Glass packaging that dazzles

Winners of the Glass Packaging Institute's (www.gpi.org [GPI]) 2008 Clear Choice awards demonstrate the latest developments in glass technology, style, form and functionality, sustainability and salesworthy graphics.

Announced May 5 during the Food Marketing Institute Show in Las Vegas, the 12 consumer product goods winners were recognized for achievements in expanding the frontiers of glass packaging design. The Community Recycling Div. of the Orange County Solid Waste Management Department was honored by GPI for outstanding sustainable practices, in recognition of the county's commercial recycling program that now serves more than 140 businesses with source-separated collection.

Judged in 11 categories from among 103 entries, the winners, by category, include: In the beer category, a 12-oz emerald green, long-neck bottle for Miller Brewing Co.'s Miller Chill chelada-style light beer. Provided by O-I (www.oi.com), the bold bottle is complimented with eye-catching graphics and colors on the labels (from MultiColor Corp. [www.multicolorcorp.com]), along with shoulder embossing of the Miller Brewing brand that collectively defines thirst-quenching refreshment; in wine, Tin Roof Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from White Rocket Wine Co., with a “retro and modern, uber-sophisticated” bottle design from Saint-Gobain Containers, Inc. (www.sgcontainers.com) that speaks of old-fashioned quality yet appeals to a new generation. The sleek label illustrates a small, tin-roofed winery, which adds to a super-premium look; for food, the innovative 47-oz clubstore-sized jar with a long neck for On the Border Salsa made by Truco Enterprises, LP, is contour-embossed by supplier Vitro Packaging (www.vitro.com) around the shoulder to boost brand recognition and is finished with a pressure-sensitive label designed by Flow-Design, Inc. (www.flow-design.com) featuring tactile inks; for carbonated beverages, Q Tonic tonic water in a single-serve, 6.3-oz curvy bottle from Vitro, designed by aruliden (www.aruliden.com) in a beautiful, etched format that showcases a mixer that could change the way consumers think about tonic water; an iconic 750-mL bottle design for XanGo mangosteen supplement juice drink from XanGo LLC, in noncarbonated beverages. Created by Anchor Glass (www.anchorglass.com) and designed by Flow-Design, which also provided the clear label, updated brand elements, logo and whole-fruit icon, the contemporary, pinched-waist, slender container beautifully displays the burgundy juice color. A contrasting orange shrink sleeve over a 33-mm aluminum closure make the package as inviting as the juice within; in distilled spirits, UV Vodka from Phillips Distilling teams a sturdy 1.75-mL cinch-waist bottle from Anchor Glass with built-in handles to spotlight three-dimensional, 60s-style label graphics for a sophisticated, yet approachable feel. J.R. Cole (www.jrcole.com) provides the labeling; in flavored alcoholic beverages, Sake2me, LLC's Sake2me flavored drinks in single-serve, eco-friendly 6.3-oz bottles are made by Vitro Packaging with up to 70-percent recycled glass. The bottle size is smaller than traditional flavored alcoholic beverages, with a unique neck taper that further differentiates it for consumers. Spear (www.spearsystem.com) provides a clear p-s label cleverly decorated with graphics from Michael Osborne Design (www.modsf.com); in organic food, Del Monte organic pickles from packer M. A. Gedney Co. in a 24-oz jar from Saint-Gobain. Gedney says its products fill better and have a longer shelf life in glass containers; Tizane Beverages' custom glass bottle from Leone Industries (www.leoneindustries.com) and an oval-shaped label from Williams Creative (www.williamscreativegroup.com) stand out in the organic beverage category; Avon Products' Anew Clinical cream in distinctive opaque white, 15- and 30-mL jars from Vitro Packaging swept the cosmetics and fragrance products category with glamour. The flint glass jars have a luxurious appeal, sprayed with a white powder coating and then dressed with organic silver label accents.

The Clear Choice Overall Package Design award went to Rose's Mojito mixers from Cadbury Schweppes Beverages Americas for a uniquely slanted, curvacious bottle from Vitro Packaging that results in an approachable and trend-setting image for flavored mojito cocktail mixers. Embossed at the neck, the 21-oz bottle invites you to “set the rhythm,” with its angled, one-of-a-kind rightward curve that's both elegant and sleek. Multiple bottles nest side-by-side on store shelves for a powerful display. Vibrantly printed, p-s clear-film labels present island-style graphics. A Conversion Recognition award went to Red Gold Inc.'s 17-oz glass salsa jar from Saint-Gobain, which replaces a metal can.