Posted by Rita Mu
Glass packaging maker, O-I, has launched a new beer packaging design that features distinctive grooves inside the bottle’s neck.
Designed and made by a unique internal embossing technology in Melbourne, the new Vortex bottle is an Australian first.
O-I Asia Pacific’s General Manager of Marketing and Sales, Jacqueline Moth, said the new bottle was one of the biggest packaging innovations in the beer market in decades.
"It comes at a time when Australian beer brands face stiff competition and are looking for ways to differentiate their products in a crowded marketplace,” she said.
The concept of internal embossing was first revealed by O-I’s US division last year, with the Miller Brewing Co adopting the idea for its Lite range.
According to O-I, Miller Lite sales have increased by six per cent since the product was launched in a new O-I bottle featuring internal embossing.
In Australia, Western Australian Gage Roads Brewing Co will roll out its Wahoo Premium Ale beer in the new Vortex bottle from next month.
Gage Roads’ Chief Executive Nick Hayler said he expected Wahoo beer sales to double in the first 12-months following the re-launch of the product in the new bottle.
“When you consider consumer purchasing behaviours, it’s easy to appreciate the importance of
capturing their attention and standing-out from the retail noise,” Hayler said.
“Our experience in recent years has taught us that packaging which appeals to the consumer
and grabs both their attention and imagination is vital.
“For Gage Roads, O-I’s Vortex bottle provides the opportunity to represent our product in a
way that reflects the unique and subtle qualities of our batch brewed beer.”
O-I’s new Vortex bottles will be produced at the company’s Penrith plant in Sydney.