An angel with you

Mercy launched a newly designed can featuring an angel and blue shield, symbolizing Mercy’s goal to protect and defend its consumers from hangovers. The non-alcohol, caffeine-free beverage’s redesigned label presents a bolder and clearer picture of the product’s benefits, the company says. “We are thrilled with the redesign,” said Mercy Founder Dave Shor in a statement. “The angel and blue shield represent what we’ve achieved — a perfect blend of amino acids, antioxidants and vitamins that will help boost your body’s natural defenses and rid your body of acetaldehyde.” The new Mercy cans are available at grocery stores, restaurants, hotels and bars in the New York City area and can be purchased online at drinkmercy.com.

Summer spirit

Malibu, a product of Pernod Ricard USA, launched a new bottle style that changes almost everything but its signature white color, the company says. The new bottle is more slender with high shoulders, giving it a distinctive, modern feel, it says. To spread a summertime feeling, the brand also updated its logo to a “clean and modern” image of a setting sun on the beach, it says. Plus, the new bottles feature a transparent window to showcase the fresh, clear spirit inside the package and maximize shelf appeal, it adds. The new bottles are scheduled to arrive in retail stores this spring. 

Carrying the ‘Stars’

In conjunction with the launch of the Star bottle for its Heineken and Heineken Light brands, Heineken USA also introduced new secondary packaging for the brands’ six-, 12-, 18- and 24-packs. The carriers feature modern graphics that reinforce the upscale attributes of the brands and help them to stand out on the shelf, in the cold box and on display, the company says. 

UV upgrades

Phillips Distilling Co. released an upgraded bottle for UV 80 vodka to help the product stand out more on the store shelf, the company says. The new bottle highlights the vodka’s American heritage with an American flag logo and features pops of silver and red on the front of the bottle, along with a chrome cap and silver neck to communicate the high quality of the product inside, it says.

Growing bunch

In an effort to offer greater value to consumers, Drink Chia LLC increased the package size of its same-named omega-3 superfood drink from 8 to 10 ounces. The change will be applied to all four varieties — Strawberry Citrus, Honeysuckle Pear, Mango Tangerine and “B Meyer” Lemon — at no additional cost to the consumer with products maintaining their suggested retail price at $3.49 a bottle. The larger bottle size also means enhanced health benefits, the company says. A 10-ounce serving contains 50 calories and 5 grams of sugar as well as 1,100 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. “We listened to our fans when they said they wanted more of Drink Chia,” said Drink Chia Co-Founder Chandra Davis in a statement. “The larger bottle size provides more of the nutritional benefits of the chia seeds while keeping the calories and sugar extremely low.”

Highlighting the values

Steaz, a subsidiary of The Healthy Beverage Co., revealed rebranded packaging for its entire line. Now, all Steaz U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic and Fair Trade-certified energy drinks, iced teas and sparkling green teas come in brightly illustrated, recyclable aluminum cans that reflect the brand’s core values and clearly indicate the organic or zero-calorie attributes as well as the flavor profiles, the company says. Vancouver-based strategic imagination firm Toolbox Design led the rebranding project. The new Steaz packaging will hit store shelves this month as the previous brand packaging is phased out, according to the company.

Bourbon at the races

 Woodford Reserve, the “Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby,” is honoring the annual horse race with the release of its 2013 commemorative bottle. A product of the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Ky., this year’s limited-edition Kentucky Derby 139 bottle features the artwork of Oregon-based painter Eric Bowman. Bowman’s bottle design depicts a sunny Kentucky Derby day with a close-up of two horses and their jockeys racing neck and neck toward the finish line while silhouettes of three other participants try to catch up. The bottle’s sky blue neck band bears the artist’s signature, and a hang tag with product and artist information rests around the neck of the bottle. The commemorative 1-liter bottle will be available in 46 markets nationwide at a suggested retail price of $43.99.