Winning design

Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral Water announced that Eric Rieger, also known as HOTTEA, was named the 2017 Perrier Artist of the Year. Through the ARTXTRA program, Perrier invited consumers to vote on specially created designs by three emerging contemporary artists to select one as the first-ever Perrier Artist of the Year. A Minneapolis-based street and installation artist, HOTTEA is known for using brightly colored yarn to create elaborate, eye-catching and non-destructive installations, the company says. As Perrier Artist of the Year, HOTTEA will kick off a year-long partnership with the brand and will have his original design featured on limited-edition packaging, which will be available in the United States later this year. “It is an honor to be named the Perrier Artist of Year, and I’m so pleased to have received such a positive response to my design,” said Rieger (HOTTEA), in a statement. “The Perrier ARTXTRA program has been an incredible opportunity to showcase my work to a wider audience, and I look forward to seeing my work featured as a limited-edition design later this year.”

Distinct and unique

In an effort to achieve a true 12-ounce fill versus the 350-ml of its previous bottle, Peace Tree Brewing Co. enlisted the help of Berlin Packaging. Also tasked with changing the neck finish to allow for an easier opening as well as packaging that helps the brand stand out in the highly competitive craft beer market, Berlin Packaging developed a custom 12-ounce amber glass beer bottle, which was designed by its Studio One innovation team. The new bottle solved the 12-ounce-fill and neck-finish objectives, and reinforced brand recognition and strength with its unique shape and distinctive embossments, the company says. The bottle also was designed to work on existing filling line equipment. Launched in November 2016, the bottle has received positive feedback, and Peace Tree is enjoying increased production and stocking efficiencies, it adds.

Sleek format

DRY Soda Co. unveiled its Ginger DRY Sparkling flavor in easily transportable 12-ounce aluminum cans at the 2017 Winter Fancy Food Show. Ginger DRY Sparkling in 12-ounce aluminum cans and four-packs will be available beginning this month at select Kroger and Safeway stores nationwide with a suggested retail price of $5.99. “We are proud to offer refreshing Ginger DRY Sparkling in this new convenient format,” said Sharelle Klaus, chief executive officer and founder of DRY Soda Co., in a statement. “We saw such success with our
750-ml holiday bottles of Ginger DRY that we know demand for the product is strong. We’ve found consumers are particularly drawn to Ginger DRY because it contains about one-third of the sugar of the leading ginger beers and ginger ales, so its flavor is full, yet crisp and clean. These sleek aluminum cans will make it easy for our busy consumers to enjoy refreshing Ginger DRY Sparkling on-the-go from the office to the great outdoors.”

Bold, vibrant recognition

Tequila Herradura debuted its new luxury packaging nationwide. Conceived to capture the “craft and charisma” of Casa Herradura, the new design embodies the dynamic global spirit of the brand, the company says. Tequila Herradura’s package enhancements include updated labels featuring bold and vibrant colors that display more recognizable expression names. In addition, the ribbon on the bottle cap features the embossed expression name in an effort to better distinguish each spirit, the company says. Along with a more sophisticated and luxe visual identity, the new package reflects the premium essence of the spirit, making it stand out on the shelf and back bar, it adds. “We are thrilled to introduce Tequila Herradura’s new, vibrant and premium packaging to our distributors, key accounts, leading cocktail experts and, most importantly, consumers,” said Jennifer Simmonds, brand manager of Tequila Herradura, in a statement. “Through this package update, we improved the craft look and feel of our award-winning spirit to honor our authentic and unique heritage, while bringing to life a more sophisticated and elegant design.”

100 percent commitment

Teas’ Tea showcased a harmonious new brand look and announced its commitment to use only 100 percent USDA Certified Organic ingredients in its tea varieties at the 2017 Winter Fancy Food Show. The new brand name, Teas’ Tea Organic, currently extends across all 16.9-ounce Organic Unsweetened, Organic Slightly Sweet and Organic Caffeine Free options, and already began shipping to retailers nationwide. The brand’s 2-liter bottles also will be rebranded as 100 percent organic later this year, the company says. The new packaging for Teas’ Tea Organic was created to improve on-shelf communication about the products’ organic attributes and flavor variety, helping consumers better navigate across the Teas’ Tea Organic range. The new logo also has undergone a sophisticated transformation, bringing “organic” within the bold and assertive design, which draws inspiration from traditional Japanese stamps as a nod to the brand’s standard of excellent quality, it adds. “Our sleek new design aligns with our promise to use solely USDA Certified Organic ingredients to create the tea of all teas,” said Rona Tison, senior vice president of corporate relations for Ito En (North America) Inc., in a statement. “Highlighting the simple, earthy teas and botanicals on the outside, the renewed panel more clearly communicates to consumers the integrity of our ingredients for an enlightening tea experience. We feel that we’ve really hit the nail on the head with this new look, which better conveys the ethos of our brand yet maintains the original aesthetic and signature stripes just enough so our dedicated fans will still recognize our bottles on [the] shelf.” Teas’ Tea Organic is available nationwide at natural food stores and specialty supermarkets, including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Albertsons, The Fresh Market and more, as well as at Ito En brand retail stores and online at Amazon.com.