Mindful Relaxation Guides Bottle Design for Wine Cocktail

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The timeline for the new product and its packaging was aggressive, with development beginning in fall 2018 and the launch scheduled for just nine months later. Berkey says Vintage Wine Estates chose aluminum in order to stand out in the emerging category, but eschewed a traditional can format. “The idea of an aluminum bottle retains the quality packaging cues associated with wine, while the ability to reseal the bottle dovetails with the active lifestyle of our target consumer,” she says.

Trivium Packaging worked with Vintage Wine Estates throughout the entire process to select a bottle that met both the functional and aesthetic expectations of the winery. “It was essential that the aluminum bottle preserved all the flavors, light effervescence, and nuances of the product as well if not better than a traditional glass bottle,” shares Berkey. “Equally important was that the package looked gorgeous on the shelf, felt sleek and sophisticated in the hand, would be adaptable to a wide variety of use occasions from poolside to dance club, and project well on social media.”

The chosen design is a sleek, column-shaped aluminum bottle with rounded shoulders that holds 375 mL, or 2.5 servings, and is topped with an aluminum twist-off cap. Although the bottle is a stock design, Berkey says Trivium has given Vintage Wine Estates category-exclusive rights to the shape to ensure differentiation on shelf.

Graphics for the bottle were designed by Swig Studio. Shares Berkey, the creative brief asked for the aluminum bottle to be incorporated into a distinctive and memorable design, utilizing the full real estate of the bottle, calling out benefits, and visually communicating each flavor through the color and design—a request deftly handled by Swig. The bottles are indeed beautiful, with each having its own nature-inspired, 360-deg background pattern, printed in a variety-specific color that uses the silver of the bottle as part of the pattern. A block of silver on the front of the bottle holds the elegantly-styled Gaze logo, product copy, and a flavor-related icon. Trivium silk screen-prints the cans in three to four colors, depending on the variety.

See: Top six drivers for the growing wine-in-a-can market

All four varieties of Gaze are available nationally and direct-to-consumer through the brand’s website. Online, the drinks are sold in quantities of six for $36. Subscriptions are available for a 10% savings.