Best Foods/Unilever revamps the packaging of Hellmann’s mayo and other products to improve consumer convenience. Vendors are disclosed for the new custom-molded PET squeeze bottle that combines with the distinctive dispensing closure to help reduce product mess and waste.
Hellmann's is eliminating mayo lovers' frustrations using a new-and-improved squeeze bottle that’s designed to squeeze more out with less waste, less mess and more control. The innovative new bottle comes with three main improvements for a better squeeze experience:
Precision tip: The angled tip enables more control and better precision so mayonnaise dispenses where you want it.
Clean-lock cap: With a new customized cap that stays clean, there's no need to worry about messy surprises when opening and closing the bottle.
Sleek new design: The improved bottle design offers ease of use with proprietary technology that helps squeeze more mayonnaise out than ever before.
“While consumers love the convenience of squeeze bottles, they are not without their frustrations,” Tracy Shepard-Rashkin, Hellmann’s/Best Foods brand development, tells Packaging Digest. “The number one complaint about our old bottles was that mayonnaise would stick to the inside, and consumers had to shake, bang, or even cut open the bottles to get the last of the delicious Hellmann’s out. That’s why we decided to design a new bottle that would make it easy to ‘Squeeze More Out!’, as well as adding additional benefits like a clean-lock cap for less mess and a precision tip for more control.”
Shepard-Rashkin discloses additional details and the vendors involved in making improvements to the bottle and a new dispensing closure used across 18 products. The repackaging involves three bottle sizes of 11.5 oz, 20oz and 25oz, the latter available only at club stores. The prior bottle sizes were 9 oz, 16.5 oz and 22oz.
Note: You’ll find a detail of products and sizes below.
Details on a custom look
Shepard-Rashkin credits Alpla for the PET squeeze bottle and AptarGroup for the dispensing closure. Aptar’s Katie Schomberg, regional market development manager who also handles dispensing closures for all inverted food bottles, provided PD with further details on the custom, one-piece bi-injection-molded closure that helps differentiate the package in form and function. The screw-on closure is an atypical shape with a wide oval lid with a 50mm outside diameter that provides excellent inverted bottle stability. It also uses a clear polypropylene polymer for the lid and body portion and a pigmented PP for the spout. The spout is in three colors, dark blue for real mayonnaise, light blue for light mayonnaise and a light green for olive oil-containing products.
“It’s an eye-catching look that helps differentiate the Hellmann’s family from other products on shelf,” offers Schomberg.
Also integrated into the closure inside the clean-lock cap is Aptar’s SimpliSqueeze valve, which provides a clean and controlled dispense for the consumer and added functionality versus other closures in the condiments space.
Aptar was not the previous provider of the closure for the products, but has worked with Unilever in the beauty and home segments, according to Schomberg. “We also work closely with Unilever in the beauty and home market which typically has more design aesthetic added to its packaging,” she points out. “It is nice to see Unilever bring a bi-injection style closure to the food market.”
Shepard-Rashkin points out that the new bottle molds were developed by Sidel and the new cap molds were developed by Ermo. The label that provides the final ingredient to the package presentation is provided by Fort Dearborn.
Shepard-Rashkin says the relaunched products’ pricing depends on the channel, but the 20-oz squeeze container is line-priced with our 30-oz jars so that consumers can purchase either for a discounted price during promotions.
Due to the product volumes, she says that “producing enough stock to last us during the changeover to the new bottles at the factory was a challenge.”
Shepard-Rashkin details the bottle sizes and product lineup in the new squeeze bottles:
11.5oz: Hellmann’s Real, Hellmann’s Light, Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dressing with Olive Oil, Hellmann’s Tartar Sauce, Hellmann’s Dijonnaise, Best Foods Real, Best Foods Light, Best Foods Mayonnaise Dressing with Olive Oil, Best Foods Tartar Sauce, Best Foods Dijonnaise;
20oz: Hellmann’s Real, Hellmann’s Light, Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Dressing with Olive Oil, Best Foods Real, Best Foods Light, Best Foods Olive Oil;
25oz: Hellmann’s Real, Best Foods Real.
