Conveniently sized

All-natural green tea brand Xingtea released its 14 flavors in smaller, 12-ounce cans from Ball Corp. The new can size joins Xingtea’s 24-ounce can, also from Ball, and offers a more portable size, the company says. In addition, the smaller size offers portion control with 100 calories in a can, it says. The new 12-ounce package currently is available in most Western states, including Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and California. Plans for additional retail outlets are in progress.

Slimming to Zero

Roaring Lion expanded its line of energy drinks with the launch of its Zero flavor in a 12-ounce slim can. After first introducing Zero in a 16.9-ounce resealable bottle, the company decided to expand into cans to allow consumers to choose the packaging style and size that best fits their lifestyles. The smaller, sleek-looking can uses bare metal and other design elements to improve the overall appeal of the packaging compared with the original Sugar Free offering. In addition, the can ensures that Zero still is an identifiable part of the Roaring Lion family, the company says. Roaring Lion’s Zero cans are available in select U.S. markets as well as on Roaring Lion’s website with a suggested retail price of $1.79 each.

For the love of fashion

Bacardi USA import Disaronno partnered with Italian fashion house Moschino to design a limited-edition bottle that hit shelves in time for the holidays. The “Moschino loves Disaronno” bottle retains Disaronno’s signature shape and is adorned with Moschino’s classic heart pattern in a black and red color palette. The Disaronno and Moschino project will support the charity Fashion 4 Development, which is sponsored by the United Nations, by donating its profits to help the development of this initiative in Africa.

Striding in line

Johnnie Walker, an Irish whiskey label imported by Diageo North America, redesigned its Johnnie Walker Red Label bottle to match the other whiskey blends in the portfolio. The new bottle retains the brand’s signature slanted label and square structure, which was first introduced by Alexander Walker in the 19th century, but is taller and wider with sharper edges for a strong, masculine finish, the company says. The brand’s “Striding Man” logo is both embossed on the neck of the bottle and integrated on the front face, reminding consumers of the brand’s “Keep Walking” mantra. The bottom of the bottle showcases a string of medals along with a signature, which serves as an endorsement to the brand and the legend of John Walker, the company says.

Communicating with consumers

The Bigelow Tea Co. redesigned its packaging to better share information with consumers. While redesigning the boxes for a more unified look, the company also examined how it could make the boxes work harder as communication tools. To that end, each panel of the Bigelow box was carefully reviewed as the redesign progressed. The result is a modern look that still connects to the brand’s visual heritage of using color to identify flavor while further engaging consumers with company stories, fun facts, and information about the tea, the company says. Bigelow’s label also has been enhanced to make it easier to spot on the shelf, it says. In addition, the new boxes are designed to be easier to open, with a tuck cap for easier closing and reopening, it adds.

Winter is coming

Brewery Ommegang, a brand of Duvel Moortgat, released its second beer in a collection inspired by HBO’s “Game of Thrones” series. Take the Black Stout honors the show’s Men of the Night’s Watch, who protect the Seven Kingdoms from White Walkers and Wildlings who live beyond the Wall. The bottle’s label depicts a Weirwood Tree, where some of the Men of the Night’s Watch take their oaths to serve and protect. In response to the success of the first beer in the series, Iron Throne Ale, Brewery Ommegang doubled the volume for this new release.

Wine expansion

Grassini Family Vineyards partnered with Duffy & Partners to give its wine lines a new look. The wine label wanted to create unique, eye-catching packaging to stand out in a sea of wine options while also paying tribute to the brand’s ancestry and positioning the label for growth, the company says. The revamped Reserve line takes cues from the original design released in 2010. Its metallic, silk-screened bottles offer a luxe appeal and feature a black letterpress label with metallic ink. The back label has been replaced with a silk-screened message emblazoned in gold, and each bottle is hand-dipped in a gold wax seal to finish the design. For its Happy Canyon and Articondo blends in its Everyday Varietals line, simpler letterpress labels with illustrative imagery from the history of the vineyard and the family homestead give a nod to Grassini Family Vineyards’ commitment to sustainability.    

Preserving paradise

Hawaiian Springs announced that its signature teal bottles will now be made with 30 percent post-consumer recycled plastic or recycled PET (rPET). The change reduces Hawaiian Springs’ use of virgin plastic and requires approximately 15 percent less energy to produce, the company says. The bottles’ design with Hawaiian flowers will remain largely unchanged, with the exception of additional “30 per-cent rPET” and “BPA Free” icons to highlight the changes. Other label changes call attention to the water’s alkaline qualities and artesian water source located in Kea‘au, Hawaii.

Cans for Care

 To promote breast cancer awareness, Sockeye Brewing partnered with Crown Beverage Packaging North America to launch its flagship Dagger Falls IPA in limited-edition pink cans. Available in local Idaho stores beginning in early October while supplies last, the 12-ounce can features laser-etched tabs that depict the brewers’ logo — the Sockeye salmon — and displays the Cans for Care seal. A percentage of proceeds from the can’s sales will be donated to the Mountain State Tumor Institute of St. Luke’s Hospital and St. Alfonso’s Cancer Care in Idaho. Several local retailers also matched charitable contributions from the sales of the pink Dagger Falls IPA can. Crown worked closely with Sockeye throughout the process, providing counsel on the overall can design, color schemes and the proper ink weights necessary to achieve the desired pink color.