Mysterious Oculto beer serves on-package surprises

Launched purposefully on Friday the 13^th, Anheuser-Busch’s newest brew lives up to its name by presenting on-package details and surprises that represent several firsts in the U.S. beer market.

On Friday March 13th Anheuser-Busch launched a new beer, Oculto. The lager’s novel formulation—infused blue agave for a unique citrus flavor—and positioning centers on mystery and spontaneous nights out with friends. The packaging brings those elements to life in a high-end look that is energetic, intriguing and that lives up to its name, which translates from Spanish as “hidden” or “waiting to be found.”

“While launching on Friday the 13th may seem unlucky, we’re challenging the superstition,” says Jorn Socquet, vice president of marketing, Anheuser-Busch. “It fits Oculto perfectly. It’s unique. From our approach to our packaging, we’re doing things differently.”

The packaging delivers several revelations that demonstrate how the brewer and its designers drilled down in ways that play further on the brand’s elements of mystery and intrigue.

For starters, the carton (shown above) uses metallic fiber-board packaging, which AB claims as a first for beer packaging in the U.S.

You can read about the tactile, black-light-lit bottle on the next page.

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The Oculto Bottle features a multi-sensory experience, including multiple crown graphics, tactile printing and black-light inks.

The signature mask-shaped bottle boasts detailed embossing for a distinctive look and feel. The label graphics and text include detailed shoulder/neck embossing.

Several discoverable elements are embedded in the bottle design, including hidden messages and eyes printed using thermochromic inks that appear only when chilled:

The eyes on the back label leverage both normal ink and thermochromatic ink. The temperature-responsive ink is designed to fill in a complete circle when cold, and fade to an agave plant eye design when either the consumer’s warm finger is run over the top, when the brew is gone or when the package is warm.

The bottle integrates multiple tactile elements to enhance experience:

The bottle’s unique tactile feel is said by the brewer to be a breakthrough for beer in the U.S.

You can see the can and read more about the overall packaging strategy on the next page.

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Did you know? Our parent company UBM owns these popular packaging events: WestPack, EastPack, PackEx Toronto and PackEx Montreal. Click the links to learn how you can connect in person with leading packaging technology partners, expand your professional network, hear experts analyze key packaging trends and gain a better understanding of today's critical issues.

The Oculto can leverages a tactile ink for a premium feel, all part of a hybrid package.

Anheuser-Busch's Innovation Team provides Packaging Digest with additional input on this notable introduction: “The goal of each of the packaging innovations/features, including the intricate and tactical elements, is to really bring the brand to life at the shelf and personify the product. It was important to deliver this positioning in the aisle and really make the product stand out to the consumer.

"The premise of each packaging element was to really bridge the gap between two worlds, that of high-end hard liquor and beer. Each decision was all about bringing these two worlds together. That’s why you see some never-before-seen features on a beer bottle, such as tactical neck embossing, that are typically seen on liquor bottles."

Oculto is available at high-end bars, clubs and restaurants, as well as many grocery and liquor stores across the U.S. in 6- and 12-packs of 12-oz bottles and in 16- and 25-oz cans.

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Did you know? Our parent company UBM owns these popular packaging events: WestPack, EastPack, PackEx Toronto and PackEx Montreal. Click the links to learn how you can connect in person with leading packaging technology partners, expand your professional network, hear experts analyze key packaging trends and gain a better understanding of today's critical issues.