Russian juice bottle goes glam

With the juice market in Russia showing yearly growth of 10 percent and climbing, small juice producers strive to vie with the top three producers in a very competitive environment. The assortment of juices produced and sold in Russia is rather limited and mostly consists of apple, pineapple, orange, tomato and grape varieties. Facing the challenge, O'Grae Juice Co. has designed a truly dramatic package that it hopes will gain a juicy part of the Russian market share for its exotic, squeezed juices: Pomegranate; cornel (dogwood flower); and feijoa, a tropical fruit. O'Grae chose Soldis Communications (www.soldis.ru), of Moscow to undertake a complex design and branding project for the line, which O'Grae says is not yet on the market as of presstime. Full-scale production of the bottle should be finalized in the third quarter of 2008. Considering the rather unusual juice flavors, their purity and comparatively high pricing, Soldis aimed the packaging toward upscale, health-conscious Russian consumers who welcome innovation. The resulting multifaceted glass container, with its pomegranate color scheme and precious-stone shape, is sure to attract attention on store shelves.

The heavy 1-L glass bottle resembles a gleaming, jeweler-cut ruby, with a faceted surface that has a tactile feel. Label graphics illustrate pomegranate seeds emerging from the fruit to convey the juices' healthy benefits. The word “pomegranate” is phonetically close to the Russian words “cut,” “verge,” and “facet,” which recall the popular Russian expression, “all facets of life.” The deep red, black and golden label is a tribute to the juice's deluxe status. Deep red is also used as a color-coding element.