Grolsch Premium Pilsner is now available in a “Coolpack” designed to keep beer cold twice as long as standard multipack beer packaging. The Coolpack, manufactured by Rexam Beverage Can Europe (www.rexam.com), holds four 33cL cans of premium beer. Each can is surrounded by an expanded foam sleeve, which provides insulation for optimum performance. The four insulated cans are retailed in a paperboard carrier with graphics that subtly call attention to the new feature.
VENEZUELA: RIDE THE WAVE
There’s no doubt that shape differentiates, as is evident in the clever form of this Naturaleza y Vida bath gel for kids package from Venezuela. Designed to make bath-time fun for kids and parents alike, the pH-neutral product is housed in a playfully curved bright blue bottle reminiscent of a cresting wave. A green flip-top closure for easy dispensing and storage tops the package, whose curves make the package easy to grip by small hands in a wet environment.
UNITED KINGDOM: IN THE RAW
Pepsi Raw was created in response to growing consumer demand for premium and more natural products. The cola-which gets its distinct taste from a blend of sparkling water, cane sugar and natural plant extracts-contains no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors or sweeteners. The drink is packaged in a sleek and stylish 300mL glass bottle that is sparsely decorated, save for “Pepsi” and “RAW” logos in white. Pepsi Raw became available in selected bars and clubs in key cities in the U.K., with a wider roll out planned throughout the year.
GERMANY: DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS? YES, PLEASE
As a busy mother of three, entrepreneur Gemma Michalski noticed a gap in the market for high quality convenience ready-prepared meals in Germany. She established Yes Please Foods to introduce a line of nutritious dishes featuring tasty and unusual recipes, made without preservatives or additives. The company’s first products are a range of soups designed by Ursula Heinzelmann, one of the country’s best-known chefs. The soups are packaged in injection-molded polypropylene containers from RPC Group (www.rpc-blackburn.co.uk) that sport quirky eye-catching labels created by London agency Williams Murray Hamm and featuring the artwork of illustrator Martin Haake.
BRAZIL: A BRAND ON A MISSION
The backlash against bottled water apparently knows no boundaries; this offering from Brazil claims to be “the first and only eco-friendly bottled water in the world”. The brand makes a donation to the Brazilian Rain Forest Foundation for each bottle sold, which enables the organization to buy and preserve about 90 square feet of the Amazon rainforest. Short, round green bottles (available in 300 and 500 mL sizes) are made from PET and sport paper labels depicting graphics of rainforest flora and fauna.
MEXICO: X MARKS THE SPOT
Dos Equis XX Lager has launched its signature brand in a new aluminum bottle from CCL Container (www.cclcontainer.com). “The new 12oz aluminum bottle is an innovative and trendy design in the Mexican beer market that will increase the brand value of Dos Equis,” says Jose Manuel Juarez, XX Lager brand manager. “It will reinforce the position of Dos Equis in the super premium market as an original and unique beer that projects status and image.” The bottle is adorned with the “XX” symbol that literally represents the Dos Equis or “two X’s” brand name.
