Case Studies

In an effort to recover its declining herbal shampoo/conditioner business, Alberto-Culver, maker of Alberto VO5 products, decided to modernize and “naturalize” its outdated bottles.

Already a success in the United Kingdom, Smirnoff Ice from Guinness Bass Import and United Distillers & Vintners, Stamford, CT, began rolling out in February in the United States and Canada. Called an “alco-pop,” the five-percent-proof citrus-flavored malt beverage comes in a 12-oz glass bottle with decorating reminiscent of bottles for Smirnoff’s vodka. The product is being offered exclusively for on-premise consumption in bars, restaurants, pubs and clubs.

In an extensive redesign of its Salon Selectives line, Unilever’s Chicago-based Helene Curtis is appealing to free spirits. The new look has a more stylish, sophisticated, yet approachable feel, says Diggi Thomson, Salon Selectives’ brand director.

When Caboodles The Teen Brand, Plano, IL, decided to enter the fast-paced bath and body market, its packaging ideas went to Expac Corp. (Montvale, NJ).

Stepping away from its traditional metallized label, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO, developed an eye-catching, “no-label” direct-print look for its 2000 Budweiser holiday promotion. The one-quart glass bottle is supplied by Anchor Glass Container (Tampa, FL). It’s decorated with seven-color heat-transfer printing from Avery Dennison’s Decorating Technologies Div. (Framingham, MA).

Amboy Specialty Foods’ Poucheze is a 3-oz shelf-stable pouch of pourable cheese that provides a foodservice alternative to single-serve cups, larger pouches or #10 cans.

S.A. Evian Co., Evian, France, introduced its “Nomad” bottled water last summer, first in Europe and then in the United States. The polyethylene terephthalate-bottled water (below left) is topped with an unusual hinged closure molded with a loop.