To introduce its three-product Biogenetix(TM) line of "physique-enhancing" dietary supplements for male athletes, WellNx Life Sciences, Inc. (formerly NxCare(TM), Inc.), Mississauga, ON, has brought in some muscle, with masculine, motor-oil-style containers and a striking, custom keepsake tin. Launched in General Nutrition Centers (GNC) last September, Bioburn-D2T, Creatine-D2T and NO-D2T are respectively being billed by WellNx as America's "strongest fat burner," "strongest creatine" and "strongest nitric oxide." Together, the supplements are designed to increase muscle growth, improve strength and increase thermogenesis—or the production of heat in the body—in bodybuilders, mixed martial artists and other male athletes.

"All Biogenetix products use new, innovative scientific formulations to help athletic males reach their peak conditioning fast," says Craig Stevenson, director of marketing for Biogenetix. "All of the products possess a 'pharmaceutical drug-delivery technology' component known as Deca Delivery Technology [D2T] that allows for sustained release, high bioavailability and once-a-day dosing, which sets it far apart from the competition."

Earlier this year, WellNx brought beauty to weight loss with NV. Slim and sexy, the 'supermodel of diet pills' made its debut in a custom-designed bottle and stylish carton. Go to www.packagingdigest.com/ info/nv

Created to catch the eye of gym-frequenting males from 18 to 24 years old, Biogenetix' packaging is "pumped," with its 550-cc supplement bottles replicating the style of motor-oil containers. Extrusion/blow-molded in polyethylene terephthalate glycol by Custom Bottle/Lerman Container (www.bottles.com), the bottles are oblong in shape, with one side etched to look like the diamond-plated metal often used in gyms and on gym equipment.

The "atomic" Biogenetix logo is etched into the top of the bottle's front panel, while most of the container's body is indented to accommodate a three-quarter-wraparound label decorated with a special, raised, 3D printing technique. According to the company, because of the bottle's unique shape and decoration, its mold was carved by hand. Bottles are capped by foil-lined, black, child-resistant closures from Drug Plastics & Glass Co., Inc. (www.drugplastics.com).

Complementing the container's cutting-edge appeal, product labels use an arresting color scheme of metallic silver and blue, and utilize a raised-varnish printing process that provides the look and feel of embossing, relates Stevenson. The first application of this technology for supplement products, the labels are printed in four colors, plus one spot color, a silver foil, a UV gloss finish and a spot-raised varnish by All Stick Label (www.allsticklabel.com).

While the products can be purchased separately for a cost of $69.99 for Bioburn-D2T and $89.99 each for Creatine-D2T and NO-D2T, NxLabs is bundling the three supplements, along with a book, "The Ultimate Guide to Total Body Transformation," into a custom tin marketed as the Biogenetix Total Body Transformation Kit, for $199.99. The company hopes that the tin, which uses a custom hinge from China and is embellished with embossed atomic and D2T logos, along with the same steely metallic silver, blue and black graphics, will be saved by consumers for storage, increasing the frequency with which they view the brand.

WellNx relates that the graphics for both the tin and the bottles were designed for maximum "on-shelf stopping power."

"The kit and bottles are designed to be leaders in the sports supplement industry," Stevenson says. "The dominant blue color, the custom bottles, the scientific look and feel and the metallic packaging all contribute to a large shelf presence of the brand in-store. The unique packaging is also the first to the sports supplement industry."

Notes: WellNx, GNC has contracted for exclusive distribution of the product line, including the kit, until September 2007.

More information is available:

 Online Exclusives

Insights on packging machine demand
by Mary Ann Falkman

Intelligence solution cuts can costs
Read how Rexam's global rollout of a metrics-driven, plant-level manufacturing/business-intelligence solution is providing real-time insight into plant productivity and savings per can.

Visit the Sustainable Packaging microsite and find the latest newson sustainability.

Grocers try upscale private-label brands
Foods often seen at upscale restaurants are actually cropping up as grocery store brands, which traditionally evoke images of canned green beans and generic packages. But supermarkets are sprucing up private labels, adding classy items to boost attention and the bottom line.

2006 Converting Innovators: Doing well by doing good
From small private converters to large multinationals, our inaugural winners show how you can take care of business and still be a citizen of the larger world.