Glass packaging a winner for O-I

Owens-Illinois (O-I) has won the Gold Beverage Award for its work on Diageo Australia’s Classic Mixes range, at the 2011 Australian Packaging Design Awards held in Melbourne.

The Beverage Award was open for alcoholic and non-alcoholic liquid beverages including juice, beer, wine, cordial, dairy, water, soda, soft drinks, spirits, energy and sports drinks. Entries were judged on a number of criteria including aesthetics, functionality, presentation, visual impact and success in overseas markets. O-I also received the Silver Award in the Beverage category for its unique black glass applied to Independent Distillers’ Three Kings range.

O-I Australia’s General Manager, Brian Slingsby, said the wins highlighted O-I’s position as a truly innovative company.

Diageo Australia, in collaboration with Schweppes, packaged Classic Mixes in a 275 mL O-I glass bottle, taking design cues from Schweppes and O-I’s successful non-alcoholic glass bottles.The combinations in the range include Smirnoff Vodka and Indian Tonic Water; Smirnoff Vodka, Lime and Soda Water; Gordon’s Gin and Indian Tonic Water; and Gordon’s Gin and Diet Indian Tonic Water.

The long sloping sides of O-I’s glass bottle create the perfect angled surface to highlight the product’s label and graphics. The Classic Mixes packaging is complemented with ‘The Perfect Mix’ debossed into the glass surface, providing consumers with a tactile sensation and reinforcing the brand’s positioning.

The Australian Packaging Design Awards is an annual competition for brand owners, designers, retailers, manufacturers and raw material suppliers to enter their packaging creations into a wide variety of categories.