BRANDPACKAGING says: Purely Sedona has beautiful glass packaging, but needed a plastic version as well. A shapely bottle recalling healing tonics of the past and a black and white sketch of the source canyon work together to convey the brand's focus on purity and health.
Purely Sedona, an artesian spring water product from Sedona Bottling Co., has been launched in lightweight polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers designed by ScorCreative at Amcor. ScorCreative is the award-winning structural design studio co-located at Amcor Rigid Plastics, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of rigid plastic packaging. The 500ml and 1L proprietary bottles deliver a highly attractive and eye-catching look which differentiates Purely Sedona from competitive products in the highly competitive premium water category.
Sedona Bottling already offers the premium spring water in glass but sought to create a PET bottle family as well for certain venues, according to Cady Gokey, president of Sedona Bottling Co. In collaboration with ScorCreative, Sedona Bottling undertook a re-branding of an existing stock PET bottle. “We wanted a package that looked like glass and had the same performance,” said Gokey. “PET bottles are a necessary option in certain venues like tourist events, pools, schools, hotels, and restaurants, thus allowing the brand to be more accessible.”
Purely Sedona originates from a registered and protected artesian spring in the Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona, Ariz. Oak Creek Canyon is a sacred river gorge that runs along the Mogollon Rim in northern Arizona. The water that emerges from the canyon is naturally purified, yet it retains the trace minerals and electrolytes that set it apart from competitors, according to Sedona Bottling. The water’s natural filtration process eliminates contaminants while retaining key minerals that deliver better flavor and nutritional benefits. Oak Creek Canyon water also has a natural pH of 8, making it naturally less acidic than other spring water. That perfect balance – enhanced by a proprietary filtration and ozonation process - allows the water to help detoxify the body, while supporting optimum health and vitality, says the company. Natural electrolytes and zero sodium make the water source one of the premier springs in the Southwest.
ScorCreative focused on a medicinal style design to showcase the purity and healing properties that are said to be derived from the spring water, according to Rick Rangler, senior design lead for ScorCreative at Amcor. The novel retro design is tall and sleek and similar to a Boston round style bottle. The glass-like container incorporates a 28 mm black closure to convey the look of an old-time pharmacy tonic bottle.
The ScorCreative design team worked closely with Sedona Bottling to meet its branding requirements while also satisfying engineering demands surrounding the base, shoulder, and also stacking issues. “ScorCreative did a phenomenal job of converting the glass bottle into PET and they successfully resolved engineering issues,” said Gokey.
The product development cycle was compressed so both parties opted for an intense one-day design session at Amcor headquarters. Amcor’s dedicated team of industrial designers and packaging engineers worked closely with the customer, presenting initial concepts and then providing rapid-fire response for multiple design iterations that culminated in a final design at day’s end.
Purely Sedona recently had a soft launch at Sprouts Farmers Market, a specialty grocery store chain based in Phoenix. An expanded commercial roll-out to other Southwest retailers is expected later this year. Gokey said additional package sizes including 12oz and 1.5L PET bottles are also being examined.
