Rigid plastics packaging manufacturer Pact Group has designed and manufactured a new milk bottle for the a2 Milk Company.
It took almost 18 months of research and testing to create the premium-look two-litre bottle, which reached Sydney shelves last week and will be launching across Australia's east coast in coming weeks.
The contract was awarded to Pact Group in early 2015 and involved researching global packaging trends and creating a design which would convey the innovation associated with being a first-to-market product, according to Pact Group CEO Malcolm Bundey.
“Our challenge in redesigning the a2 Milk packaging was to instantly convey the premium nature of the product while retaining strong brand recognition – the shape of the humble milk bottle hasn't changed much over the last five decades,” he said.
“The redesign leverages the packaging to help a2 Milk stand out from the generic ‘white mile’ milk category.”
Design changes include centre handle positioning, which makes it easier for the consumer to pull the bottle out of the fridge.
There is also indentation on the handles for easier grip, a unique label face for maximum brand exposure, and a slightly offset neck for easier pouring.
“Despite facing a number of technical challenges, including the proper flow of resin through the handle and a number of iterations, we're confident the final design genuinely adds value in that it will allow the product to be instantly recognisable,” Bundey said.
“Consumers will only interact with the final product, but even the smallest amount of change can result in complex calculations across the whole supply and manufacturing chain.
“With each design iteration, we needed to make sure the different lines at various locations filling a2 Milk could handle the new bottle.
“To make matters more complicated, each line had unique characteristics that needed to be taken into account.
"But we are very happy with the end result."
Pact and the a2 Milk Company plan to release a newly designed one-litre bottle later this year.
