Sustainable solutions

Vuka LLC now offers its Vuka Intelligent Energy drinks in 16-ounce, reclosable Alumi-Tek bottles from Ball Corp. “Vuka is meant for a more sophisticated audience than the traditional energy drink market caters to, and packaging Vuka in the Alumi-Tek bottle with our vibrant graphics creates a uniquely Vuka drinking experience,” said Vuka Chief Executive Officer Alexia Bregman in a statement. The Alumi-Tek bottles are lightweight, portable and infinitely recyclable, which appeals to the brand’s sustainability mentality, added Robert M. Miles, senior vice president of sales for Ball’s metal beverage packaging division in the Americas. Vuka Intelligent Energy drinks are available in Alumi-Tek bottles in grocery stores and gyms in several U.S. markets.  

Natural essence

For the first time in more than a decade, Danone Group’s Evian Natural Spring Water redesigned its bottle. The new design leans on transparency with sleeker, cleaner lines to celebrate its pure, natural contents, the company says. The bottle sports a label-less look, featuring a simplified version of its previous logo design on the front of the bottle, which now showcases a panoramic image of mountains representing the water’s French Alps origins, it says. The bottle’s new, simple shape and beveled mountain ridges further hearken back to the French Alps theme, it adds. The back of the bottle features the Evian story, and the brand’s name is carved into the bottle’s base. The new bottle design is available in a 500-ml size, and additional formats are slated to debut in the next year.

Mission: Refreshment

As part of its summer mission to spread refreshment across the country, MillerCoors’ Coors Light brand launched “The World’s Most Refreshing Can” this season. The packaging innovation features a double-vented wide mouth that offers a smoother pour, the company says. This new 12-ounce can also features past innovations such as the Frost Brew liner, cold-activated mountains and two-stage cold indicators, it says.

Brimming with pride

Mercy Nutraceuticals Inc. released a special-edition rainbow can in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) pride. A portion of the proceeds from the can will be donated to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a communications organization dedicated to LGBT equality. This promotion marks Mercy’s first charitable partnership and signifies its commitment to empowering the LGBT community, the company says. The rainbow was available during GLAAD’s 2013 Summer Pride events, which included parades and celebrations in New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Dallas.

The strength of Platinum

Anheuser Busch, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, will nationally launch 11.5-ounce reclosable aluminum bottles for its Bud Light Platinum beer later this year.  This packaging addition marks the company’s first use of this bottle type, it says. “We hand-picked Bud Light Platinum to launch our company’s first reclosable aluminum bottle because of our confidence in the beer,” said Rob McCarthy, vice president of Bud Light, in a statement. “Platinum has been able to elevate the premium light beer category with its blend of image and flavor, and we believe it will do the same for the perception of aluminum bottles.” The bottle features a twist-off cap, is more than 50 percent stronger than a standard aluminum can, and helps the beer get colder faster, according to the brand. The bottles currently are available at
Las Vegas pools and nightclubs.

A bold overhaul

Following its acquisition by C&C Group, Hornsby’s Cider received an updated brand image to capture its 15-year-old brand essence while helping it stand out from other brands in the category, the company says. Design firm Blue Marlin created the idea of Hornsby’s new “The Outcider” identity to break down barriers between beer and cider drinkers and help the budding hard cider category become more mainstream, it says. “The Outcider” represents the bravery, independence and fearlessness of being different, according to the brand. This new image is visually represented on the brand’s packaging, which now uses white instead of its signature navy blue to help it stand out on the shelf, it says. The design group also decided to elevate the Hornsby’s rhinoceros to brand icon status and redesign it to have a more contemporary, masculine look, it adds.

Picturesque pedigree

The G.H. Mumm Champagne House released a new look for its entire portfolio to better highlight the label’s history. The brand’s signature red ribbon or Cordon Rouge, which was originally created in 1876 as a tribute to the Légion d’Honneur, now features a more textured color, and the typography has been reworked to give it a more regal and statutory image, the company says. The initials of the founder, Georges Hermann Mumm, now are bolder, and the crown eagle symbol of the company has been reworked and placed at the heart of the design, it says. A coat of arms with the Champagne house’s emblematic eagle also is printed in gold on the bottle’s black collar to reinforce its affiliation with the G.H.Mumm House, it adds. The label also paid particular attention in selecting quality materials for the packaging, it says. For example, the bottle’s foil has been revamped with hot-gold stamping and a more intense varnish that is finished with the brand’s Cordon Rouge and restated name to further reinforce the brand’s identity, it says.

Dressing for the journey

Following its launch in the American market in bottles last year, Stiegl Brewery’s Grapefruit Radler beer and grapefruit soda blend now is available in cans. “We’ve seen strong growth in the can segment in the United States, and we received numerous consumer requests after they tasted the bottle that they’d also like to buy that product in a can,” says Christopher Losmann, export director for Stiegl Brewery. He also notes that cans allow the Grapefruit Radler to be consumed during more drinking occasions, and the packaging helps protect the product from light and carbon dioxide during its journey from Salzburg, Austria, to the United States.  Distributed in the United States by Louis Glunz Beer Inc., the new can still includes the Stiegl logo, but the brand changed the rest of the design to make it more attractive, fresh and still keep the high-quality aspect in mind, Losmann says. 

A ‘Sleek’ debut

 Aquarena Beverage LLC launched Fuga energy drinks in 12-ounce Sleek cans from Rexam. The company says it chose the Rexam Sleek can for Fuga because it helps the beverage stand out on retail shelves and it is a sustainable packaging choice. “Our 12-ounce Sleek can is extremely popular in the energy drink market because of its consumer appeal and the fact that it delivers superior environmental benefits as well as distribution and retail display economics,” said Rich Grimley, president and chief executive officer of Rexam Beverage Can North America, in a statement. “This makes it the perfect packaging solution to help Fuga establish their brand and build their business.”