Most of the beverages bottled on Adelholzener’s aseptic line are all in monolayer PET containers. But one product, called Active O2, is an oxygenated beverage that requires a barrier layer in the PET bottle to properly maintain the oxygenation. So for this container, the firm buys coinjection-molded preforms with a PET/nylon/PET structure. The bottles stretch/blow-molded from these preforms provide Active O2 with a 9-mo shelf life. Available in both 0.5- and 0.75-L sizes, Active O2 is decorated with a film label rather than the paper label used on the other products that run through the line. Still, the same Krones labeler handles the hot-glue label application. The distinctive Active O2 packaging, says president of sales and marketing Stefan Hoechter, has played a key role in making the product a huge success since its debut almost a year ago. “With Active O2, we’ve become a national brand,” says Hoechter. “That’s highly unusual in Germany, where most beverages are regional, not national. It’s even more unusual to have achieved it over such a short period of time.”
