PET oval provides a ‘method’ for floorcare

-- Packaging Digest, 7/1/2007

Method Products, San Francisco, a brand available at Target stores, relaunches a line of floor cleaners in a functional, ergonomic oval PET bottle from Amcor PET Packaging (www.amcor.com). The All Floor Cleaners come in a 25-oz bottle size that's a larger extension of the company's Omop system, which features a starter kit in an oval carrying pack (the kit contains a disassembled mop, a microfiber mop pad, compostable sweeping cloths and a 14-oz round bottle of cleaner). When it comes to Method, esthetics play a huge role in breaking away from the utilitarian look often associated with household products, in favor of whimsical, sleek designs that can pluck the products out from under the sink and up onto the top of the counter. Method also has a strong environmental stance that includes the use of biodegradable ingredients in its formulations and recyclable packaging.

In keeping with its esthetic and function mantras, Method challenged Amcor to push the blow-molding envelope to support the relaunch of the new cleaner in an oval bottle shape. "The previous cleaner was in a non-Method-looking shape, and we wanted to change that to be more consistent with our design philosophy," explains Jason Crouch, a company product manager. "Initially, the Omop bottle we conceptualized for the relaunch was round, but we found that it didn't give us the shelf 'pop' we wanted." The company then designed the unique, raised-oval bottle and challenged Amcor to develop a unit tool for it. The bottle has a curved, oval perimeter and an oval label panel that could push the dimensional manufacturing envelope for any molder. "Our goal was to be able to blow a 'clean' bottle without unsightly 'touchmarks'—and allow for efficient labeling," says Crouch.

Amcor worked with Method on ideas to solve the capacity and dimensional issues and to help redefine the maximum parameters of the indentation so that the bottle could be consistently blown, yet provide the right esthetics and functionality. The resulting container for Lemon Ginger and Wood for Good Almond was launched early in 2007 and has met with a positive response, says Crouch.