white background with clean lines and colors that differentiate the four flavors: Original, Passionfruit, Peach and Lemon. The new packaging is designed to enhance brand awareness and to match its taste proposition, the company says. The packaging will be released initially in the western United States and gradually in the East.
Vodka facelift
Blue Ice Vodka, a 21st Century Spirits brand, recently updated its label. Design firm Flowdesign further refined the label to correlate with the distinctive look and texture of the bottle while maintaining the complementary relationship between the look, feel and taste of the potato-based vodka, the company says. The redesign includes the use of a simpler font, targeted copy and a bolder blue background to help the branding pop, Flowdesign says.
Enhanced primary package
Thinq, a functional beverage that according to the company awakens the mind and energizes the body, relaunched with new packaging and graphics. The company recently revamped its look by enhancing the graphics on its label and choosing the Rexam 12-ounce Sleek can as its primary package. Thinq chose Rexam Sleek cans because they provide superior distribution economics and help the beverage stand out on retail shelves, the company says.
Rich heritage
Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, is introducing a new look for Plymouth Gin. The new packaging reached retail shelves in the United States in March. The new rounded bottle shape and antique style pay tribute to the heritage of Plymouth Gin, while the oval label reflects an earlier version of the packaging, and is enriched with copper to reflect Plymouth’s artisanal credentials, the company says. An image of the Mayflower Ship on the label and a Black Friar Monks icon are embossed into the flint glass in reference to the distillery, which was originally a monastery for the Black Friar Monks and the location where the Pilgrim Fathers stayed the night before they set sail on the Mayflower in 1620.
Celebration bottle
Coinciding with its 125th anniversary, Rhum Clément debuted new packaging for Première Canne, its 80-proof aromatic white Rhum Agricole. The packaging was revitalized to reflect both contemporary relevance and a strong lineage to Rhum Clément’s time-honored tradition of making world-class Rhum Agricole in Martinique, the company says. The new Première Canne bottle is priced at $29.99 for a 750-ml. bottle.
