Juiced-up PET bottle updates the V8 brand

Campbell Soup Co. is using a custom, hot-fill PET bottle from Amcor PET Packaging (www.amcorpet.com) to revamp its V8 and V8 V-Fusion 12-oz juice lines. The new bottle will enable the brands to be sold via vending machines, in addition to off of retail shelves.

According to Jina Sohn, associate brand manager with Campbell Soup, the venture was made possible through a new business alliance with The Coca-Cola Co.

“We were looking at ways to move into distribution channels where we have little presence today,” says Sohn. “Now that our bottle is vendable, our beverages can be available wherever vending machines exist: Schools; malls; offices; retail outlets; hospitals; etc. Through our alliance with The Coca-Cola Co., we are able to provide more nutritious, 100-percent juice options in the education channel.”

The Campbell team worked closely with Amcor and Coca-Cola representatives to better understand how various types of vending machines function and what bottle attributes were needed to maximize performance. They took advantage of Amcor's Imagine™ process, which allowed them to design and develop a container that looks, feels, and performs to the level that the company required.

The end result is an attractive bottle that offers a better grip and portability, while enhancing the V8 brand's health equity; according to Sohn, consumer tests show that users significantly prefer the new bottle design.

Six flavors made a soft-launch debut in August. The bottle will be sold primarily as a single-serve item at convenience, grocery and mass merchandise stores. A four-pack is slated for Walmart shelves and a 12-count case is headed to Sam's Club.