PAM with a pump

The 4-oz bottles have been in test since February in Phoenix and St. Louis, where they retail for about $2.60. The custom glass bottles from Ball (Muncie, IN) are dramatically tapered to give the package a distinctive look on the shelf. Added appeal comes by way of the full-body shrink label of polyvinyl chloride. Reverse-printed by gravure in seven colors by supplier American Fuji Seal (Bardstown, KY), the 2-mil material's graphic design is "predistorted" in printing. In other words, if it's known that the material will shrink 40% at the place where the word "pump" appears, that portion of the art work is enlarged 40%. The bottle's injection-molded pump dispenser comes from Calmar (Hacienda Heights, CA). Also applied by the contract packager handling the container is a PVC shrink band from Uniflex (Ramsey, NJ) for tamper evidence. AHFP's Laura Shelton says the bottle is selling well, though it will retain its test status for a while longer before expanded distribution is considered. She adds that it's positioned as an alternative to, not a replacement for, the aerosol can.